BYU Men and Women Lead After Day Two at MWC Indoor Track & Field Championships

BYU Men and Women Lead After Day Two at MWC Indoor Track & Field Championships

BYU's Phillip Bettis wins second-consecutive men's heptathlon

Feb. 26, 2010

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -

2010 MWC Indoor Track & Field Championship
The BYU men (63.50 points) and women (72 points) lead the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships after two days of competition at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

BYU junior Phillip Bettis won his second straight heptathlon crown, scoring a personal-best 5,489 points, which replaces his own third-best score in MWC Championship history. New Mexico's Richard York placed second with a point total of 5,224, and Jay Petsch of Wyoming finished third with 5,081 points. Brian Wilson of New Mexico earned fourth-place honors (4,895), while Brett Birkeland of BYU and Air Force's Michael Tibbs tied for fifth (4,621). Colorado State's Josh McMillin (4,596), BYU's John Reilly (4,558), Air Force's Blair O'Bryant (4,377), New Mexico's Jeremy Lee (4,265), Air Force's Jacob Ringrose (4,159) and Colorado State's Kirk Cooper (3,625) rounded out the field in the seventh through 12th slots, respectively.

On the men's side, Wyoming is in second place (53 points), followed by New Mexico (43.50), Air Force (34.50), TCU (21) and Colorado State (15.50).

TCU and San Diego State are currently tied for second on the women's side (30 points), followed by New Mexico (25), Utah (23), Air Force (19), Colorado State (15), Wyoming (14), and UNLV (6).

Final Heptathlon Results:
1. Phillip Bettis, BYU - 5,489; 2. Richard York, New Mexico - 5,224; 3. Jay Petsch, Wyoming - 5,081; 4. Brian Wilson, New Mexico - 4,895; 5. Brett Birkeland, BYU - 4,621; 5. Michael Tibbs, Air Force - 4,621; 7. Josh McMillin, Colorado State - 4,596; 8. John Reilly, BYU - 4,558; 9. Blair O'Bryant, Air Force - 4,377; 10. Jeremy Lee, New Mexico - 4,265; 11. Jacob Ringrose, Air Force - 4,159; 12. Kirk Cooper, Colorado State - 3,625.

2010 MWC Indoor Track & Field Championships Notes:


TCU sophomore Rose Tanui became the first Lady Frog in MWC history to win the women's 5,000-meter crown. Tanui, a 2009 NJCAA champion in the 5K and 10K races, clocked a provisional-qualifying time of 17:09.46. A pair of BYU runners finished behind Tanui, as junior Katie Bowen placed second (17:22.83) and freshman Nicole Nielsen came in third (17:22.91).

Following in his teammate's footsteps, junior Festus Kigen crossed the finish line first in the men's 5K competition, becoming the first TCU male to do so in league history. Kigen passed Air Force's Justin Tyner on the home stretch to register an MWC Championship-record time of 14:14.19, provisionally qualifying him for the NCAA Championships. His time is also tops at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Tyner, also a junior, placed second with a time of 14:14.94, while BYU senior Nathan Ogden clocked a time of 14:16.08 to finish third.

Wyoming's Jeremiah James won the men's long jump for the third-consecutive year, continuing the Cowboys' dominance in the event as they have now earned four straight long jump crowns. The senior leapt 24'-06.25" (7.47m) to take the event, recording the third-best performance in MWC Championship history. James' teammate, freshman Lenyn Leonce, recorded the same distance but placed second due to tie-breaking procedures, while New Mexico freshman Kendall Spencer took third with a jump of 24'-3.75" (7.41m).

Air Force senior Sara Neubauer claimed her first MWC weight throw crown, becoming the first Falcon to win an event at the MWC Indoor meet since 2001. Her toss of 60'-2.00" (18.34m) bettered Wyoming's Ashley Hutchinson's mark of 59'-2.25" (18.04m), as well as Utah's Sarah Grimm's distance of 57'-10.25" (17.63m).

The 2009 MWC Indoor Championship runner-up in the men's weight throw, BYU junior Leif Arrhenius, improved on his performance to earn a crown in the 2010 event. Arrhenius heaved an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 68'-7.25" (20.91m) to finish ahead of second-place recipient Joe Plante of Wyoming (60'-3.25" [18.37m]) and BYU teammate Oliver Whaley (60'-2.50" [18.35m]), who placed third.

BYU junior Trevor Heiner again won the men's high jump, marking the ninth time in 11 years a Cougar has finished first in the event. He cleared 6'-10.75" (2.10m), while Air Force freshman Zach Wood came in second with a mark of 6'-9.00" (2.06m). Wyoming's Jeremiah James, a junior, followed in third place due to tie-breaking procedures, posting an identical mark of 6'-9.00" (2.06m).

San Diego State senior Karoline Koehler captured her second-consecutive women's long jump title. She leapt to a new MWC Indoor Championship-record 21'-3.75" (6.48m) to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships and now ranks second in the all-time MWC record book. BYU's Mindy McClurkin, also a senior, finished second with a mark of 20'-9.00" (6.32m) and TCU's Whitney Gipson, a sophomore, finished third for the second straight year with a mark of 20'-5.25" (6.23m).

Utah won its first ever MWC women's distance medley relay title, clocking a program-best time of 11:38.59. The performance ranks second in MWC Championship history and is third in the all-time MWC record book. The BYU Cougars, who have won all but two DMR races in Conference history, placed second (11:50.02), while New Mexico's team finished third (12:05.64).

The New Mexico men's DMR team won its first MWC title in the event, finishing ahead of the competition with a time of 10:01.74. TCU placed second, clocking a time of 10:03.43, while Air Force finished in third with a time of 10:05.76.

San Diego State's Stephanie James set a new MWC Championship and all-time record in the women's pole vault, soaring to an automatic-qualifying 14'-1.25" (4.30m). BYU's Rachel Brooke Fisher also automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship with her second-place performance of 13'-11.25" (4.25m), while teammate Kari Clark finished in third with a provisional-qualifying mark of 13'-1.50" (4.00m).

Courtesy MWC