POMONA, Calif. – April 13 – The Thunderbirds spent another weekend competing in California, posting Big Sky qualifiers and breaking into conference and school top-ten rankings at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
“This was a great weekend for us in terms of improving individual performances,” head coach Eric Houle said. “With athletes moving up in the rankings and posting conference qualifiers, I think this meet really helped them prepare for the bigger, high-pressure meets we will see throughout the rest of the season.”
Senior Kayla Kovar led the throwers with top finishes in both the hammer (213-5) and shot put (52-1.75), as well a second-place finish in the discus (158-9). Kovar broke into the top NCAA Division I rankings with her mark in the hammer throw, ranking fifth in the nation overall. Her mark also ranks first in the Big Sky Conference and in Southern Utah's all-time records.
Teammate Jennika Wright followed close behind Kovar in both the shot put and discus throw, posting a fifth-best Big Sky mark of 46-5.25 with her third-place shot put finish and a conference-qualifying mark of 144-7 with her fourth-place finish in the discus. Whitney Fairbanks led the Lady T-Birds in the javelin throw, posting a fifth-place mark of 126-9 in the event.
Jayson Kovar and Chris Johnson represented the men's squad in the throws. Kovar led the men with a second-place finish in the shot put (53-10.25) and a third-place finish in the discus (176-6), while Johnson followed with a fourth-place shot put mark of 48-11.75. Multi athlete Russell Nielson placed first for the T-Birds in the javelin throw, posting a sixth-place mark of 180-6.
The men's distance team had a strong showing at Pomona-Pitzer, led by freshman Mike Tate with a pair of top-three finishes in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs. Tate qualified for a spot at the conference championship with a third-place time of 1:51.70 in the 800-meters, ranking third in the conference and seventh in Southern Utah's records. He led the field in the 1,500-meters, posting a first-place time of 3:47.37 and improving his third-place school record. Tate's 1,500-meters time currently places him second in the Big Sky.
Eric Sandall also broke into the top-ten records in the 1,500-meters, recording a ninth-place time of 3:52.57. Sandall's time ranks ninth in the conference and 10th in the school records. Ashley Hawks led the women's distance quad with an eighth-place finish in the 800-meters and conference-qualifying time of 2:13.49. Hawks now ranks fourth in the Big Sky.
The sprinters also shone at Pomona, with senior Shaun Murray leading the field with a first-place finish in the 100-meter dash. Murray's time of 10.70 places him second in the conference and is a team season-best in the event. Alex Anderson also broke into the Big Sky top-ten rankings, posting seventh-place time of 15.19 in the 110-meter hurdles. Murray and Anderson both raced on the 4x100-meter relay team, alongside Preston Myers and Arnold Carrillo, which placed third with a season-best time of 42.10.
The women's 4x100-meter relay team also posted a third-place finish in the event, with Kayla Shakespeare, Mayra Franco, Lindsay Terry and Shaye Springall recording a combined time of 47.55. Franco also recorded a Big Sky qualifier with an 11th-place finish in the 200-meter dash and a time of 24.80. Jamila Pullum led the women in the 400-meter dash with a 12th-place time of 56.03, ranking fifth in the conference and sixth in Southern Utah's record books.
Alex Anderson led the jumpers at Pomona-Pitzer with a Big Sky qualifier in his first triple jump of the season. Anderson's fifth-place mark of 16-2.5 ranks places him sixth in the conference. Russell Nielson tied for third-place in the high jump with a season-best mark of 6-6, which is also tied for 10th place in the conference rankings. Nielson also competed in the long jump and placed seventh with a distance of 21-2.75.
Pole vaulters Lesli Kinkade and Erin Stone posted a pair of personal bests when they tied for 13th place in the event. Both women cleared a height of 10-11.75 and are tied for fourth place in Southern Utah's all-time top ten. Autumn Lawrence opened triple jump competition for the Thunderbirds on the women's side, placing 10th in the event with a mark of 34-6.75. Lawrence's mark ranks eighth in the school records.
The Thunderbirds will now gear up for another busy weekend in California as they get ready for the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays, which will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Walnut. The team will also compete in Azusa Pacific's Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa on Saturday.
