State will send 22 to nationals

Twenty-two athletes from four Utah universities will compete in 17 different events at the NCAA Track & Field Championships next week.

The University of Utah will send two athletes to the June 8-11 meet in Sacramento, Calif., while Utah State and Weber State will be represented by one athlete each.

The other 18 athletes — including two ranked the No. 1 seeds in their events — are from BYU.

The No. 1 seeds are junior Robison Pratt, a pole vaulter who tied with teammate Trent Powell (No. 5 seed) at 17-01 at the West Regional in Eugene, Ore., last weekend, and senior Rodrigo Mendes, who captured the triple jump in Eugene with a mark of 55-05.00.

Additional top-five seeds for the Cougars are senior Bryan Lindsay, who ran a 3:45.21 in the 1,500 meters, and senior Aneta Lemiesz, who set a West Regional meet record with a dominating 2:03.90 in the 800 meters.

Other notable BYU representatives include freshman Heidi Magill, seeded sixth in the 1,500 meters after winning that event in Eugene; junior Kamila Rywelska, who won the triple jump; and Rena Chesser, who captured the steeplechase championship.

Among Chesser's opponents at the NCAAs will be junior Tiffany Strickland of Utah State, seeded 16th; sophomore Lindsey Anderson of Weber State, seeded 18th; and junior Lisa Pratt of BYU, seeded 23rd.

Other BYU competitors are junior Josh McAdams, 3,000-meter steeplechase; sophomore Josh Rohatinsky, 10,000 meters; junior Ben Gardner and sophomore Jacob Garlick, 400-meter hurdles; sophomore Niklas Arrhenius, discus; junior Chelsea Smith, 10,000 meters; senior Lindsey Metcalf, high jump; and sophomore Amy Menlove, who will compete in both the long jump and heptathlon.

The other in-state athletes are Utah State senior Mike Nielson, 5,000 meters; Utah senior Delfino Arevalo, 10,000 meters; and Utah junior Vanessa Mortensen, hammer throw.