Meet Notes

The University of Hawai'i women's track and field team heads to Ruston, La., site of the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships this week at the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex. The Rainbow Wahine will look to better their fifth place at the last year's outdoor championships.

 

The four-day meet begins on Wednesday with the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon. The Rainbow Wahine will have one athlete entered in the heptathlon - Samantha Balentine.

 

Preliminary heats and some finals are scheduled for Friday with the meet concluding on Saturday. The Rainbow Wahine will send a contingent of 20 athletes who will be competing in 19 events.

 

Last year, UH placed fifth at WAC Outdoor with 105.5 points and nine medallists. Amber Kaufman is the two-time defending champion in the high jump and is looking to join BYU's Melinda Boice and SMU's Kajsa Bergqvist as three-time winners.

 

What: WAC Outdoor Championships

When: Wednesday, May 12 through Saturday, May 15

Where: Ruston, La. – Jim Mize Track and Field Complex

 

UH Participants at WAC Championships: Ashley Aitken (800m), Thalia Amanakis (100mH, 400mH), Madara Apine (TJ), Samantha Balentine (Hep, HJ), Anika Borden (WT), Lauren Cutler (JT), Cecilia Durocher (400mH, PV, TJ), Brittany Feiteira (100m, 200m), Jessica Forrester (5000m, 10,000m), Karen Guravska (JT), Ashlee Jimenez (400m), Jamilee Jimenez (LJ), Amber Kaufman (HJ), TeRina Keenan (SP, Discus), Emma McCorquodale (WT), Careena Onosai (SP, Discus), Mallory Ramsey (PV), Sarah Saddleton (HJ), Tava Tedesco (5000m, 10,000m), Sam Whitehall (800m)

 

UH at the WAC Outdoor Championship: UH will be competing in its 10th WAC Outdoor Championship. UH's highest finish was fifth last season with a program-best 105.5 points. The Rainbow Wahine secured nine medals, including three golds by Annett Wichmann (heptathlon), Amber Kaufman (high jump), and Jessica Custance (pole vault). 

 

WAC Rankings: Three UH athletes top the WAC rankings in their respective events while a total of 17 rank in the top eight, the barometer for scoring team points at the WAC Championship. Thalia Amanakis has the top 400-meter hurdle mark this season and ranks seventh in the 100-hurdles. In the high jump, UH athletes rank first (Amber Kaufman), third (Samantha Balentine), and fourth (Sarah Saddleton). Samantha Balentine tops the heptathlon rankings. Madara Apine is second in the triple jump while Cecilia Durocher ranks sixth in the pole vault. In the 10,000-meters, Jessica Forrester ranks fifth and Tava Tedesco, sixth. TeRina Keenan ranks second in the discus and seventh in the shot put. Emma MacCorquodale is fourth in the hammer and Careena Onosai is sixth in the discus. In the javelin, Karen Guravska is fourth while Lauren Cutler is sixth.