A Plethora of Utah Athletes Qualify for Saturday Finals

by Clayton Cook

Pocatello, Idaho- Utah proved it is among the nation’s elite track and field states by sending over 80 athletes into Saturday’s finals at the 2010 Simplot Games.

Utah was especially deep in the 1600- and 3200-meter events, earning 11 top-five qualifiers. Leading the way for the Utah women was Syracuse ’s Hannah Williams. She had the best qualifying result for the 1600-meter event with a time of 5:19.25.

Setting the pace for the men was Evan Argyle from Pleasant Grove, who had the best 1600-meter qualifying result with a time of 4:27.23.

Included below is a list of all the Utah athletes who qualified for the finals in their respective events.

Mens’ Long Jump-
Scott Matheson- Senior- Pleasant Grove
Presten Beatty- Senior- Hurricane
Matt Hilton- Senior- Bountiful

Women 1600 Meters-Hannah Williams- Senior- Syracuse
Jessica Wilding- Senior- Kaysville
McKenzie Snyder- Sophomore- Coalville
Danielle West- Senior- American Fork
Karlee Deeter- Sophomore- Pleasant View
Laura Young- Sophomore- South Jordan
Ashley Robison- Senior- Orem
Morgan Warner- Freshman- American Fork
Alexis Laws- Senior- American Fork
Cherice Chugg- Senior- Farr West
Cosette Stone- Senior- Salem
Rachel Sorensen- Freshman- Salt Lake City
Natalie Matthews- Freshman- Salt Lake City
Jacquel Winterton- Sophomore- Salt Lake City
Carrie Jube- Sophomore- Provo
Julie Mazeika- Senior- Pleasant Grove

Women 3200 Meters-
Kelse Braithwaite- Sophomore- Perry
Susannah Hurst- Junior- Holladay
Summer Harper- Freshman- Orem
Meghan Hedquist- Junior- Kaysville

Mens’ 3200 Meters-Logan Petty- Senior- Kaysville
Clayton Young- Junior- American Fork
Spencer Hanson- Junior- Spanish Fork
Steve Morrin- Junior- Alpine
Austin West- Junior- American Fork
Jamal Tongo- Senior- Holladay
Matt Liddle- Senior- Orem
Mack Morrison- Sophomore- American Fork
Braden Perry- Junior- Honeyville

Mens’ 60 Meter Hurdles-Kyle Turner- Senior- Orem

Mens’ 1600 Meters-
Evan Argyle- Senior- Pleasant Grove
Austin Costley- Senior- Syracuse
Joe White- Junior- Kaysville
Jake Rossmango- Senior- Syracuse
Robby Lee- Senior- American Fork
Jeff Nelson- Senior- American Fork
Travis Taylor- Junior- Orem
Brad Nye- Sophomore- Kaysville
Parker Evans- Junior- Bountiful
Brian Alfaro- Senior- Kaysville
Mike King- Senior- Kaysville

Mens’ 400 Meters-
Andy Rounds- Junior- Salt Lake City
Tyrell Yardley- Senior- Syracuse
Parker Bluth- Senior- Riverton
Spencer Larsen- Senior- Sandy
Zach Andrews- Senior- Bountiful

Womens’ High Jump-Taylir Garrison- Sophomore- American Fork
Lauren Crockett- Junior- Ogden
Autumn Robertson- Senior- Pleasant Grove
Lillian Johnson- Senior- Roy

Mens’ High Jump-Zach Blackham- Senior- Orem
Dalton Facer- Junior- Kaysville
Alec Pectol- Senior- Kaysville
Jason Lee- Senior- Brigham City
Parker Cressman- Senior- Spanish Fork
Rusty Jones- Junior- West Valley City
Ryan Scott- Junior- Salt Lake City

Womens’ 400 Meters-
Lindsey McFarland- Junior- Syracuse

Mens’ Pole Vault-
Gabe Betancourt- Senior- Kaysville

Womens’ 4x200 Relay-
Davis Track Club- Kaysville

Womens’ 4x400 Relay-
Davis Track Club- Kaysville
Sky View North Logan- Logan

Mens’ 4x400 Relay-Davis Track Club- Kaysville
Syracuse Track Club- Syracuse
Maple Mountain- Spanish Fork

