Lopers dominate field events |
| Posted by Administrator on Mar 05 2008 |
Photo by Eric Korth
Ogallala freshman, Tanner Fruit, rounds one of the many turns in the Men's 5000m race. Fruit finished 8th in the event with a time of 15:42.94.
By Kelly Bernt
Antelope Staff
This past Friday and Saturday the UNK Loper Track and Field teams hosted this year's RMAC indoor conference meet. The Lopers jumped, sprinted and threw their way in to third place finishes in both the men and women's division.
"In any sport, you're looking for a kid to maximize their God-given ability," UNK Assistant track coach, Brady Bonsall said. "Conference meet is what we're shooting for. We want athletes to compete at the championship level in the meet that matters."
"Because only a handful of athletes qualify for nationals, the conference meet is the most important meet of the year for several competitors," Bonsall said.
On the women's side, the Lopers performed exceptionally in field events, UNK junior, Kelli Dring, stood out winning three fields events. Dring leapt 1.65 to clinch the high jump, 5.85 meters to win long jump and 11.39 meters to claim first in the triple jump. She became the first UNK trackster, male or female, to win three events in the same meet.
Dring was also named RMAC Female Track Athlete of the Year, as well as Female Athlete of the Meet.
On the track, the distance runners brought points for the lady Lopers. Senior athlete, Michelle Dill, placed in both the 800 meter run and the Mile run, earning a second place finish in the 800 with a time of 2.17.14, and a third place finish in the mile run with a time of 5.04.32.
Freshman Emma Kelly competed in the pentathlon and placed in the top eight in each event, which gave her an overall sixth place finish.
The lady Lopers also saw top six finishes in the 3000 and 5000 meter runs, and top three finishes in the 800 meter, mile, 60 meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put and long jump pentathlon. The UNK women took third in overall team standings, with 131 points.
The UNK Men's team also saw success on the track. In the field events, the Lopers had a first place finish in the high jump when freshman, Blake Millsap, soared 2.02 meters. Milsap was named RMAC Freshman of the Year.
Loper jumper, Spencer Huff, took first in the long jump, with a distance of 7.40 meters.
"It's a big meet, so you just try and stay focused," Huff said. "There's a lot riding on this meet."
Huff has qualified for the national meet in the long jump. Huff said his goal at the conference meet is to improve.
UNK Senior, Andrew Smith, also earned first place awards in both the Shot Put Heptathlon, with 13.15 meters, and the Pole Vault Heptathlon, with 4.25 meters, placing third in the overall heptathlon.
"With constantly changing events, the heptathlon is very challenging, both physically and mentally," Smith said.
"You have to get off one events and go straight to the next," Smith said. "If you do bad in one, do well in the next, and hopefully get more points."
The Loper men's team also saw top six finishes in nearly every event, with top three finishes in the 60 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 4X400 relay, pole vault, long jump, high jump, heptathlon, triple jump and weight throw. The UNK men placed third in overall standings with 126 points.
On the women's side, Adams State cruised to their seventh straight conference victory, with Western State finishing in second. Not to follow suit, the men from Western State topped four-time conference champs, Adams State.
Back
