For the second week in a row, the Pokes posted successful results at a Colorado meet, continuing their outdoor season at the Tom Benich Invite at the University of Northern Colorado.
Junior Paul Thomas wrapped up last weekend’s events with a first-place finish in discus with a season-best throw of 180-9. Thomas’ victory marked Wyoming’s eighth win at the invite.
“You can really say this meet was the same as last weekend,” said Wyoming’s head coach Bryan Berryhill. “There wasn’t really a whole lot of eye-popping performances, but more all-around solid marks. Our kids came out again and competed. I saw a lot of focus out there today and that was what we really wanted to see. Our group that competed today was better than a week ago and that is what we want at this point of the season.”
Although there may not have been many, senior Jenna Mann’s performance during Friday’s events qualifies as eye-popping. Mann displayed a career-best finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13:58. Her winning time ranks fourth in Wyoming’s history, 24th in the NCAA and is currently the Mountain West’s leading time for the event.
“It was neat to see Jenna compete well today because she had a great heptathlon going last week in California that was ruined by one event,” said Berryhill. “She came back today and had two monster events. She really handled that adversity well and we saw it today.”
Mann followed up her record-setting, 100-meter time with another career-best performance. Her 19-6 ¼ long jump finish holds the sixth place spot in Wyoming’s history, third in the Mountain West and 44th in the NCAA.
Mann’s wins accounted for two of the five Cowgirl victories.
Sophomore Kereston Thomas earned her third win this season with a time of 11.90 in the 100-meter dash. Thomas added .06 seconds onto her time from her first place finish in the event at the Fum McGraw Quadrangular.
Winning by just under two seconds, freshman Cassidy Meade finished first in the 800-meter dash with her personal-best time of 2:17.22.
Adding to the personal-best performances, junior Julia Popish took first-place in pole vault with her 10-10 finish.
Wyoming concluded the meet on Saturday after the discus and hammer events.
Along with Thomas’s first-place discus throw, freshman Damon Unland finished in sixth-place with his 149-7 throw.
For the second meet in a row, Sophomore Tyler Anderson led Wyoming in the hammer throw, finishing in fourth-place. His 55.46 mm throw fell 1.39 mm from his previous performance two weekends ago.
“We were a bit off technically, so we have some work to do to get things where we want them as the season progresses,” said Wyoming’s associate head coach Paul Barrett. “We are in a heaving training load as well, so at this point in the season the body doesn’t always feel like doing things the way we want. We will get back to work and try and correct some things before next week’s meet in Boulder.”
The Pokes head to three different meets this weekend to continue their outdoor season. Wyoming will compete in Salt Lake City on Friday. The Pokes will travel to Ogden, Utah and Boulder, Colo. on Saturday.