Womens’ 200 Meters-
Dani Figgins- Senior- Kaysville

Mens’ 800 Meters-Ben Poulson- Senior- Kaysville
Preston Williams- Junior- Syracuse
Daniel Keller- Junior- American Fork
Ashena Richardson- Junior- American Fork

Womens’ Shot Put-Jamie Duckworth- Senior- Riverton
Stephanie Jenkins- Senior- Alpine
Jessica Pauni- Senior- Syracuse
Siera Bernard- Sophomore- Herriman
Kassie Reynolds- Senior- Riverton

Mens’ 60 Meters-Parker Bluth- Senior- Riverton

Womens’ 60 Meters-
Sylvia Harrison- Sophomore- Kaysville
Charis Wingster- Junior- Riverton

Mens’ Shot Put-
Hunter Naisbitt- Junior- Syracuse
Bryce Maluia- Junior- West Jordan
McKay Burnett- Junior- Riverton
Chris Johnson- Senior- Brigham City
Aaron Hill- Senior- Syracuse
Alex Swapp- Senior- Kaysville
Anthony Crawford- Junior- Herriman
Tracy Fitzgerald- Senior- Herriman

Mens’ 1600 Sprint Medley Relay-Syracuse Track Club ‘A’- Syracuse
Pleasant Grove- Pleasant Grove
Davis Track Club- Kaysville
Syracuse Track Club ‘B’- Syracuse
Judge Memorial- Salt Lake City

Womens’ 1600 Sprint Medley Relay-
Davis Track Club ‘A’- Kaysville
Syracuse Track Club- Syracuse
Davis Track Club ‘B’- Kaysville

Idaho Athletes Qualify for Finals

Idaho will be well represented in finals

by Spencer Ward

Pocatello, Idaho- As Simplot Games races to Saturday’s finals, dozens of Idaho athletes qualified to compete in the championships. Among the many finalists are Kasen Covington of Boise, the returning triple jump champion; both Dallin Farnsworth of Pocatello and Erik Harris of Twin Falls are among the top six qualifiers for the men’s 1600 meters; and Ryan Conan of Idaho Falls qualified in the 60-meter hurdles.

Included below is a list of all the Idaho athletes who qualified for the finals in their respective events.

Idaho finalists:

All-Idaho Men 4x200 Meter Relay
Snake River Rapids-A
Trojan Track Club-A
Indian Track Club-A
YMCA Team Idaho-C
Riverrunners-A
YMCA Team Idaho-B

All-Idaho Women 4x200 Meter Relay
Snake River Rapids-A
Indian Track Club-A
YMCA Track Club-A
Riverruners-A
YMCA Team Idaho-B

Men Long Jump
Kasen Covington –Boise-Senior
Preston Beatty-Boise-Senior

Men 60-Meter Hurdles
A.J. Bouley-Boise-Senior
Ryan Conan-Idaho Falls-Senior

Women 1600-Meter Run
Michell Hickerson-Boise-Senior
Amanda Ward-Twin Falls-Junior
Tenaly Smith-Caldwell-Sophomore
Machenzie Chojnacky-Jerome-Junior
Jocelyn Allen-Ashton-Junior

Men 1600-Meter Run
Dallin Farnsworth-Pocatello-Sophomore
Eric Fitzpatrick-Boise-Senior
Kasey Meyer-Soda Spring-Senior
Eric Harris-Twin Falls-Sophomore
Morgan Choate-Caldwell-Sophomore
Karl Lundgren-Twin Falls-Sophomore

