Josefin Berg is second in the conference in the weight throw.

Utes Head to TCU for MWC Track and Field Championships

May 12, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah track and field team heads to TCU this weekend for the Mountain West Conference Championships. Several athletes will be looking for individual titles and podium finishes.

Last Time Out
Chelsea Shapard set a regional qualifying mark in the 800-meter run, leading a contingent of Utes who had a solid day at the Utah Twilight, held on Thursday, May 8, at East High School. Shapard finished second in the event in 2:09.38.

The Utes came away with two event winners. Both women set personal bests and were close to regional qualifying times. Chelsey Kaplar's win the 400-meter hurdles was in 1:01.01. Haley McAllister's leap of 19'5.5" long jump was also first.

Nearly all of Utah's throwers competed, with Chasity Toilolo leading the charge with a second-place finish in the shot put (43'8.5"). Josefin Berg finished third in the hammer throw (184'9"). Sarah Grimm also had a top-five finish in the hammer, placing fifth in 165'10".

Chasing Chelsea
Chelsea Shapard, Chelsea DiGrazia and Chelsey Kaplar have all made their mark on the Ute track team this season.

Chelsea Shapard broke her own school record in the 400 meter hurdles at the Arkansas Twilight on May 2. Her time of 58.07 won the event. The previous record of 58.47 was set back May 12, 2007. Her time ranks ninth in the nation, including second in the MWC and second in the West region.

Shapard also holds a regional qualifying mark in the 800 meters, done at the Utah Twilight on May 8. Her time of 2:08.83 ranks fifth in the conference.

Shapard and Kaplar both run on the 4x400-meter relay team, which has the fourth-best time in the conference (3:46.59). Ashley Patterson, Kaplar, Whitney Wellington and Shapard make up the team.

DiGrazia earned an NCAA regional qualifying time at the Drake Relays, finishing third in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 4:26.39. Her time ranks third in the conference this season and is fourth on the all-time list at Utah.

Kaplar moved into the top-10 in the conference in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.12 at the Utah Twilight.

Inventing the Abbotts
Alyssa Abbott holds two regional qualifying marks for the Utes this season, in the 1,500 meters and 800 meters. She leads the conference with a time of 4:25.38 in the 1,500 meters, which was set at the Drake Relays. The mark is also second on the all-time list at Utah. Abbott is seventh in the conference in the 800-meter run. Her time of 2:09.68 was done at the Arkansas Twilight on May 2.

Batterin' Berg
Josefin Berg placed second in the hammer throw with a toss of 199'04'' at Utah State on April 19, the second-best mark on the all-time Utah list. Her distance is the second-best in the conference this season.

Stunning Shayla
Shayla Houlihan set the school record in the steeplechase with a time of 10:44.31 at the Stanford Invitational in the first week of competition. Her time was an NCAA regional qualifying standard and ranks sixth in the conference this season.

Pitter-Patterson
Ashley Patterson from set a new school record in the 200-meter dash at Utah State on April 19. Patterson won her heat in the process of setting the new record and finished with a time of 24.47. She also holds the eighth-best time in the conference this season in the 400 meters (55.83).

Additional News and Notes:
The Utes has five athletes who have seven regional qualifying marks, while three school records have been set this season ... The Utes have also set 15 new all-time top-10 marks during the outdoor season.

Coach Kepler's Two Cents:
"We have a lot of athletes performing well and starting to peak as we head to the conference championships. We just have to focus on what we can do and not worry too much about what the other teams are doing. If we are aggressive and give a championship level effort then the team and individual placings will work themselves out. We need everyone to step up in every event we enter. This is a chance to move forward as a team and as individuals. We have some athletes trying to win a conference title for the first time. We have others who are trying to score points and others who are just trying to make a final. Whatever the goal is, they have to believe in it and go make it happen - and they can.

"It looks like we are going to catch some good weather. The weather in that part of the country at this time of the year is always a bit questionable in terms of heat, humidity, and storms. The good thing is that we've competed in a variety of conditions this year, so we'll be ready for whatever we get. Fortunately, we have a great group of athletes who only worry about the things they can control. They realize that the weather is the same for everyone, so they have to stay focused on their event and perform as well as they can."