Utah State hosts WAC track, field meet

LOGAN — Utah State University is hosting the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at the Ralph Maughan Track Stadium.

This is the first time in USU's four years in the WAC that the Aggies have hosted the conference meet. It also is the first time since 1996 that Utah State has hosted a conference track meet, and that year, USU swept the Big West men's and women's team titles.

Going into the meet, which began Wednesday and runs through Saturday night, USU has five men with WAC-best marks in their respective events, while the Aggie women hold four No.1 spots in the WAC standings. For the USU men, senior Nick Karren (400-meter hurdles), senior John Strang (decathlon), junior Steve Strickland (3,000-meter steeplechase), sophomore Clint Silcock (high jump) and sophomore James Allred (800 meters) hold top spots. The women's leaders include freshman Ruth Hilton (3,000 steeplechase), sophomore Sonia Grabowska (pole vault), junior Elaine Connolly (800) and junior Erin Stratton (1,500 meters).

Five men's and eight women's track and field teams will compete for the WAC championship. Boise State is the defending men's champion, while Louisiana Tech is the four-time defending women's champion.

Last year, Utah State's men were second while the USU women were fourth. The USU men were the 2007 WAC Outdoor Champions.

Today's events start at 1 p.m., with Friday's field events starting at 12:30 p.m. and running events beginning at 2 p.m. On Saturday, field events get under way at 12:30 p.m., with running events starting at 5 p.m. The final event of the championships will start at 7:25 p.m.

For ticket information, contact the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, or call 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305.