Pioneers and Thunderbirds take podium places at conference

Utah Tech’s Averie Perriton negotiates the water obstacle during the 3,000-meter steeplechase race, in which she finished seventh, at the Western Athletic Conference track and field meet in Orem, Utah, on May 9, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Records for the Utah Tech women’s track and field program were falling left and right during the Western Athletic Conference championships in Orem, Utah, this past Thursday and Saturday.

Megan Jenkins (third from right) of Utah Tech’s 400-meter hurdles smiles from her third-place podium finish at the Western Athletic Conference track and field meet in Orem, Utah, May 11, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News

And Southern Utah University also made its mark with three individual champions on the top step of the podium: Travis Feeny (10,000 meters), Jaedyn Carpenter (400 meters) and Morgan Blackburn (discus).

The Trailblazers’ best finish of the meet came Saturday in the 400-meter hurdles from sophomore Megan Jenkins, whose performance of 58.85 seconds broke her own record, set Thursday in the preliminary round. Jenkins placed third in the event.

The Utah Tech quartet of Rashawnna Gibson, Whitney Christiansen, Brittany Kuhn and Kelly Denninghoff finished seventh with a program-record time of 46.45, shaving 0.08 seconds off the previous best time set at the WAC Outdoor Championships in Last year. The T-bird quartet of Maya Benjamin, Iana-Michovani Graham, Shante Myrie and Secret Mceuen finished just ahead of the Blazers, who finished fifth in a program record 45.36.

Utah Tech junior Lexi Larsen finished fifth in the 1,500 meters, running a program record time of 4:35.62 to score four team points.

The Trailblazers’ final points came in the final event as the 4×400-meter relay team of Christiansen, Addi Wyatt, Denninghoff and Jenkins took eighth place with a program-best time of 3:49.18 .

Christiansen set a new program record in the 400-meter preliminaries with a time of 56.54, 0.07 seconds faster than her previous record set earlier this season.

Blackburn’s (165-11.75) winning performance in the discus was the Thunderbirds’ only WAC women’s individual title.

Utah Valley won the women’s title with 177 points followed by Grand Canyon (118), UT Arlington (117.5 pts.), UTRGV (105) and Abilene Christian (83). Rounding out the rest of the field were Tarleton State (61), Southern Utah (60), Stephen F. Austin (41), California Baptist (23), Utah Tech (20) and Seattle U (13).

Southern Utah University’s Jaedyn Carpenter won the 400 meters at the Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships on May 11, 2024, in Orem, Utah, date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of Southern Utah University Athletics, St. George News

The SUU men were conference runners-up with 125 points, finishing behind champion Grand Canyon.

“It was a very long year of competition for our men’s and women’s teams,” SUU coach Eric Houle said in a press release. “So the individual and team successes we achieved this weekend was a great way to cap off a very successful year. »

Carpenter led the way by winning the 400 in 45.95 seconds, followed by Dylan Gibson (3rd, 46.38). Feeny not only won the 10,000 meters on Friday, but added a second-place finish in the 5,000 meters on Saturday, coming home in 14:33.35. Click here to see the arrival of the 10,000.

Kaden Allen won two bronze medals in the discus (166-9.5) and the 800 (1:51.08).

Utah Tech and SUU will attempt to qualify athletes for the national championships at the NCAA DI West Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas, May 22-25.

Vin Cappiello has been involved in journalism in various capacities since the age of 16, when his first article was published in the Rockland County Journal-News in suburban New York. He has worked at newspapers in Ohio, Idaho and Wyoming and is now evening editor at the St. George News. Vin and his wife Lisa have three adult children: Gabriella, Sara and Maggie. Vin and Maggie are 3rd degree and Lisa is a 2nd degree black belt in taekwondo. Vin is also the author of the young adult novel “A Quarter Mile From Home.” He enjoys hiking, camping, fly fishing and running, preferably with Lisa.