Six athletes are headed to the Stanford Invitational and the rest stay in Spokane for WAOR V

The Eastern Washington University men’s and women’s track and field team will be splitting up this weekend, as six athletes will head down to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational, while the rest will stay in Spokane for the WAOR V which takes place at the Community Colleges of Spokane.

The six athletes going to Stanford are Michelle Coombs, Brad Michael, Zach Nielsen, Steven Warner, Kyle King and Michael Okoro.

“Everyone has been very diligent in their training,” said men’s head coach Stan Kerr. “The bigger picture is that we are five weeks away from the conference championships. Then, two weeks after conference we will have some people heading to regionals.”

Warner, the 2012 Big Sky Indoor Champion in the 60-meter hurdles, has started a new training regimen. It has helped him take the step in his performances, as shown in his season-best time in the 110 hurdles (14.80) at the Al Manuel, Kerr said. His career-best in the 110 is 14.60.

“Steven has be doing very well,” added Kerr. “Our trainer has significantly modified his schedule, which keeps showing improvement. He’s never ran this fast this early in outdoor season.”

The Eagles are hoping to get more qualifiers for the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships this week at the WAOR V. This season, EWU had finals week followed by spring break, and then competed in the Al Manuel Invitational on March 31. Normally, the Eagles have a week to prepare.

“We typically have an extra week to prepare the athletes, but this season we didn’t get that opportunity,” said Kerr. “A lot of the men and women had some very nice marks at Al Manuel, but we need them to qualify. Hopefully, now that we’ve had more time to train, we will get those marks.”

Not only is Kerr looking for more athletes to qualify, he’s also excited to see people meet their individual goals.

“I like seeing the team know what their goals are, and to see them work for those goals,” said Kerr. “I know a lot of the team members are working hard. They all have daily goals, then weekly goals and finally the goal to make nationals. I want to see those goals happen.”

Upcoming Meets
Stanford Invitational – April 6-7 – Palo Alto, Calif.
Meet Information -- http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2012SISCHEDULE.pdf

WAOR V – April 7 – Spokane, Wash.
Meet Information -- http://athletics.spokane.edu/getdoc/9644bd83-2807-4098-8d9e-accb50591e2b/WAR5RegionDual.aspx

Previous Meet
Al Manuel Invitational – March 30-31 – Missoula, Mont. (hosted by University of Montana)

Results -- http://goeags.com/sports/c-track/2011-12/Files/12trAlManuelResults.pdf

BIG SKY CONFERENCE QUALIFIERS

Men's Qualifiers/Records

Big Sky Conference Championships – May 9-12 – Bozeman, Mont.
First Round NCAA Championships – May 24-26 – Austin, Texas.
NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships – June 6-9 - Des Moines, Iowa
School Records Broken: None

Total Big Sky Championships Qualifying Marks Attained: 15 (12 new qualifiers from Al Manuel)

400 Meters – 48.18 - Brad Michael  - Sprints – Fr. – HS - Vancouver, Wash.
5,000 Meters – 14:45.82– Kyle King - Distance - Sr. - 3L - Coupeville, Wash. / Coupeville HS '08
110-Meter Hurdles – 14.91 – Steven Warner - Hurdles - So. - 1L - Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS '09
Hammer – 166-1 – Jon Buchanan - Throws - So. - 1L – Yakima, Wash. / East Valley HS '09
Shot Put – 51-5 – Jon Buchanan - Throws - So. - 1L - Yakima, Wash. / East Valley HS '09
Hammer – 172-1– Zach Nielsen - Throws - So. - 1L - Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS '09
Discus – 151-8 – Zach Nielsen - Throws - So. - 1L - Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS '09
Discus – 156-11 – Cody Humphrey - Throws - Jr. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '09
Shot Put – 51-0 3/4 – Marlyn Anderson - Throws - Jr. - 2L - Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS '09
800 Meters – 1:52.38 – Tim Pettit - Distance - So. - 1L - Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS ‘10
800 Meters – 1:53.40 – Jordan Curnutt – Distance  - Jr. - 2L - Spokane, Wash. / Mead HS '09
200 Meters – 21.72 – Michael Okoro - Sprints - So. - 1L - Lakewood, Wash. / Clover Park HS ’10
400 Hurdles – 55.24 – Kramer Green – Sprints/Hurdles - So. - 1L - Buckley, Wash. / White River HS '10
High Jump – 6-4 3/4 – Cody Fishel – Jumps - So. - 1L - Covington, Wash. / Kentwood HS '09
Javelin – 188-8– Max Pratt - Throws - Fr. - HS - Auburn, Wash. / Auburn HS ‘11

