TCU
Mountain West Indoor Championships
Flyin' Frogs Shine At MWC Championships
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM
Feb. 28, 2009
RESULTS | QUOTES | PHOTO GALLERY
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The TCU women earned runner-up honors at the 2009 Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships on Saturday at the Cadet Field House, while the Flyin' Frog men closed competition in fifth-place.For the weekend, TCU won eight event titles, set one school record, garnered the Women's Outstanding Performance Award and recorded nine NCAA provisional marks in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Earning NCAA provisional marks at the championships were Neidra Covington (Long and Triple Jump), Whitney Gipson (Long Jump), Kishelle Paul (60-Meter Hurdles), Jessica Young (60 and 400 Meters), Candis Kelley (Shot Put), Stormy Harrison (Shot Put) and the men's 4x400 relay.
Following competition, Young collected the Women's Outstanding Performance Award, marking the second-straight year TCU has claimed the prestigious honor. Virgil Hodge won the award in 2008.
BYU won the women's competition with 224 points, followed by TCU (117), Colorado State (61), Utah (59), New Mexico (53), San Diego State (46), Air Force (40), UNLV (36) and Wyoming (26). The Cougars also claimed the men's title with 224 points, followed by New Mexico (102), Air Force (91), Colorado State (85), TCU (78) and Wyoming (77).
In the women's 60 meters, Young garnered gold medal honors, recording a blistering time of 7.26 seconds. Overall, Young posted a seasonal-best mark and just missed an NCAA automatic on Saturday. The junior's time of 7.26 seconds broke Virgil Hodge's school record of 7.30 seconds, which was set at the 2008 MWC Championships. Young's time, which is currently the third-fastest time in the NCAA when converted for altitude, was also the second-fastest time ever recorded in Mountain West Conference Championship history. Senior Jessica Clarke rounded out the TCU scoring in the event by finishing in sixth-place.
On the men's side, TCU captured the three-fastest times in the 60 meters with senior Andon Mitchell winning the event for the second-straight year with a time of 6.801 seconds. Freshmen Mark Barnes and Richard Knotts followed in second and third-place with times of 6.81 and 6.88 seconds, respectively.
Young continued her domination on the track in the women's 400-meter dash, collecting first-place honors with an NCAA provisional time of 53.81 seconds. Young's winning-time is currently the 12th-best time in the nation and just missed becoming a new school record. By winning the event, Young became only the second Flyin' Frog to capture the MWC 400-meter dash title. Freshman Hayley Shade followed in fourth-place, while Meaghan Ryan and Shekila Wilkinson went fifth and sixth overall on Saturday.
Dell Guy led the TCU men in the 400 meters, clocking runner-up honors with a seasonal-best time of 47.72 seconds. Guy just missed an NCAA provisional mark, while sophomore Matthew Love earned fifth-place overall for the Flyin' Frogs.
Clarke led TCU in the women's 200 meters, winning the event with a seasonal-best time of 24.12 seconds. Paul, a senior from Georgia, also placed in the event, recording a time of 24.23 seconds to earn a third-place finish. On the men's side, Barnes collected runner-up honors with a seasonal-best time of 21.65 seconds. Guy recorded a time of 21.73 to finish fourth overall in the event.
For the second-straight year, sophomore Jordan Pitts claimed first-place honors in the men's 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 8.03 seconds. Pitt's time is currently a seasonal-best mark. On the women's side, Paul clocked an NCAA provisional and personal-best time of 8.37 seconds to earn runner-up honors inside the Cadet Field House. Paul was clipped at the line by BYU's Amy Menlove who crossed the finish line in 8.365 seconds.
Kelley closed out her indoor career in style on Saturday, winning the women's shot put for the fourth-straight year with an NCAA provisional toss of 50 feet, 2 ¾ inches. Sophomore Stormy Harrison earned runner-up honors in the event with an NCAA provisional toss of 50 feet. Overall, TCU has claimed seven-consecutive Mountain West Conference shot put titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons. On Saturday, Kelley became the first female student-athlete in MWC history to win the women's shot put title four-straight years.
In relay action, the TCU men's 4x400 consisting of Guy, Pitts, Sean Zurko and Love won the event-title with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:11.32 seconds, while the women's unit consisting of Shade, Paul, Clarke and Young crossed the finish line in first-place with a time of 3:42.66. Overall, TCU has now won the men's 4x400 three times in the last four years, while the women have claimed four-straight 4x400 crowns.
Other highlights on the day included, Covington placing fourth overall in the women's triple jump with an NCAA provisional leap of 42 feet, 8 ¼ inches. In the men's 800 meters, Zurko collected fifth-place honors with a time of 1:52.37.
The Flyin' Frogs will next be in action at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station on March 13-14. TCU could possibly send individuals to a Last Chance meet next weekend.
