WSU's Women Win, Men Second at MPSF Championships
February 20, 1999
RENO, Nev. -- Washington State University's Bernard Lagat captured his
second and third races Saturday at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Championships in Reno. The Cougar women's team won the 14-team competition
and the WSU men finished second by a mere four points among the ten schools.
Lagat, a junior from Kenya, won the men's 800m in an NCAA automatic
qualifying and meet record time of 1:47.07, and took the mile race in
4:08.57. Friday night, Lagat claimed the 3000m race in a meet record time
of 8:03.57.
WSU's women soundly defeated the mixed field of Pac-10 and Big West schools
with 117 points. Arizona was second with 99 followed by Arizona State's 67
and Stanford's 62.50. The Cougar men were not able to defend their 1998
title without the services of All-American thrower Ian Waltz who is
applying for a medical redshirt for the 1999 indoor season because of a
torn tendon in his throwing hand. Stanford won the two-day meet with 128
points while WSU tallied 124. Arizona State took third at 86 with Utah
State fourth with 66.50 points.
Winners for the Cougar women included Alishia Booterbaugh in the 800m
(2:12.24), Ellannee Richardson in the 55m hurdles (8.04), Whitney Evans in
the high jump (1.82m/5-11 1/2), and Francesca Sewell in the long jump
(6.08m/19-11 1/2). WSU's Cicely Clinkenbeard claimed the women's triple
jump (12.32m/40-5) Friday night.
It was the WSU women's supporting cast that provided the points for the
win: 55m dash - LaTroya Mucker 6th, Richardson 7th; 200m - Mucker 2nd,
Richardson 3rd, Sharika Higgins 5th; 3000m - Megan Maynard 6th; 55m
hurdles - Attrina Higgins 8th; High Jump - Sewell 4th; Long Jump - Agneta
Rosenblad 3rd; Shot Put - Becky Potter 6th, Molly Moore 8th; Weight Throw
- Potter 3rd, Andrea Thornton 6th. WSU's women's 4x400m relay team
finished second while their distance medley relay team placed 7th.
Arend Watkins, an All-American hurdler from San Jose, Calif., won the men's
55m hurdles in a time of 7.36 after clocking a personal-best time of 7.29
in the prelims.
Cougar men who placed at the MPSF were: 55m - Anson Henry 2nd, Brian
Laville 6th; 200m - Henry 5th, Guillermo Macias 8th; 400m - Macias 4th,
Eric Dudley 7th; 3000m - Oscar Franco-Parra 8th; 5000m - Jon Murray 6th,
Franco-Parra 7th; High Jump - Craig Allen 5th, Chris Rushing 7th; Pole
Vault - Lex Katich tied at 7th; Long Jump - Demetrius Murray 2nd, Laville
3rd, Chad Schwendiman 8th; Triple Jump - Dem. Murray 2nd, Kyllan Tower
5th, Damien Johnson 6th; Weight Throw - Kevin Moore 4th, BJ Schade 5th.
WSU's men's 4x400m relay squad was 5th while the distance medley relay was
4th.
Next competition for selected Cougar track and field athletes will be the
NCAA Div. I Indoor Championships March 5-6 at Indianapolis, Ind.
WSU's Lagat, Clinkenbeard Win at MPSF Championship Meet
February 19, 1999
RENO, Nev. -- Washington State University's Bernard Lagat won the men's
3000m race while teammate Cicely Clinkenbeard claimed the women's triple
jump in the first night at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Championships in Reno.
Lagat, a junior from Kenya and the 1998 MPSF Male Athlete of the Year, won
the 3k race in a meet record time of 8:03.57 and also had the top time in
the 800m heats. Cougar freshman Oscar Franco-Parra (Beaverton, Ore.)
finished eighth in the 3000m event.
Clinkenbeard, a sophomore from Okanogan, Wash., won the triple jump with a
distance of 12.32m/40-5.
In other finals Friday night, WSU's Demetrius Murray (Tacoma) was second in
the men's triple jump at 15.26m/50-0 3/4 while Kyllan Tower (Auburn) placed
fifth and Damien Johnson (Vancouver, Wash.) was sixth in the same event.
Craig Allen (Spokane) tied for fifth in the high jump at 2.02m/6-7 1/2
while Chris Rushing (Redmond) was seventh at the same height. Becky Potter
(Gig Harbor) was sixth and Molly Moore (Kalispell, Mont.) was eighth in the
women's shot put.
Arend Watkins, an All-American from San Jose, Calif., had the leading time
in the preliminary heats of the men's 55m hurdles at 7.29, a personal-best
time. Cougar freshman Ellannee Richardson (Gladstone, Ore.) had the top
time in the heats of the women's 55m hurdles at 8.02. Finals will be
contested Saturday afternoon.
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