Men Pole Vault
Dawson Lewis-Boise-Senior

Women 400-Meter Run
Brooke Wagner-Twin Falls-Junior

Men High Jump
Drew Tingey-Idaho Falls-Senior

Women Long Jump
Brittney Owens-Boise-Sophomore
Melissa Rohwer-Boise-Junior

Men 200-Meter Dash
Landon Watts-Boise-Junior
Jake Arslanian-Boise-Sophomore

Women High Jump
Katelyn Zabriskie-Idaho Falls-Freshman

Women Pole Vault
Samantha Michell-Boise-Senior
Alli Bicandi-Boise-Senior
Danielle Rausch-Boise-Junior
Caitlein Maulin-Boise-Senior
Rebecca Clark-Boise-Senior

Men 800-Meter Run
Bubba Roeper-Boise-Junior
Blake Davidson-Boise-Sophomore
Blaine Davidson-Boise-Senior

Men Triple Jump
Drew Tingey-Idaho Falls-Senior
Kasen Covington-Boise-Senior

Women Triple Jump
Melissa Rohwer-Boise-Junior
Brittney Owens-Boise-Sophomore

Men 60-Meter Dash
Landon Watts-Boise-Junior
Tyler Brown-Rupert-Sophomore

Men Shot Put
Tony Colson-Idaho Falls-Senior

Men 1600 Sprint Medley
YMCA Team Idaho-A

Women Sprint Medley Relay
YMCA Team Idaho-A

Dallin Fansworth heads toward the finish line in the boys' 1600 meter dash at Simplot Games.

Ryan Conan and A.J.Bouley compete in the boys' 60-meter hurdles at Simplot Games.

Photo by Mike Roberts
mroberts@122bresnan.net

click photo for high resolution image

Stage is set for Saturday finals at 2010 Simplot Games

by Tyler Gibbons

Pocatello, Idaho- A year after setting the national freshman record in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Trinity Wilson, from Oakland, Calif., returned to Pocatello and posted the exact same electronic time, 8.44 seconds. However, today was the preliminary heat. And she, like all other competitors, was not allowed to wear her track spikes.

A scary thought for the rest of the field.

“My goal (in the prelims) was to work on my technique,” Wilson said. “And to show everybody that I’m here to run.”

Other top athletes who qualified for Saturday’s finals are:

· Kasen Covington (senior from Boise), the top ranked high school triple jumper in the U.S. qualified for both the long and triple jump finals.

· Ashton Purvis (senior from Oakland, Calif.), the nation’s top girls sprinter is set to defend both of her Simplot Games titles in the 60 -and 200-meter dashes.

· Ciarra Brewer (junior from Union City, Calif.), the number one ranked girls triple jumper qualified for both the long and triple jumps.

Sheridan, Wyoming, long distance runners are at top of the pack

The Sheridan, Wyoming, indoor track team, Bronc Track Club, did well in the 3200 meters qualifier races. Dana Morin and Lela Carpenter both made the finals, which will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, February 20. Morin had the 3rd fastest time in the prelims, Carpenter picked up the 5th spot.

Cody Wyoming Athletes Qualify

Cody athletes from Wyoming perform well in qualifiers at 2010 Simplot Games. They have several athletes heading into Saturday's finals.

A Cody Track Club Simplot Games qualifiers -

Josie Pehringer, women's pole vault, junior
Alex Gwynn, men's pole vault, senior
Kyle Sullivan, men's high jump and 60-meter hurdles, junior
James Bushnell, men's shot put, junior
Men's 4X400 meter Relay Team "A"

Watch them compete live tomorrow on www.flotrack.com.

Gillette, Wyoming, athletes do well at 2010 Simplot Games

Gillette athletes from Wyoming had a good showing in qualifier races at the 2010 Simplot Games. They represented Wyoming well, with four athletes heading into Saturday's finals.

Campbell County Simplot Games qualifiers -

Spencer Pecha, men's 3200 meters, senior
Paula Andrie, women's pole vault, junior
Trevor Polson, men's 1600 meters, senior
Steven Turpin, men's pole vault and 60-meter hurdles, senior

Watch them compete live tomorrow on www.flotrack.com.

Steven Turpin qualifies for Saturday's boys' 60-meter hurdles finals at Simplot Games.

