CSUS WOMEN WIN BIG SKY TITLE; MEN FINISH THIRD AT INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

2/23/2013

Sacramento State and Northern Arizona celebrate their team Big Sky team titles.

BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Sacramento State women's track and field team captured its fourth Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championship and the men finished in third place, Saturday at Montana State.

The Hornet women won two more events during the final day of competition with Sakya Bolton finishing first in the 55-hurdles and Dominique Whittington winning the 400.

The team finished with 97 points and was followed by Portland State (82) and Idaho State (71).

"I'm so proud of this group for how they competed and executed," Sacramento State Director of Track & Field Kathleen Raske said. "We only had two seniors on the team and a lot of people thought that this might be a rebuilding year for us but the team came out and fought hard."

Bolton was one of three student-athletes to share the Women's Most Valuable Athlete award after she won the long jump and 55-hurdles. In the finals of the hurdles, she set the Sacramento State and Big Sky record with a time of 7.77 seconds which finished .08 seconds ahead of Southern Utah's Shaye Maurer who was the regular season leader.

"Sakya couldn't have had a better meet," Raske said. "She got up in front of the team the night before and told them that she's a senior and she's going to lead them and she followed through with her performance."

Whittington broke her own school record in the 400 with a PR of 54.33. She won her heat by nearly two seconds and finished .95 seconds ahead of the closest competitor in the race. Sophomore Arrielle Holzendorf finished fifth in the race in 56.29 to earn four points towards the team total.

Sacramento State separated from the rest of the pack in the 800, earning 12 points among three athletes. Freshman Morgan Dampier came in second place (2:11.85), Veronica Stinnett was sixth (2:17.14) and Teresa Mallory (2:20.08) was eighth.

Not too long after winning the 400, Whittington came back to the track to place second in the 200 with a time of 24.25. Caprice Powell added three team points with a sixth place finish (24.61) and Morgan Pope was eighth in 24.81 for an additional point.

The Hornets also had three student-athletes score in the triple jump where Alanna Coker earned all-Big Sky honors after placing third with a best of 38-07.50. Bacall Sterling was sixth (38-04.00) and Brianna Cole placed seventh (38-04.00).

Erinn Jones, who won the weight throw on Friday, finished second in the shot put on Saturday with a long of 50-05.25. Markita Hinton was seventh at 44-10.75.

The team concluded its scoring with a point from Veronica Stinnett in the mile (8th, 5:06.12) and a fifth-place finish by Rachel Mitchell in the 3K (10:01.42). Sacramento State appeared to have put an exclamation point on its victory by winning the 4x400 relay. However, the team was later disqualified as it was ruled that Cole made too much contact with another runner during the first leg.

The Hornet men placed third with 74 points but were unable to threaten Northern Arizona (138.5) and Montana State (124) who competed for the top spot.

Sacramento State opened the day with Tyler Creswell and Paul Lyons finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 55-hurdles. Justin Nesbitt scored a point by placing eighth in the 55 (6.48) before Nathanael Litwiller and Cole Younger each finished among the top six in the 800. Litwiller ran 1:52.90 to place third while Younger was sixth in 1:56.20.

Nesbitt added to his point total with a fourth-place finish in the 200 (21.77). Freshman Osaretin Ogbeide was seventh in the race in 22.06.

In the field events, three Hornets placed among the top seven with all setting personal bests. Zach Coniglio finished third with a toss of 61-05.00 which ranks third in school history. James January was sixth overall and fourth in program history at 60-07.75. Alberto Millano tied his personal best with a throw of 60-05.25 to finish seventh.

Kyle Fraley, Brett Thompson and Blair Wallingford each scored in the men's pole vault. Fraley matched his personal best by clearing 15-09.00 to place fourth. Thompson cleared that same height but finished sixth based on the number of attempts. His height moves him into a tie for fifth place in school history and was six inches above his previous high. Wallingford tied for seventh after clearing 15-05.00.

Oleg Ryabokorovka finished fourth in the triple jump with a career indoor best of 46-10.25 which ranks eighth in the Hornet record book.

