PROVO, Utah - Steve Trojanowski, Alex Haver and Brian Lopez earned first place finishes in their respective events Friday, helping lift the CSUB men's track & field team to a first place team standing through the opening day of the 2008 National Athletic Conference Championships at Clarence Robison Track on the campus of Brigham Young University. On the women's side, Ke'Airra Jones and Katina Frugulietti posted first place marks, putting the Roadrunner women in second overall through six scoring events.
"The weather was cold and windy and you never know how a young team is going to respond to a championship event," said CSUB Head Coach Alan Collatz, "but we were very happy with the performances today."
Jones, a freshman, and senior Peace Nwosu, kicked off the day with a one-two performance int he women's high jump. Jones matched her personal best with a 5-7 mark while Nwosu jumped 5-5 for the runner-up position.
Fruguglietti, a sophomore, won the women's hammer, and set a big new personal best with a hurl of 166-06, nearly five feet beyond her previous best mark. In the women's long jump, freshman Brianna Woodfox scored a personal best and a second place finish with a jump of 18-4.25.
Those performances for the 'Runner women led to 36 team points Saturday, putting CSUB in second behind host Utah Valley University.
On the men's side, Trojanowski, a junior, posted a first place mark of 185-11 in the hammer, also a personal best by three inches. Senior Bryan Romero placed second with a personal best mark of 159-01 and junior Clayton Morovich was fourth with a mark of 129-10.
Senior Brian Lopez won the men's javelin with a hurl of 186-02, while freshman Alex Haver tied his personal best with a 6-4.75 first place mark in the men's high jump. Freshman Ryan Nichols rounded out the 'Runners' Friday placewinners, finishing second in the men's long jump (21-7.25).
Bakersfield's men tallied 52 points through five scoring events to hold a first place team standing over Utah Valley (44 points).
In addition to the scoring events, a number of CSUB runners posted qualified for Saturday's finals with solid times in the qualifying heats. Freshman Cameron Jost earned the top qualifying time (49.14) in the 400 meter dash, while also qualifying for the 200 meter dash finals. Jones and sophomore Sheena Cooper will move on to the 200 meter dash finals while Cooper also advances to the 100 meter dash finals.
Action continues at the National Athletic Conference Championships all day Saturday between the 'Runners, Untah Valley, Houston Baptist, New Jersey Tech and University of San Francisco.
