Women head to Washington led by Distance Runners

PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s track team is traveling to Seattle to compete Friday and Saturday in the Washington Invitational.

The Washington Invitational is a very popular distance meet, with most of the distance teams across the West making their debut.

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Distance runners to debut as BYU track goes to UW Invitational

PROVO, Utah—The BYU men’s distance runners will make their season debut as BYU track travels to Seattle to compete at the Washington Invitational Friday and Saturday.

“We are going to open up our distance guys for the first time this season,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “Our guys have looked fit in workouts, and Seattle always has great competition. We know the importance of bringing our 'A' game. They have a great venue up there. We’re looking to post fast times and qualify some runners for nationals.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Air Force Invitational Videos

Rachel Fisher - Pole Vault

Korey Smith and Mario Harper - 400m Finals

Lauren Baxter, Arlene Gower, Kassie Jensen - 60m Finals

See more videos from the meet at team manager Derek McAllister's YouTube page.

The Ladder Ceremony

When I arrived in Provo in the fall of 2009, one of the first things that caught my eye about the indoor track in the Smith Field House was the top-ten board. I immediately made it my goal to get onto that board during my collegiate career so that I could be numbered among the greats.

Seven months later,  I was able to make the climb up to the No. 4 spot in the 800m, and then a month later up to No. 2. In the ensuing seasons, I climbed the ladder a few more times as I broke the school record in the indoor 800m and as a member of the school record holding distance medley relay team.

The ladder ceremony probably looks like a silly tradition to those on the outside. The coach talks about the person who is getting bumped off the top-ten board as if they are now dead. Then he or she says, "I give you Alyssa Monteverde," or whoever it may be that is now joining the ranks of the top-ten board. The team chants, "Ladder, ladder, ladder..." while the athlete climbs to the top. They reach for a piece of tape covering up their name, rip it off, and the team bursts into cheers. Then, in unison, the entire team yells, "Speech!" The athlete proceeds to thank teammates, coaches, trainers, etc. and talk about what it means for them to be on this hallowed list of athletes and the journey it took for them to get there. But for those who have the opportunity to climb that ladder, they know there aren't very many more rewarding feelings.

Hearing about the person who gets bumped off helps you to appreciate all of the work it takes to get onto the top-ten board. The coaches share stories of their best races, how hard they worked, what a leader they were, and what a great person they were. To hear that about the person you are bumping off makes you and the team realize that how hard you work, what kind of person you are, and how hard you compete will be remembered by those associated with the program, and it makes you want to be a little better and work a little harder.

Then there is something very cool about ripping that tape off and seeing your name next to the likes of Frank Fredericks, Ed Eyestone, Doug Padilla, Miles Batty, Tiffany Lott, Julie Jenkins, and Nachelle Mackie. Olympians, world record holders, NCAA championships, NCAA record holders and hundreds of All-American awards are represented on that board. To know that you are now listed among them makes you feel big and small at the same time.

The speech that is given on that ladder may seem routine, as if it was written by the coaches or the sports information department, but I promise you, it is sincere. I couldn't express enough how grateful I was for teammates, family, coaches, trainers, and the athletic department for pushing me in workouts and races, giving me the opportunity to travel around the country and pursue goals and dreams, making sure that I stayed healthy, and cheering me on every step of the way. The speech only lasts for a minute or so, but I'm sure each person who climbs that ladder could go on for an hour telling stories of what it took to get there and giving thanks to everyone who supported them.

This is all from the perspective of those climbing the ladder. But it is also very inspiring and motivating to be a spectator of the ladder ceremony. Watching your teammates go rip that piece of tape off of their name makes you want to do it too. And not just get to that tenth position, but get high up on the board, into that No. 1, 2, or 3 spot.

You could ask anyone on the BYU team their goals and they would likely tell you that one of them is to one day climb that ladder. Why? Because climbing the ladder is more than just ripping a piece of tape off of your name and giving a speech. It is the culmination of setting goals, hours of work, battling through injuries, balancing training, homework, and a social life, and finally reaching a goal.

The video below will give you a glimpse into the ladder ceremony. This is after Chase Dalton moved into a tie for No. 2 all-time at BYU in the indoor heptathlon. This past weekend at Air Force, Dalton was within eight points of the school record. He will be celebrated again today with another ladder ceremony.

Multi-Events lead Cougar men into Air Force Invitational

PROVO, Utah—BYU men’s track and field continues its indoor season this weekend with a trip to Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete in the 24th Air Force Invitational.