Women's Qualifiers/Records

Big Sky Conference Championships – May 9-12 – Bozeman, Mont.
First Round NCAA Championships – May 24-26 – Austin, Texas.
NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships – June 6-9 - Des Moines, Iowa School Records Broken: None

Total Big Sky Championships Qualifying Marks Attained: 10 (7 new qualifiers from Al Manuel)

Javelin – 147-11 – Michelle Coombs - Throws/Jumps - Jr. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '08
Javelin – 134-1 – Taylor Walker - Throws - So. - SQ - Pullman, Wash. / Pullman HS '08
Javelin – 133-10 – Haley Tank - Throws - Fr. - HS - West Richland, Wash.
Shot Put – 44-2 – Mari Bingham - Throws - Sr. – 3L - Tacoma, Wash. / Mount Tahoma HS ‘07
Discus – 141-2 – Mari Bingham - Throws - Sr. – 3L - Tacoma, Wash. / Mount Tahoma HS ‘07
200 Meter – 25.02 – Whitney Leavitt - Sprints - Jr. – 3L - Benton City, Wash. / Kiona Benton HS '09
100 Meter – 12.22 – Whitney Leavitt - Sprints - Jr. – 3L - Benton City, Wash. / Kiona Benton HS '09
Pole Vault – 12-1 1/2 – Robin Taylor - Jumps - So. – 1L - Blaine, Wash. / Blaine HS ‘10
400 Meters – 57.14 – Angelica Rodriguez - Sprints - So. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '10
400 Meters – 57.38 – Nicole Nida - Sprints - Sr. - 3L - Cottonwood, Idaho / Prairie HS, ’07 / SCC

RETURNING ALL-BIG SKY ATHLETES

The following Eagle athletes have earned All-Big Sky Conference honors (top three finish) in previous Big Sky Conference track and field championships (indoors and outdoors):

Jonathan Buchanan – (2011 Indoors: 3rd in shot put)
Kyle King – (2011 Indoors: Champion in 5,000, 3rd in 3,000)
Kersee Lind – (2012 Indoors: 3rd in heptathlon)
Brad Michael – (2012 Indoors: 2nd in 400, 3rd in 200)
Zach Nielsen – (2012 Indoors: 3rd in weight throw)
Michael Okoro (2011 Outdoors: Champion in 200)
Phillip Puccino – (2012 Indoors: 3rd in triple jump)
Nick Stearns – (2012 Indoors: 3rd in pole vault)
Brad Wall – (2012 Indoors: 3rd in 400; 2011 Outdoors: Champion in 400; 2011 Indoors: Champion in 400; 2010 Outdoors: Champion in 400)
Steven Warner (2012 Indoors: Champion in 110 hurdles)
4x400 Relay (2011 Outdoors: 3rd/Michael Okoro, Kramer Green, Collin Green, Brad Wall; 2012 Indoors: Champion/Collin Green, Michael Okoro, Brad Michael, Brad Wall)
4x100 Relay (2011 Outdoors: 2nd/Alex Flores, Michael Okoro, Kurt Williams, Brad Wall)
Michelle Coombs – (2009 Outdoors: Champion in Javelin)
Shene Davis – (2012 Indoors: 2nd in long jump; 2011 Outdoors: 2nd in long jump)
Keisa Monterola  - (2012 Indoors: Champion in pole vault)
Olivia Midles – (2011 Outdoors: 2nd in hammer throw)
Brianna Okoro - (2011 Outdoors: 3rd in long jump; 2010 Outdoors: Champion in 200, 3rd in 100, 3rd in long jump)
4x400 Relay – (2012 Indoors: 2nd/Whitney Leavitt, Nicole Nida, Angelica Rodriguez, Chelsea Lawhead)

SEASON NOTES

Big Sky Conference Preseason Polls
Voting is calculated with each team receiving nine points for a first place vote, eight points for a second place vote, etc. Coaches are allowed to vote for their respective teams. Below are the final results with the number of first place votes in parenthesis.

