Cougars Improve at USC and UVU

LOS ANGELES -- Head Coach Patrick Shane and the BYU women’s track and field team competed at two track meets on Friday and Saturday, sending athletes to UVU and USC to improve marks and gain experience.

Competition at UVU took place on Friday and several Cougars took home first place finishes. Katy Andrews started the meet off well with a victory in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing first in 10:45.88.

Also taking home a win from the UVU Invitational was the 4x100m relay team of Fatima Makakala, Porshe Giddings, Arlene Gowar and Mindy Sagers. The foursome combined to post a season best time of 45.21 to take the victory.

The 4x400m relay team also saw success at the UVU track. Lacey Bleazard anchored the team while Nicole Clark, Sarah Edwards and Katie Palmer ran the first three legs en route to a season best 3:46.35 first place finish.

Junior Kelli Ehardt led the pole vault team in a sweep of the top five places in the event. Ehardt cleared 3.80m (12-5.50) to take the win. Elizabeth Portnova, Shanie Bushman, Diane McAllister and Catherine Ballard rounded out the top five for the Cougars.

Ehardt carried her winning ways over to Saturday at the Trojan Tri-Meet at USC. Ehardt won the pole vault at USC, improving upon her mark at UVU by .12m by clearing 3.92m (12-10.25) to take home her second win of the weekend.

Also competing well in the field events on Saturday were high jumpers Ada Robinson and Diana Blauer. Robinson won the event by clearing 1.80m (5-10.75) while Blauer finished in a close second with a leap of 1.75m (5-8.75).

Giddings led BYU in the sprint events at USC, finishing third in both the 100m (11.77) and 200m (24.23).

In the 100m hurdles Sagers led the way for BYU with a second place finish in 13.72. Senior Alyssa Christensen finished third in the event in 14.03.

Two BYU athletes at USC earned first place finishes in the distance events. Stephanie Jensen nabbed a win in the 3000m steeplechase with a 11:10.96 finish and sophomore Lindsey Sowards took first in the 3000m run in 10:00.67.

BYU will continue the outdoor track and field season next weekend as the team sends athletes to the Texas Relays, Sun Angel Classic and Utah Invitational.