LAS VEGAS, Nev. - March 6 - Southern Utah track and field opened the 2010 outdoor season by claiming nine titles at the UNLV Track and Field Classic on Saturday.
True freshman Shaye Maurer began her outdoor season with a bang, running to a first-place finish in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.12. The time is the fifth fastest in school history in the event as the Cedar City product will only improve as the season presses on. The women's 4x400-meter relay team, made up of Holly Ledbetter, Chelsey Allen, Kylie Frandsen and Christina Day, finished close to three seconds faster than the next team to cross the line with a first-place time of 3:50.75.
Jacki Stoddard and Chelsea Morley highlighted Thunderbird women success in the jumps as the pair finished in first place in the women's high jump and pole vault, respectively. Stoddard cleared the bar in the high jump at five feet 3.75 inches while Morley tied for first place vaulting over the bar set at nine feet 4.25 inches.
In the throws, Southern Utah just missed out a clean sweep in the shot put, discus and hammer as Ashley Morrison finished second in the shot (43-10.75) and hammer (179-10). Kristi Koplin finished just ahead of Morrison in the hammer, recording a mark of 179 feet 11 inches after a second-place finish in the discus with a distance of 148 feet two inches.
Southern Utah's 4x400-meter relay team captured the only gold for the men on the track as the team of Demetreus Whitehair, Kelly VanArsdol, Dallis Tavoian and Austin Hill blazed to a first-place time of 3:17.94.
The men gathered the most of their titles in the field events, beginning with Daney Nelson in the men's high jump as the sophomore cleared the bar at six feet 8.75 inches. Kyle Kopp wrapped up the second title for the T-Birds in the jumping events, finishing first in the men's triple jump, bounding 43 feet seven inches.
Carlos Valle's toss of 163 feet seven inches in the men's discus was close to 30 feet greater than the second place finisher, marking the best finish for the Thunderbird men in the throws.
In the final qualifying meet during the indoor season, Sharla Manuele dramatically improved on her mile with a meet-best 4:39.82 at the University of Washington and will likely qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships next weekend.
The rest of the Thunderbird squad will continue the outdoor season when the team travels to San Diego, California to compete in the Aztec Invitational.
