1999 Women's Outdoor Track and Field Season Summary
Dominating the WAC has become almost an afterthought for the Cougar women, who won their ninth consecutive WAC title and 17th straight conference overall title in 1999 to go along with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Boise, Idaho. The team produced eight All-Americans, including Maggie Chan and Elizabeth Jackson in the 5,000 meters, Alicia Brimhall in the heptathlon, Tara Rohatinsky, Marty Hernandez and Emily Nay in the 10,000 meters, Treva Bryant in the 800 meters and Sharolyn Shields in the 3,000 meters.
The eighth-place finish at the NCAAs included a gutsy performance by distance runner Maggie Chan, who collapsed and crawled to the finish line of the 3,000-meter race and then returned the next day to score points for BYU in the 5,000 meters, finishing seventh. Sophomore Tara Rohatinsky was the team's high-scorer, taking second in the 10,000 meters and asserting herself as a definite presence for future Cougar squads.
The Cougars ran against some of the best talent in the nation in 1999. They participated in the prestigious Penn, Texas and Mt. SAC Relays and hosted strong teams such as Kansas State and Nebraska. The women won team titles at the UTEP, UNLV, Cougar, and BYU Robison Invitationals, then dominated in-state competition at the Utah Collegiate Championships.
The outdoor squad proved itself one of BYU's best ever as several of the school's top marks were broken in 1999. Julie Bennion sprinted her way into the record books, taking nearly a second and a half off her own 400-meter record in 52.91 seconds and matching that accomplishment with a record-breaking 57.08 time in the 400-meter hurdles. The distance medley team, composed of Bennion, Bryant, Lindsay Jones and Melanie Steere, took nearly 40 seconds off the old mark, finishing in 10:57.51 at the Penn Relays in April. The 4x400 relay team also set a new record while taking second in the event at the WAC Championships in 3:38.33. Kristel Berendsen added three inches to her old triple jump record, leaping 43-10.50 at the WAC Championships.
