Outdoor Track & Field Headed Back to Sin City for UNLV Spring Opener
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah track & field team is heading back to Sin City this weekend as it hits the outdoor season in full swing with the UNLV Spring Opener on Saturday, March 6, at Myron Partridge Stadium.
Date: Saturday, March 6
Start Time: 11:30 a.m. (MT) / 10:30 a.m. (PT) local
Location: Myron Partridge Stadium
Host: UNLV
Participants: Dixie State, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, UNLV, Utah, Utah Valley
Live Results: http://taylortiming.com/live/
STARTING BLOCK
With the indoor season wrapped up, Utah turns its focus on the outdoor season and will send 17 student-athletes to Las Vegas to compete in 10 different events. The last time the Utes competed at Myron Partridge Stadium, Whitney Hessler claimed the 1500m title with a mark of 4:35:08 while Ruby Jane Mathewson won the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:02.16.
Emma Earl will be making her outdoor debut this season, after making her season debut a month ago at the Weber State Invitational during the indoor season where she finished in sixth with a PR time of 5:44.18 in the mile. In addition, Meghan Curtin and Kaya Heideman will also be making their official outdoor debut as a Ute.
Jackie Martin will get a nice test in the 200m when she races up against UNLV's Azaria Hill. Hill's time of 25.25 is eight best in the event early on in the outdoor season while Martin is right behind her with a time of 25.45.
UTAH ENTRANTS
100m
Kaya Heideman
Maya LeBar
Makenna McCloy
100m Hurdles
Ruby Jane Mathewson
200m
Kaya Heideman
Maya LeBar
Jackie Martin
Oneilla Fuller
Lauren O'Banion
Makenna McCloy
Annie Murdock
400m
Oneillia Fuller
Lauren O'Banion
Annie Murdock
Brooke Manson
400m Hurdles
Bailey Kealamakia
800m
Meghan Curtin
Emma Earl
Claire Rusovick
1500m
Jasie York
Whitney Hessler
Brooke Manson
Javelin
Regan Crofts
Long Jump
Delaney Gates
Triple Jump
Delaney Gates
LAST TIME OUT
The Utes had a great showing in its dual meet against San Diego State last week, setting new program record times, PRs and lifetime bests to go with event titles. Anna Busatto and Claire Rusovick crushed their previous PR times in the 1500m to start the day for Utah before Ruby Jane Mathewson broke into the top-10 at Utah with a time of 14.45 in the 100m hurdles. She then captured a top-3 finish in the 400m hurdles shortly thereafter, checking in at 1:02.35.
Lauren O'Banion set a new personal best in the 400m with a time of 56.06 before Maya LeBar ran an electric race in the 100m where it came down to a photo finish. Her time of 12.231 narrowly edged SDSU's Alexus Alexander and put her into Utah's top-10. Inspired by LeBar's race, the 800m crew of Whitney Hessler, Brooklyn James and Jasie York went out and swept the podium with a 1-2-3 finish – including a new PR for Hessler.
After a nearly taking the 1500m race, Busatto came out victorious in the 3k with a time of 10:11.32 while Sara Leonard came in right behind her for second and crushed her previous PR by over 20 seconds.
UP NEXT
The Utes will get a couple weeks rest now after the UNLV Spring Opener before heading to Los Angeles for the Trojan Invitational (March 19-20). In addition to competing at Cromwell Field & Loker Track Stadium for the Trojan Invitational, Utah will also get its first run at the host site of the 2021 Pac-12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
###