“We are looking forward to another good weekend and we hope we can build on last week,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “All of our events are looking stronger. This is a great opportunity for our multi-event guys. We expect big things from Chase Dalton and Joshua Weirich.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Cougars on the road at Air Force Invitational

PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s track and field team will be on the road Thursday Jan. 23 through Saturday Jan. 25 competing in the 24th annual Air Force Academy Invitational.

“The Air Force meet is a great one and a good opportunity for us to continue the roll we are on,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “We are excited for this meet because the multis get to compete again.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

2014 Lobo Collegiate Invitational Videos

Braydon Bringhurst - Pole Vault

Shea Martinez - 800m

Lauren Baxter & Arlene Glower - 60m Finals

Ben Meyer - 200m

Chase Dalton - Pole Vault

Kyle Turner and Mario Harper - 200m

Rachel Fisher - Pole Vault

Tommy Gruenewald - Mile

Travis Fuller - 800m

See the rest of the meet videos on Derek McAllister's YouTube Channel.

Results from Lobo Collegiate Invitational

Full results via GoLobos.com. 

Bringhurst vaults to No. 4 all-time at BYU indoors

Albuquerque, N.M.-- Braydon Bringhurst led a group of solid performances for BYU men's track & field at the Lobo Invitational Saturday.

“For the first road trip of the year we came together and performed well,” BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. “We saw personal bests everywhere. I was particularly impressed with our vaulters. Out team realizes that the training they are doing is yielding dividends and we are looking forward to future meets to keep improving.”

The Cougars took two of the top three spots in the pole vault, with Bringhurst taking first with a mark of 5.50m, a height good for fourth all-time at BYU and one that should qualify him for the national meet.

“That's what we like to see, especially from our team captains,” Eyestone said. “I was very happy about that.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Whaley scales the leader boards at Lobo Collegiate Invitational

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Deezbaa Whaley led the women’s track and field team to success Saturday at the Lobo Collegiate Invitational.

“The weight throw was our best event today,” BYU throws coach Niklas Arrhenius said. “This is a personal record for Whaley and we know that she can throw even farther.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Women's Lobo Collegiate Invitational Preview

... After winning the 60m and the 300m at the BYU Invitational, freshman Lauren Baxter is one of the athletes to watch on Saturday.

Alyssa Monteverde will be competing in her individual events this weekend rather than participating in the pentathlon. Meaghan Heffelfinger will be throwing at the Invitational after earning Top 10 status in the weight throw at the BYU Invitational, securing eighth place all-time at BYU.

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Men's Lobo Collegiate Invitational Preview

PROVO, Utah -- BYU men’s track will compete in its first road meet of the indoor season this weekend as they travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Lobo Collegiate Invitational.

“I think it will be a good meet," head coach Ed Eyestone said. "We are taking a large group and there will be some good competition. This track is where the NCAA indoor meet will be held;  it will be a nice opportunity for us to compete on a 200 meter track, the same track we will compete on at nationals.”

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

Eyestone to be inducted into the WCC Hall of Honor

SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- BYU head track & field coach Ed Eyestone will be inducted into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor on Saturday, March 8 at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Ten individuals, one from each member institution, will be honored as part of the 2014 WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships from March 6-11 at the Orleans Arena..

Ed Eyestone became a 10-time NCAA All-American, and in 1984, went undefeated in NCAA cross-country events. Eyestone is one of only three runners, along with Gerry Lindgren and Suleiman Nyambiu, to capture the NCAA "Triple Crown" by becoming the 1985 NCAA Champion in cross-country, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. In 1985, the Academic All-American and recipient of the NCAA Top Six Award set a then-NCAA record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 27:41:05. He finished his collegiate career with four NCAA Championships and set the school record in the 10,000 meter, 5,000 meter, 3,000 meter and 2 mile races.

BYU Sports Hero Day

PROVO, Utah- BYU athletes welcomed over a thousand students from 12 different elementary schools Thursday for the annual Sports Hero Day.

The students rotated through a variety of stations hosted by different athletic teams including football, track and field, soccer and volleyball, among others. Each station had an activity that was led by athletes from the respective sport, giving the students a chance to interact with their BYU sports heroes.

Read more at BYUCougars.com.

New Mexico Collegiate Invitational Heat Sheets

Track Timing and Data Management - Contractor License Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 11:57 AM 1/17/2014 Page 1

Univ of New Mexico Lobo Collegiate Indoor - 1/18/2014

The Albuquerque Convention Center

Meet Program

Event 1 Women 60 Meter Dash

Lane Seed Time Name School 

Heat 2 of 5 Prelims

1

2 Aleesha Blackh NMHL

3 Chelse Spencer BYU

4 Arlene Gowar BYU

5 Shanna Thoma NMHL

6 Haley Sanner UNM

7 Alyssa Cox NMST

8

Heat 3 of 5 Prelims

1 Nicole Laws BYU

2 Sheneika Roch NMHL

3 Brittany Myrick UNM

4 Chantel Malon CHUL

5 Jenna Banegas NMST

6 DaShonda John NMHL

7 Trichina Carmo NMMI

See all heats and entires at GoLobos.com.

