Four Track Athletes Set To Compete In 2007 NCAA Championships
LOGAN — Utah State University will send four student athletes to compete in the 2007 NCAA Track and Field Championships at Sacramento, Calif., June 6-9. USU sent a school-record eight competitors to last year's NCAA Championships.
Aggies competing in the national championships include Dasheek Akwenye (400m), Nick Karren (400h), Amber Peterson (100h, 400h) and DJ Smith (100m). Peterson is the first USU athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships in multiple events since James Parker and Brick Bergeson accomplished the feat in 2001.
"The thing we've been working toward all year is getting to this meet," said veteran USU head coach Greg Gensel. "All four of the individuals who qualified for nationals are very deserving of this opportunity, and all four have a shot of moving on in the championships if they run their race."
Three of the four Aggies who qualified for nationals will compete during the first day of the championships as Akwenye, Peterson and Smith will run in the preliminaries. Peterson and Smith could also participate in the semifinals Wednesday night if they advance. USU will also have two student-athletes compete on Thursday as Karren and Peterson will compete in the preliminaries of the men's and women's 400-meter hurdles, followed by the semifinals later that evening.
Akwenye, a senior from Windhoek, Namibia, placed fifth in the 400-meters at the 2007 NCAA West Region with a time of 47.50 and is seeded 57th in the event heading into the NCAA Championships with a time of 46.79, which ranks fifth all-time in school history.
Karren, a sophomore from Duchesne, Utah, placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2007 NCAA West Region with a personal best time of 51.49 and enters the NCAA Championships ranked 44th in the event.
Peterson, a senior from Midvale, Utah, recorded personal bests in both hurdle events at the 2007 NCAA West Region as she placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with times of 58.44 and 13.53 respectively. Peterson, who placed 26th in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2006 NCAA Championships with a time of 1:01.33, currently ranks 23rd in the 400-meter hurdles and 42nd in the 100-meter hurdles.
Smith, a senior from Pleasanton, Calif., won the 100-meters at the 2007 NCAA West Region with a time of 10.39 and enters the NCAA Championship ranked 19th in the event with a school record time of 10.31. Smith finished 23rd in the 100-meters at the 2006 NCAA Championships with a time of 10.61.
INFORMATION ON UTAH STATE QUALIFIERS –
WOMEN
Amber Peterson - Sr. - Midvale, Utah (Hillcrest HS)
100-meter hurdles – Wednesday (June 6), 6:40 p.m. (Prelims)
400-meter hurdles – Thursday (June 7), 5:30 p.m. (Prelims)
Recorded personal bests in both hurdle events at the NCAA West Region as she finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (58.44) and fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (13.53)... Ranks 23rd in the nation in the 400-meter hurdles and 42nd in the 100-meter hurdles... Ranks second all-time in school history in the 400 hurdles and is fourth all-time in the 100 hurdles... Won WAC titles in both hurdles at the 2007 Championships with times of 13.56 and 58.55... Placed 26th in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2006 NCAA Championships with a time of 1:01.33.
MEN
Dasheek Akwenye - Sr. - Windhoek, Namibia (Centaurus HS) 400-meters – Wednesday (June 6), 7:00 p.m. (Prelims)
Placed fifth in the 400-meters at the 2007 NCAA West Region with a time of 47.50... Ranks 57th in the NCAA in the 400-meters with a time of 46.79, which ranks fifth all-time in school history... Placed second in the 400-meters at the 2007 WAC Outdoor Championships with a time of 47.14... Was also sixth in the 200-meters at the league meet with a time of 21.88.
Nick Karren - So. - Duchane, Utah (Duchane HS) 400-meter hurdles – Thursday (June 7), 5:10 p.m. (Prelims)
Placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Region with a personal best time of 51.49 and currently ranks 44th in the NCAA in that event... Won the 2007 WAC Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.56, and finished fourth in the 400-meters with a time of 47.94.
DJ Smith - Sr. - Pleasanton, Calif. (Foothill HS) 100-meters – Wednesday (June 6), 5:15 p.m. (Prelims)
Won the 100-meters at the NCAA West Region with a time of 10.39 and enters the NCAA Championship ranked 19th in the event with a school record time of 10.31... Finished second in the 100 and fourth in the 200-meters at the 2007 WAC Outdoor Championships with times of 10.34 and 21.63 respectively... Finished 23rd in the 100-meters at the 2006 NCAA Championships with a time of 10.61
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Utah State Men's NCAA Outdoor Finishes
1949 - t23rd
1957 - t14th
1958 - t8th
1960 - t39th
1965 - t30th
1966 - t24th
1967 - t14th
1968 - t23rd
1975 - t21st
1977 - t16th
1983 - t58th
1990 - t64th
1995 - t53rd
1998 - t20th
2000 - t44th
2001 - t18th
2002 - 41st
Utah State Women's NCAA Outdoor Finishes
1996 - t49th
1997 - t38th
2000 - t45th
Utah State Men's Scorers (Since 1991)
1995 - 4. Lance White (Pole Vault)
1998 - 4. Corey Murdock (400 Hurdles)
1999 - 2. Corey Murdock (400 Hurdles); 4. James Parker (Hammer)
2000 - 4. James Parker (Hammer)
2001 - 2. James Parker (Hammer); 2. Dave Hoffman (High Jump)
2002 - 4. Brett Guymon (400 Hurdles)
Utah State Women's Scorers
1996 - 4. LaDonna Antoine (400 meters)
1997 - 7. La Donna Antoine (400 meters)
2000 - 4. Shae Bair (Pole Vault)
Utah State Men's Outdoor Individual Champions
1961 - Glen Passey (Discus)
1975 - Mark Enyeart (800 meters)
1977 - Mark Enyeart (800 meters)
2006-07 Utah State Track//Cross Country Finishes In The Western Athletic Conference
Men
Cross Country - 1st/7
Indoor Track - 2nd/5
Outdoor Track - 1st/5
Women
Cross Country - 1st/9
Indoor Track - 4th/9
Outdoor Track - 5th/8
More Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics Web site.
DJ Smith is one of four Utah State track athletes who will be competing at the 2007 NCAA Championships this week. (Photo from Athletics Web site.)
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