SPOKANE, Wash. — BYU track and field continued its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation dominance at The Podium on Saturday, collecting 10 more individual titles on its way to an MPSF team championship for both the men's and women's teams.
Men's Recap
BYU men’s track and field secured its third consecutive MPSF Indoor Championship with a final point total of 190 as the conference meet closed on Saturday. The Cougars claimed the conference crown by a 50-point margin over runner-up Long Beach State which totaled 140.
Dallin Draper captured his second MPSF title in as many days with a time of 6.86 to finish first in the men’s 60m final. Draper fought-off Cal State Fullerton’s Rasaun House down the stretch, crossing the finish line 0.03 seconds ahead of the Titans’ sprinter.
Easton Bianchi joined Draper on the podium with a third-place finish at 6.94.
Dallin Vorkink maintained his spot atop the heptathlon leaderboard throughout the day and took home the title with a final score of 5269. AJ Beynon took second place with a personal-best score of 5129.
Joey Nokes won the 3000m race and MPSF championship with a time of 8:10.38. Nokes pulled away from Portland’s Matt Strangio to win by over five seconds.
The Cougars ended Saturday much as they did on Friday with a men’s relay championship. Cortez Ruiz, Colten Yardley, Spencer Carlile and Jace Jensen combined for a 4x400 time of 3:12.35, with Jensen clocking the fastest lap at 47.15 to finish.
Women's Recap
Adaobi Tabugbo kicked off the day for the Cougars, winning both the 60 meter hurdles and the 60m in a manner of minutes.
Tabugbo’s 8.51 was good for first place in the 60 meter hurdles, and her 7.71 earned her a first-place finish in the 60 meter. My’Jah Mintze (second, 7.74) and Taye Raymond (fourth, 7.82) placed three BYU athletes in the top-5 of the 60 meter final.
Jessica Thompson finished first in the shot put with a throw of 15.04m/49-4.25, earning the Cougars a third individual MPSF title in as many events on Saturday.
Annalise Hart set a new personal best in the 400m, clocking a 55.0 in the event, a time good for No. 7 all-time at BYU.
In the 800m, Meghan Hunter finished first with a new personal best time of 2:04.08 for another individual championship, also putting her at No. 6 on BYU’s all-time top-10 board.
The 4x400 squad of Brinn Jensen, Annalise Hart, Halley Folsom Walker and Brilee Pontius concluded the afternoon, clocking a 3:44.63 to take first in the event and record the Cougars’ fifth individual title.
As a team, BYU totaled 218 points, over 100 more than the second place-finisher, Long Beach State, to close out its first women’s MPSF Championship in school history.
Up Next...
The Cougars will return home to host their final home meet of the indoor season, the BYU Cougar Indoor Invitational II, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26, before taking a week off prior to the NCAA Indoor National Championships.