Just sharing from one our primary track insider. Let us know how your teams are doing or what you are looking for.
https://acusports.com/news/2022/2/18/tra...ships.aspx
Then from Acutrackfan below:
"It was a good start for the Wildcats on Day 1 of the Meet. The women are in 2nd place with 33 points, with SFA 4 points ahead. The men are in 4th with 24.5 points (GCU and SFA are atop the standings). The recap on ACUSports.com did a rather good job, although it was written before the men's LJ was complete and ACU did well in that event. ACU is in good shape to fight it out for a podium spot (top 3 teams) both women and men.
WOMEN
-The highlight was the women's LJ where Payton Kirk won the whole thing with an indoor PR of 20-0.25. Megan Kirby went from 7th to 4th on her final jump and grabs a valuable 4 points. I love seeing Payton excel -- she is a great kid and her Father told me she is definitely returning next year for her super-senior year -- she will start on her Master's this summer.
-Annina Brandenburg got 2nd in the SP - SHSU has a really good young thrower who will dominate the WAC until Sam moves to another conference after next season. Annina is always stronger outdoors, where she can throw the discus. I predict a monster year for Annina outdoors!
-Irene Rono ran a good 5K (an indoor PR time for her), but UVU provided a textbook case of how 2-3 runners from one school can work together to neutralize a superior runner. UVU had 3 runners in the front pack for the first half of the race and they constantly kept Irene boxed in and she was getting elbow jabs and little shoves from behind the entire race. When the 3rd UVU dropped off the pace, the 2 remaining runners made sure that Irene knew they were there -- no violations, but Irene knew she had been in a war by the finish of the race. Both of the UVU runners formed a barrier at the end of the race and Irene did not have any gas left in the tank. A brilliant tactical race by UVU. True freshman Tessa Holderman grabs 7th and Prudence Kiyeng gets 8th for a point.
-The distance medley relay gets a point by getting 8th, but at at a high cost. Briahna Gerlach ran the anchor 1600 leg and was noticeably impacted by the elevation. I hope it did not take too much out of her -- she runs in the mile finals and the 3K today.
In the prelims for the women, ACU gets several people into the finals for Saturday: Taylor Tolen in the 60 and 200, Megan Kirby in the 60H, true freshman Ja'Dasia Sims in the 400 (one of the most pleasant surprises for ACU this year -- Ja'Dasia was recruited as a high jumper and she ends up the best quartermiler at ACU in a few years); Briahna Gerlach in the mile. Taylor, Megan and Briahna are all super-seniors who return for their COVID redshirt year.
In finals only events today, the women look very good: high jump (Zoe Spinn, Ja'Dasia Sims, and Megan Kirby); triple jump (Ella Anttila and Luzie Velmere); pole vault (Payton Kirk and Kaydi Pursley); even a point or two in the weight throw (true freshman Kailey Roskop) is possible. On the track, Irene Rono will try to get her revenge in the 3K, joined by Tessa Holdermann and Prudence Kiyeng, plus Briahna Gerlach and Sara Wagler. The 4x4 relay gets to run in the fast section with SFA, NM State, and GCU and could score well.
MEN
-The long jump at the end of the evening (it was finished LONG after the last running event due to some bad scheduling and only enough officials to compete in 1 pit) had all three ACU jumpers getting PR's -- redshirt freshman Williams Harris getting 3rd with a 24-6.5; Jamal January getting 5th with a jump of 24-3 and Ryan Bornemeier missing the finals by inches with a PR of 22-8 (and he had to jump right after running the 400 leg on the DMR).
-In the shot put, Tyler Richardson grabs 4th place, but his throw was a 55-1 and he is capable of throwing much better -- the winner threw 56-5, so a championship for Tyler was tantalizingly close.
-Cole Newman gets a tie for 5th in the pole vault, but the height was disappointing at 15-10. Clayton Fritsch from SHSU (the defending outdoor national champ) vaulted 18-9.25 for a conference record.
-Levi Chambers gets 7th in the 5K, but the Wildcats were visibly impacted by the altitude -- Levi labored mightily (he is usually a very smooth runner) and another Wildcat collapsed on the track and needed extended medical attention. Levi has worked his butt off and has become a good distance runner. Most of ACU's scholarship money in the distances was sitting at home injured -- again.
-The distance medley relay got 5th and ran pretty well - what I like is that the runners were young -- a redshirt freshman on the 1200 meter leg (Cooper Goggans) and true freshmen on the 800 (Garrison Shindler) and anchor 1600 legs (Neal Helgersen). This bodes well for the future.
In the first day of the heptathlon, the ACU athletes looked great. JJ Ply leads the entire competition and he had a fantastic HJ at 6-9.5. Ethan Christian is in 6th place and competed very well. JJ is a better 2nd day competitor (60H, pole vault and the 1000) and is in great shape to win the whole thing. Ethan is a very good hurdler and could move up in the standings as well.
In prelims, ACU did fairly well: in the 60 hurdles, ACU gets three into the finals - Jamal January, Harrison Manuel and Jeremy King (JJ Ply only missed making the finals by .04 of a second); Jared Williams in the 400 (he has always struggled indoors, but has really mastered the unique qualities of the indoor track this year); walk-on freshman Garrison Shindler in the 800 -- a terrific surprise this year in the 800. Not getting anyone into the finals in the 60 and 200 will hurt.
In events that are finals only today, ACU has the chance to score well: William Harris in the triple jump; Tyler Richardson and Athan Huelskamp in the weight throw; Levi Chambers in the 3K. The 4x4 relay runs in the next-to-fastest heat with UVU and Tarleton (the outdoor WAC champ in 2021). Lamar, SHSU, SFA and GCU run in the fast heat.
I don't know that ACU can move onto the podium (top 3 teams), but there is still a slight chance we can move into 3rd if all goes perfectly. 4th or 5th place as a team looks more likely, but would be really cool to move up to 3rd!"