Women's Results
Team Scores
1. Sacramento State 97
2. Portland State 82
3. Idaho State 71
4. Weber State 64
5. Montana State 61
6. Northern Arizona 51
7. Southern Utah 42
8. Montana 28
9. Eastern Washington 20
10. Northern Colorado 19
11. North Dakota 11

55: 1. Geronne Black, PSU, 6.86; 10. Morgan Pope 7.11; 13. Caprice Powell 7.18.
200: 1. Camille Marchand, ISU, 24.23; 2. Dominique Whittington 24.25; 6. Caprice Powell 24.61; 8. Morgan Pope 24.81; 15. Brianna Cole 25.15.
400: 1. Dominique Whittington, SAC, 54.33; 5. Arrielle Holzendorf 56.29; 10. Brianna Cole 57.24; 15. Devin Collins 59.47.
800: Chloe Palakovich, ISU, 2:11.78; 2. Morgan Dampier 2:11.85; 6. Veronica Stinnett 2:17.14; 7. Teresa Mallory 2:20.08.
Mile: 1. Heather Haug, MSU, 4:47.06; 8. Veronica Stinnett 5:06.12; 12. Teresa Mallory 5:08.48.
3K: 1. Heather Haug, MSU, 9:41.33; 5. Rachel Mitchell 10:01.42; 17. Lauren Mugnaini 10:37.47.
5K: 1. Sarah Callister, WSU, 17-06.38; 9. Lauren Mugnaini 18:09.70.
55H: 1. Sakya Bolton, SAC, 7.77; T12. Devin Collins 8.40.
HJ: 1. Amber Amsbaugh, MSU, 5-07.25; T11. Kassandra Corrigan 5-03.00.
LJ: 1. Sakya Bolton, SAC, 19-02.50; 4. Alanna Coker 18-11.25; 17. Ify Onyima 17-05.25; 19. Zarria McKearney 17-02.25; 20. Bacall Sterling 16-09.25.
TJ: 1. Kellee Glaus, UM, 40-02.75; 3. Alanna Coker 38-07.50; 6. Bacall Sterling 38-04.00; 7. Brianna Cole 38-04.00; 15. Ify Onyima 35-03.00.
PV: 1. Caitlin Maulin, ISU, 12-09.50.
SP: 1. Kayla Kovar, SUU, 53-06.25; 2. Erinn Jones 50-05.25; 7. Markita Hinton 44-10.75; 10. Breeann Braucher 43-02.50.
WT: 1. Erinn Jones, SAC, 65-06.75; 9. Lila Yoldi 53-09.25.
4x400: 1. Portland State 3:46.50; Sacramento State DQ.
DMR: 1. Montana State 11:59.11; 3. Sacramento State 12:13.14.

Men's Results
Team
1. Northern Arizona 138.5
2. Montana State 124
3. Sacramento State 74
4. Weber State 65.5
5. Southern Utah 63
6. Montana 50
7. Eastern Washington 42
8. Idaho State 32
9. Northern Colorado 21
10. North Dakota 8
11. Portland State 4

55: 1. Shaun Murray, SUU, 6.36; 8. Justin Nesbitt 6.36; 15. Evan Meehan 6.59.
200: 1. Preston Myers, SUU, 21.60; 4. Justin Nesbitt 21.77; 7. Osaretin Ogbeide 22.06.
400: 1. Matt White, WSU, 47.57; 12. Evan Crayton-Crogan 49.06; 15. Paul Lyons 49.18.
800: 1. Brian Shrader, NAU, 1:52.27 3. Nathanael Litwiller 1:52.90; 6. Cole Younger 1:56.20.
Mile: Diego Estrada, NAU, 4:05.72.
3K: 1. Diego Estrada, NAU, 8:17.60; 8. Reesey Byers 8:35.53.
5K: 1. Matt McElroy, NAU, 14:53.08.
55H: 1. Vernon Jamison, NAU, 7.53; 6. Tyler Creswell 7.59; 7. Paul Lyons 7.95; 8. Casey Wheeler DQ; 14. Anthony Williams 7.93.
HJ: 1. Trevor Evanson, NC, 7-00.50; Londeen McCovery NH.
LJ: 1. Cylor Morgan, WSU, 24-09.75; 3. Oleg Ryabokorovka 23-07.25; 5. Julian Young 22-11.25; 8. Sam Schur 22-05.25; 11. Jordan Monteiro-Williams 22-03.50.
TJ: 1. Edgar Panford, NAU, 50-02.75; 4. Oleg Ryabokorovka 46-10.25; 9. Londeen McCovery 43-00.25; 12. Jordan Monteiro-Williams 41-08.00.
PV: 1. Clint Gossack, ISU, 16-08.75; 4. Kyle Fraley 15-09.00; 6. Brett Thompson 15-09.00; T7. Blair Wallingford 15-05.00.
SP: 1. Zach Coniglio, SAC, 58-10.00; 10. Alberto Millan 51-06.25; 11. James January 51-06.25.
WT: 1. David Phillips, MSU, 67-04.75; 3. Zach Coniglio 61-05.00; 6. James January 60-07.75; 7. Alberto Millan 60-05.25.
4x400: 1. Idaho State 3:12.96; 3. Sacramento State 3:14.27.
DMR: 1. Montana State 9:59.62; 4. Sacramento State 10:14.87.
Courtesy Sac State