UVSC excels at track meets at UCLA and Logan

OREM — The successes enjoyed by Utah Valley State's track and field team last weekend were so big that they literally spanned hundreds of miles.

Friday at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational hosted by UCLA, Wolverine women Kirsten Barney and Bekah Poppinga surpassed previous meet records and set new personal bests in their respective events.

The very next day at Utah State's Mark Faldmo Invitational, UVSC athletes won five events in a five-school competition.

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Barney finished second in 10 minutes, 35.83 seconds — the 26th-best time in the nation this year and more than 13 seconds faster than the NCAA Regional-qualifying mark she posted last month at the Long Beach Invitational.

Running 10,000 meters, Poppinga parlayed the oxygen-rich sea-level air into a winning time of 36:24.6, which shaved over 30 seconds off her previous personal best.

"This was a great meet," UVSC associate head coach Kirke Adamson said. "The conditions at UCLA were perfect and the girls ran great."

Junior sprinter Mariama Salifu spearheaded the Utah Valley contingent in Logan. Competing against athletes from host Utah State, Idaho State, Utah and Weber State, Salifu won at 100 meters in 11.92 seconds and anchored the victorious women's 4x100 relay team that clocked a school-record 46.66 seconds.

On the men's side, Wolverine winners included Gavin Shaw (hammer throw), Zach Cook (long jump) and Chris Fogt (200 meters). In all, 42 UVSC athletes set personal bests on Saturday.

"It's great to see us continue to get better as we head into the final weeks of the season," Adamson said. "The team is really coming together down the stretch."

The week that was

BASEBALL: The Wolverines (14-23) dropped two of three at South Dakota State last weekend.

After losing by scores of 10-2 and 8-4 on Friday and Saturday, respectively, UVSC salvaged a series-ending 9-5 win Sunday in dramatic fashion. Utah Valley trailed 5-2 heading into the ninth inning, but the Jackrabbits walked three Wolverines to load the bases. Second baseman Keiki Albino tied the game with a two-RBI opposite-field double to right, and two batters later shortstop Eli Slesk singled to left to bring home Albino with what turned out to be the game-winning run.

Freshman pitcher Craig Brimhall (Provo High) picked up his first career win with two innings of scoreless relief.