New Mexico Lobo Collegiate Invitational Schedule

University of New Mexico Lobo Collegiate Invitational

 Saturday, January 18, 2014

 *** FINAL TIME SCHEDULE AS OF 1/16/14 ***

10:00am Women's 20 Lb Weight Throw (19 athletes)

12:00pm Men's 35 Lb Weight Throw (6 athletes)

12:00pm Men's 600 meters (6 athletes)

10:00am Women's High Jump (18 athletes) 12:05pm Women's 600 meters (12 athletes)

2014 BYU Cougar Collegiate Indoor Invitational field event videos

Men's Highlights

Women's Highlights

Heptathlon - Chase Dalton 5,489 (BYU #2 all-time)

Pentathlon - Alyssa Monteverde 3,677 (BYU #9 all-time)

Scott Matheson - Long Jump

Chelsea Spencer - Long Jump

Drew Tingey - Long Jump

Dakoda John - High Jump

Chloe Richardson - Triple Jump

Brie Simmons - Pentathlon

Braydon Bringhurst - Pole Vault

Anginae Monteverde - Pole Vault

Amy Moffat - Pole Vault

Alisa Baker -Pentathlon

Elizabeth Wilson - Pentathlon

Erin Murphy- Pentathlon

Nicole Laws- Pentathlon

Josh Weirich - Heptathlon

Kyle Brown - Pole Vault

Kylee Tageser - Pole Vault

Maleah McMullin - Pole Vault

Margaret Appiah - High Jump

Sam Rockwood - High Jump

Rachel Fisher - Pole Vault

Nathan Collett - High Jump

Sierra Hansen - Pole Vault

Victor Weirich - Pole Vault

Aaron Clark - Throws

Zachary Blackham - High Jump

Ashley Edhart - Throws

Leif Arrhenius - Throws

Madison Pachner - Throws

Meaghan Hefflefinger - Throws

Nik Arrhenius - Throws

Sadie Nielson - Throws

Winston Wilkenson - Throws

Zachary Stetler - Throws

Freshman Baxter wins two events in first collegiate meet

PROVO, Utah---The women’s team secured five more first place finishes Saturday at the BYU Invitational, with freshman Lauren Baxter dominating the 60m and 300m.

"I felt good about my performances," Baxter said. "I felt like it was a good start to the season, it was my first meet, it was a good experience and I'm excited for the rest of indoor season."

Dalton Highlights BYU Invitational for Men

PROVO, Utah -- BYU men’s track started off its indoor season with several standout performances at the BYU invitational.

“ I think we had a great first meet,” BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. “I was really pleased with the effort in our only home meet of the indoor season. We saw a lot of athletes get their seasons off to a good start.”

BYU Indoor Invite Results

2014 BYU Cougar Collegiate Indoor Invitational Results

BYU Smith Field House

Provo, UT

January 9, 2014 - January 11, 2014 Via RunnerCard.com

Monteverde wins pentathlon at BYU Invitational

PROVO, Utah -- Day one of the BYU Invitational concluded Friday with four first places for BYU women’s track and field, highlighted by Alyssa Monteverde winning the pentathlon with 3,677 points.

“It was a good opener, the hurdles and high jump were my strong events,” sophomore Monteverde said of the opener for the indoor season.  “I think we started out solid, its only up from here and I’m really excited for our meet at Air Force. “

Women's Season Preview

The women’s track and field team is kicking off indoor season with its home meet at BYU this weekend.

This is the first season the women’s team will be under the direction of new head coach Ed Eyestone.

“We're optimistic about the women's program and looking to qualify as many for regionals and nationals as possible,” Eyestone said. “I know Andrea Harrison will be doing some heavy lifting for us. We are looking to see some great things from her."

BYU Invite Men's Preview

PROVO, Utah -- The BYU men's indoor track & field season kicks off this weekend with the BYU Invitational Thursday through Saturday.

"This meet is a nice rust-buster," BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. "It's important because it sets the tone for who will travel. This meet will go a long way in telling us who our top athletes are. We should learn a lot about our team this weekend."

Top Ten List - Women's Indoor

Women's Top Ten Indoor Performers

Top Ten List - Men's Indoor

Men's Top Ten Indoor Performers

Top Ten List - Women's Outdoors

Women's Top 10 Outdoor Performers

Top Ten List - Men's Outdoors

Men's Top 10 Outdoor Performers