By Kinohi Manning
This weekend”s BYU Invitational was nothing more than an expensive and elaborate training for the BYU women”s track team.
The Cougars fought rain, wind and altitude, but no real competition – giving BYU 14, first-place finishes, but no NCAA qualifying times.
“We chalk this up to a great training weekend,” head coach Craig Poole said.
While senior All-American Elizabeth Jackson won the 1,500-meter steeplechase. She ran the steeplechase simply for the workout.
“With the steeplechase, you have to buildup slowly,” Jackson said. “We just barely started training. We were working on the 5K before.”
Jackson qualified for the NCAA championships in the 5,000-meter run at the March 31, Stanford Invitational with fellow steeplechaser Courtney Meldrum.
While Meldrum and Jackson are known for their abilities, several new Cougars also did well this weekend.
Freshman Nannette Evans led the way for BYU in the 3,000-meter steeplechase taking first.
Freshman Miriam Glenn took first in the 100-meter high hurdles, and sophomore Misty Jorgenson took first in the 100-meter dash followed by freshman Aubrie Latimore. Latimore took first in the 200-meter dash.
Vicky Lynch-Pounds, the 1999 Canadian National Champion in the 800-meter run, won the 800 followed by Weber State”s Stephanie Hansen. Sophomore Jaime Philburn took third and senior All-American Sharolyn Shields-Thayer fourth.
Finishing third, Philburn was content knowing she paced herself exactly right, finishing each lap on schedule.
Like everyone else, Philburn thought of this meet as practice, running the long way home to get in another five miles of training.
Field events also did well this weekend.
Senior Becky Beachler took first in shot put, followed by junior Cathy Fuailemaa in third. Fuailemaa also took third in the hammer throw, scoring a personal record.
“Our events are scary because it”s wet. You can easily slip and fall,” Fuailemaa, who”s sweats had absorbed water up to her knees said.
Not everyone disliked the weather however.
“I”m from Idaho; this would be a nice day,” Latimore said.
Weather also hindered the Cougars at the Texas Relays.
The relays did not produce as many NCAA qualifiers as Poole would have liked. He chalks it up to the strong gusts of wind.
In senior All-American Kirsten Bolm”s 100-meter high hurdles race, winds contributed to two women falling. Bolm fouled out.
Freshman Maret Komarova however, took fifth in the women”s heptathlon, the only real bright spot for BYU.
BYU will travel to the Weber State Invitational Saturday, gaining a little more practice before heading to the more demanding Mt. SAC Invitational April 19-21 in California.
