BYU NewsNet - Track Perform Well at Home

The BYU track and field team hosted a meet on Friday, March 30, 2007, where the athletes had some great events and good marks.

"We had some really fun things happen today," BYU women's coach Craig Poole said. "The cold weather held down our performances, but still we had some good marks."

At the Cougar Invitational, BYU competed against UVSC, Weber State, Southern Utah University, University of Utah and Idaho State. The Cougars placed well in all their events, with some great highlights.

"[David] Pendergrass was within a centimeter of his lifetime best, and Lance Walker had a personal best," BYU men's coach Mark Robison said. "Matt Weirich and Bob Low qualified today and vaulted better than they have in a long time."

The women's won the 400-meter relay and nearly broke the school record, which sophomore Mindy Neeley attributed to feeling relaxed.

"Give it a couple weeks and we might be able to break the records," Poole said. "We will work on the handoff, and then we'll see if we need to change things up."

Away from Provo, several distance athletes and the cross country coaches were in Palo Alto, Calif., competing at Stanford University.

"All in all it was a good a good evening," BYU men's cross country coach Ed Eyestone said.

Senior Jason Dorais took fifth place and made a regional qualifying mark in the 800-meters, competing against runners from many of the top schools in the country.

"Dorais ran a very smart race," Eyestone said.

In the men's 1,500-meters junior Tyrel Jensen took 11th place, junior Dustin Bybee placed 16th and sophomore Kyle Perry was 20th. Jensen had a regional qualifying mark.

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, junior Chandler Goodwin represented BYU in ninth place for his section, earning a personal record and a regional qualifying mark. Junior Derek Taylor also had a good race in ninth for section two.

The women's team also had a good showing for BYU, hitting some great marks.

In the 800-meter run, junior Michelle Turner took third, and sophomore Heidi Magill was ninth for the top section. In the B section, freshman Jenna Lowder, sophomore Heidi Houle and freshman Angela Wagner took ninth, 11th and 12th, respectively.

Magill also took 16th place in the women's 1,500-meter run.

Sophomore Amy Fowler ran well, placing fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the first section. Junior Tawny Bybee was eighth in section two.

In the women's 10,000-meter run, sophomore Whitney McDonald took third place. McDonald is nationally ranked this year in the 5,000-meters indoors, running for the first time in two years.