Men's Poll 

Team, Points (last year’s place)
Northern Arizona, 77 – 6 first-place votes (2nd, 167 points)
Montana State, 72 – 2 first-place votes (3rd, 116.5)
Sacramento State 55 – 1 first-place vote (1st, 204.5)
Eastern Washington 53 (4th, 96)
Weber State 47 (5th, 74)
Montana 37 (3rd, 116.5)
Idaho State 35 (7th, 44)
Northern Colorado 16 (8th, 38)
Portland State 13 (9th, 28.5)

Women's Poll 

Team, Points (last year’s place)
Sacramento State, 77 – 5 first-place votes (1st, 236 points)
Weber State, 73 – 4 first-place votes (5th, 66)
Northern Arizona 54 (8th, 63)
Portland State 47 (6th, 65)
Montana State 46 (4th, 75)
Montana 42 (2nd, 133)
Idaho State 28 (7th, 64.5)
Eastern Washington 27 (3rd, 78)
Northern Colorado 11 (9th, 33.5)

TOP SEASON PERFORMANCES

Tim Pettit - Distance - So. - 1L - Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS ‘10
Pettit placed second in the 800-meter run at the Al Manuel Invite with a career-best time of 1:52.38. The time qualified him for the outdoor conference championships.

Angelica Rodriguez - Sprints - So. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '10
Rodriguez matched her career best in the 400 meters with a time of 57.14 at the Al Manuel Invitational. The time places the sophomore ninth all-time in school history in the 400. She also ranks tenth in school history in the 800, with a time of 2:16.88 on Feb. 12, 2011 at the Husky Invitational.

Michelle Coombs - Throws/Jumps - So. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '08
Coombs won the javelin with a throw of 147-11 at the Dusty Lane Invitational on March 17, the first time she’s thrown in nearly two years. As a freshman in 2009, she was the Big Sky champion in the event, but injuries have slowed her down since then. She ranks third in school history with a 163-1 throw in 2009.

Brad Michael – Sprints – Fr. – HS - Vancouver, Wash.
Michael, EWU’s freshman phenom, continued where he left off from the indoor season, by winning both the 200- and 400-meter dashes at the Dusty Lane Invitational. His time of 48.18 in the 400 met the Big Sky qualifying mark. During the indoor season, Michael broke the school record in the 400 (46.97) en route to a second-place finish, and he placed third in the 200 with a time of 21.63 that ranks third in school history. He was also was part of the 4x400 relay team which won the Big Sky title with a school-record time of 3:11.04.

Steven Warner - Hurdles - So. - 1L - Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS '09
Warner, the 2012 Big Sky Indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles, finished the 110-meter hurdles in 14.80 March 31 at the Al Manuel Invitational.  His career best in that event is 14.60 set as a freshman in 2010. Warner had a school-record time of 8.07 in the 60-meter hurdles indoors earlier this season, good for second all-time.

Cody Humphrey – Throws - Jr. - 1L - Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS '09
Humphrey, who is also an tight end for EWU’s football team, qualified for the Big Sky Championships with a career-best throw of 156-11 in the discus at the Dusty Lane Open on March 17.

LINKS

EWU Track and Field - http://goeags.com/sports/c-track/index
Big Sky Conference Men's Track and Field - http://www.bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?tab=outdoortrackandfield&path=motrack
Big Sky Conference Women's Track and Field - http://www.bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?tab=outdoortrackandfield2&path=wotrack
NCAA Track and Field - http://www.ncaa.com
Direct Athletics Performance List - http://www.directathletics.com/lists/track/63_919.html
More Information and Links are Available at - HTTP://WWW.GOEAGS.COM