Photo by Mike Roberts
mroberts@122bresnan.net

click photo for high resolution image

Hot off the press - Trinty Wilson storms Simplot Games

Trinity Wilson, a sophomore, from Oakland, California, ran a 8.44 in the 60-meter hurdles in today's prelims. This is the current U.S. #1 time this year. And she did it in just tennis shoes, no spikes (Simplot Games do not allow spikes in prelims).

So what is she going to do tomorrow in the finals?

She should have a shot at setting the national sophomore class record of 8.38 set by Jasmine Stowers in 2008.

Trinity Wilson sets the current U.S. #1 time in the 60-meter hurdles in her preliminary heat at Simplot Games.

Photo by Mike Roberts
mroberts@122bresnan.net

click photo for high resolution image

Montana athletes to well in the long distance events

Montana long distance runners do well on Friday and qualify for Saturday's Finals.

Look for the following Montana athletes to do well -

Women's 1600 Meters
Sierra Kamplain, a senior, from Bozeman, qualified 15th, with a time of 5:30.70
Chiara Warner, a freshman, from Bozeman, qualified 23rd, with a time of 5:33.74

Men's 1600 Meters
Seth Garbett, a senior, from Missoula, qualified 21st, with a time of 4:36.77

See them race live tomorrow on Flotrack, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Simplot Games on YouTube

Catch interviews with high school athletes and Olympians on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/2010SimplotGames

Wyoming girls' dominate the 1600 Meters

Look out Simplot Games, Wyoming girls' are taking over in the 1600 meters! Look for the following to make their mark in tomorrow's final, and hopefully get on the medal stand -

Alyssa Miller, a senior, from Cheyenne, qualified 6th, with a time of 5:22.58
Alysha Honaker, a sophomore, from Cheyenne, qualified 22nd, with a time of 5:33.40
Abigail Bird, a freshman, from Cheyenne, qualified 24th, with a time of 5:34.85
Kiana Rief, a freshman, from Cheyenne, qualified 29th, with a time of 5:38.02

Miller will run in tomorrow's finals at 1:35 p.m. Look for the others on Flotrack at 9:30 a.m.

Park City, Utah Coach is a Regular at Simplot Games

by Clayton Cook

Dave Yocum, from Park City, Utah, didn’t fail to make his annual trip North for the Simplot Games this year, even though he only brought one competitor with him. Yocum has been coming to watch the Simplot Games since the early 1980s when he was a member of the Idaho State track team.

“Simplot Games was big then, and it’s even bigger now,” says Yocum.

Yocum’s lone athlete at the 2010 games is Blake Thorne. Thorne will be competing in the boys 60-meter dash later today at 2 p.m.

“I’m a little nervous, but not much,” says Thorne.

Yocum says he hopes and expects Thorne to go under 7.3. He anticipates that being the cutoff to reach the 60-meter final Saturday at 12:25 p.m. As Thorne and the rest of the competitors await their turn, you can follow the 2010 Simplot Games on Facebook and Twitter, or watch live on flotrack.org.

Throw1Deep Defends Simplot Throne

by Clayton Cook

Georgia group continues annual dominance, sets meet record

Pocatello, Idaho—Throw1Deep Throwing Club, out of Marietta, Georgia, claimed all 12 places on the podium in both girls and boys weight throw at the 32nd Simplot Games.

Shelby Ashe won the girls weight throw with a toss of 60’5”, the fifth best high school throw of all-time. Her throw broke the meet record that was set in 1998 by five inches.

“I’m grateful for where I am right now. I’m glad I’m moving up,” Ashe said.

Leading the boys from Georgia was Davis Fraker with a distance of 80’2” (7th best all-time). This was the second consecutive year Fraker walked away from the weight throw with a title in hand. This year he was 10 feet better than the rest of the competition.

“It’s great to come to a meet this big, with so many good athletes, and be so dominant,” says Fraker.

(top) Shelby Ashe wins the girls' weight throw at Simplot Games

(bottom) Davis Fraker wins the boys' weight throw at Simplot Games.

Photo by Mike Roberts
mroberts@122bresnan.net

click photo for high resolution image

Let's Start the Games

Simplot Games officially kicks-off! Check our blog throughout the weekend for up-to-date information!