May 10, 2008

PROVO, Utah - Utah Valley Track and Field team's completed the 2008 season on Saturday with a clean sweep of the team competitions at the National Athletic Conference 2008 Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at BYU's Clarence F. Robison Track. The Wolverine women finished with an impressive total of 322 points, while the men won with a score of 186.

Wolverine head coach Scott Houle won National Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors for both the women's and men's teams. Senior Mariama Salifu was awarded the NAC Female Athlete of the Year, and freshman Chelsea Baker earned the NAC Female Newcomer of the Year.

"It's nice for our kids to end their season on team victories," Houle said after the meet. "It feels good as a reward to our athletes, coaching staff, and university. Our coaching staff as a whole is just great, and my awards should really go to all of them."

Salifu finished her senior campaign with an impressive final day as she won the 100- and the 200-meter dashes with times of, 11.93 and 24.48, respectfully, following her meet record that she set in the 200-meter dash Friday with a time of 24.12.

Baker outlasted her competition as she took the 400-meter run with a time of 57.77, and sophomore Alise Lindsey won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.22. Junior Karinne Bentley also took the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:42.07, and freshman Kaylee Hornbeck won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.50.

Other UVU female winners included freshman Amanda Peart in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:04.31 as Utah Valley finished one, two, and three in that event. Freshman Nadine Russell won the shot put with a throw of 12.10-meter. The UV women were also able to win the 4x100-meter relay at 46.63, and the 4x400-meter relay with 3:53.40.

Utah Valley men were led by junior Danny Moody who out-strided the competition in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:38.02. Freshman Cory Pierson won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.83 while his teammates finished second and third in that event as well. Sophomore Andrew Graham took the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.64.

In the tournament on the women's side San Francisco finished in second place with a total of 82 points, Houston Baptist took third place with 73, Cal State Bakersfield ended in fourth place with 56, while NJIT rounded out the competition with 26.

The men were followed by a second place finish from HBU with 120 points, CSUB finished in third place with 114, USF took fourth place with 81, and NJIT finished in fifth with 65 points.

Full results from the National Athletic Conference 2008 Outdoor Track and Field Championships can be found at www.runnercard.com