Women Fourth, Men Fifth at Front Range Championships :: Rachel Stevens hits NCAA regional qualifying mark in high jump

May 4, 2008

LARAMIE, Wyo. - At the first annual Front Range Track & Field Championships, hosted by the University of Wyoming, the Northern Colorado women finished fourth and the men placed fifth.

Sophomore transfer Rachel Stevens cleared a season-best 5-8.75 in the high jump to finish second and qualify for the NCAA Regional Championship, becoming the first female student-athlete and the second Bear to ever qualify for the postseason.

Sophomore Justine Sandersfeld continued her stellar season, winning the 400 meters in 56.30. The 4x400 meter relay teams also continued to dominate, with the women's quartet of Jillian Hoblitt, Lauren Iseman, Ashley Stec and Sandersfeld winning in 3:54.23 and the men's 4x400 team consisting of Marty Wittmer, Travis Stanford, Collin Effler and Tyler Hoerner won in a season-best time of 3:13.48.

Sophomore Lisa Drew placed second in the 800 meters with a clocking of 2:17.84 to improve her qualifying time for the Big Sky Championships with the altitude adjustment. Stec finished third in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.32.

Freshman Terrence McGaughy placed third in the 100 meters with a season-best time of 10.39, which would be a school record if the wind (3.1) had not been over the allowable limit by the NCAA. He also finished fifth in the 200 meters with a clocking of 21.57.

Hoerner won the 400 meters with a season-best time of 47.81 to improve his standing in the Big Sky descending order list, while Effler finished third with a time of 48.55.

In the men's hammer, junior Patrick Berg threw a personal best 172-11 to finish sixth overall and was also sixth in the discus with a toss of 159-1.

The Bears will take a rest for final examinations this week and return to action at the Big Sky Conference Championship in Sacramento May 16-17.

Men -Team

1. Air Force 202

2. Colorado St. 148

3. Wyoming 121

4. Colorado 58

5. Northern Colorado 50

Women - Team

1. Colorado St. 183

2. Wyoming 166

3. Air Force 85

4. Northern Colorado 57

5. Colorado 43