Athletes of the Week Announced
Big Sky T & F Athletes of the Week and Performance List
Tanner Gooch
PDF of Performance List
OGDEN, Utah (Feb. 9, 2010) - Athletes throughout the conference are starting to post bigger and better marks as they gear up for the Big Sky Conference Championship.
Sacramento State’s Naima Goodwin qualified for the Big Sky Championships in five events at the New Mexico Classic. The junior met the Big Sky standard in the 60-hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pentathlon.
Portland State sophomore Joenisha Vinson tied the school record in the 60-meter hurdles at the New Balance College Invitational with her time of 8.71.
Senior Nicole Luckenbach of Eastern Washington missed a school record by an inch in the weight throw at the Idaho Vandal Indoor. Her mark of 60-8.5 in the weight throw ranks second in school history behind Jaime Martin's throw of 60-9.5 set in 2002. Luckenbach’s throw ranks her first in the Big Sky.
Montana's Jabin Sambrano won the 200 meters by .34 seconds over a field of 68 other athletes in a time of 22.02. Also finished second in the 57-athlete 60 meters in a time of 7.04. Qualified for both events in his first indoor meet of the season. You might remember Sambrano's game-winning touchdown to send the Grizzlies to their second consecutive NCAA National Championship game.
Big Sky Athletes of the Week
Women’s Track
Cassie Merkley, Idaho State
Senior - Leavenworth, Wash.
Merkley won the women’s pentathlon Friday scoring 3,834 points, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Merkley won the event after finishing tied for first in the 60-meter hurdles, first in the high jump, first in the shot put, third in the long jump, and second in the 800-meter run. Merkley’s 60-meter hurdles time and high jump were also Big Sky Conference qualifying marks.
Also Nominated: Sarah Frey, EWU; Katrina Drennen, UM; Camille Marchand, MSU; Shekila Wilkinson, NAU; Joenisha Vinson, PSU; Ally Dean, WSU
Men’s Track
Asa Staven, Montana State
Junior - Georgetown, Texas
Staven got a NCAA provisional mark winning the heptathlon at the Mountain States Games in Pocatello over the weekend. His score of 5364 points puts him on the top of the Big Sky Conference performance list and 16th on the NCAA descending order list. He also reached a personal best in the pole vault at the meet, leaping 16-0.75.
Also Nominated: Brad Wall, EWU; Sergio Jones, ISU; Jabin Sambrano, UM; Sam Schur, SAC
Women’s Field
Amber Anderson - Northern Arizona
Junior - Carrollton, Texas
The Lumberjacks received their fifth NCAA provisional qualifying mark Saturday from junior Amber Anderson in the triple jump. The TCU-transfer’s final mark of 41-8.5 puts her in a tie for the 18th-best jump in the country. She also leads the Big Sky in the long jump with a mark of 19-11.75.
Also Nominated: Nicole Luckenbach, EWU; Lindsey Hall, UM; Kris Schaffer, MSU; Naima Goodwin, SAC
Men’s Field
Mike Arnold, Idaho State
Sophomore - Carson City, Nev.
Mike Arnold cleared an NCAA provisional qualifying height of 17-1.5 in the pole vault Friday to win the men’s pole vault at the Mountain States Games. His marked has places him 23rd in the nation and is more than one foot higher than anyone else in the conference.
Also Nominated: Adam Stewart, EWU; Chris Hellekson, UM; Emilio Hernandez, SAC