Feb. 26, 2010

VERMILLION, S.D. - After the first day of competition in the Great West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, South Dakota and Utah Valley top the women's standings with 80 points each while South Dakota leads the men's standings with 55 points and Utah Valley is second with 34.

Individually UVU won two events during the first day of the conference championships as Becky Reeves won the women's weight throw and Dean Swimmer came away the victor in the men's long jump. Reeves won the throwing event with a toss of 16.45m or 53-11.75 while Swimmer won the jumping event with a leap of 6.96m or 22-10.00.

South Dakota's Kenna Wolter won the women's long jump with a personal-best 19-0 1/2, while Crystal Schiernbeck won the pentathlon with a personal-best 3,182 points. USD's Tane Owens won the men's pole vault by a foot by clearing 15-1.

On the track, USD's Ramsey Fitzsimmons successfully defended her title in the women's 3,000 meters with a 9:58, while Rob Gregoire won the men's side for the Coyotes in 8:34. Fitzsimmons also anchored the USD distance medley relay, which ran a 12:10 to win for the second consecutive year. Carol Miller, Natalie Newman and Emma Erickson rounded out USD's participants on the relay.

Texas-Pan American came away with the title in the men's distance medley relay as the tandem of Andrew Lopez, Isai Pina, Gilroy Martinez and Omar Doria finished in a time of 10:12.58. UTPA also won the women's high jump title with Melinda Sarmiento's jump of 1.66m or 5-05.25.

NJIT claimed the men's weight throw title as Josh-Erik Dolisca threw 16.16m or 53-00.25

In preliminary action on Friday UVU fared very well in the short-sprints as the newly named January GWC Athlete of the Month Allah Laryea-Akrong set new conference meet records in the 60 (6.81) and 200-meter dashes (21.87). Hurdlers Andrew Graham and Rosina Amenebede also set meet records in the men's and women's 60-meter hurdle prelims, while defending 60m champ Brittane Gaines of Houston Baptist set a new meet record in the women's 60m prelim with a time of 7.62 and teammate Cindee Wright set a meet record with a 24.68 effort in the 200m.

Following leaders South Dakota and Utah Valley in the point standings after the first day of women's competition are Texas-Pan American in third place with 26 points, North Dakota in fourth at 17.50 points, Houston Baptist in fifth with 16 points, Seattle in sixth with 8.50 points, NJIT in seventh with four points and Chicago State in eighth with two points.

On the men's side behind leader South Dakota and second place Utah Valley are Houston Baptist in third with 28 points, North Dakota in fourth with 23 points, Texas-Pan American in fifth with 16 points, NJIT in sixth with 15 points, Chicago State in seventh with 13 points and Seattle in eighth with 10 points.

Action resumes at the GWC Indoor Championships tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.(CT) with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon as HBU's Jonathan Staples currently leads with 2,761 points. Running events will get underway at 10 a.m.