POCATELLO, Idaho/FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Feb. 6 - Southern Utah recorded five individual titles during weekend competitions as Austin Hill won gold in the men's 400-meter dash in Arizona, while Kate Call ran to victory in the mile in Idaho. Wade Nielson also enjoyed an individual title in Idaho by clearing a season-best mark in the high jump and was joined by Dallas Eborn in the mile (4:21.71) and Sharla Manuele in the women's mile (4:51.35) on top of the medal stand.
Hill headlined Thunderbird success in Arizona, facing runners from Long Beach State, UCLA and Arizona State, by blazing to a season-best time of 47.82 in the 400-meters to win the event. On the women's side, Christina Day did even better with a school-record and league-best time of 54.93 in the women's 400-meters, finishing second amidst a pack of runners from Arizona State.
Both Hill and Day returned to lead the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay teams to season-best times of 3:16.82 and 3:55.86 and finishes of third and second, respectively.
In Idaho, Call's time of 5:14.23 in the mile marked the first of three Thunderbirds in the top four of that event as Steffi Minson (5:17.69) and Meghan Reilly (5:22.65) finished in second and fourth, respectively. Manuele and Eborn made it a clean sweep for the Thunderbirds in the mile as the duo raced to first-place times of 4:51.35 and 4:21.71 in the women's and men's invitational mile, respectively. Both had teammates fast on their heels as Kevin Sandall finished in second place in the men's invitational mile with a time of 4:23.69 and Diana Medina finished a close third in the women's invitational mile with a time of 5:05.59, .23 seconds outside of second place.
In the field events, Nielson soared over the bar at six feet nine inches to secure the gold medal in the high jump by four inches. Daney Nelson's jump of six feet five inches tied for second, but a judge's decision left the sophomore in third place. Kyle Kopp's mark of 22 feet one inch in the men's long jump gave the sophomore the silver medal in the event and marked a season-best performance.
True freshman Shaye Maurer narrowly missed the school record in the women's indoor pentathlon, finishing in fifth place with a score of 3308. The score ranks No. 3 all-time and is only 40 points away from the school record. On the men's side, Nielson did even better, coupling his individual title in the high jump with a school record in the men's indoor heptathlon, scoring a 4832 to finish third in the event.
Southern Utah will be back in action next weekend when the team will head to Flagstaff as a complete unit to compete in the NAU Invitational, marking the final meet before the Thunderbirds compete at the indoor conference championships.
