Meet Notes

The University of Hawai'i women's track and field team will participate in the Occidental Invitational, Saturday, May 8, its final tune-up before next week's Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in Ruston, La.

 

The Rainbow Wahine, currently ranked No. 52 in this week's USTFCCCA National Rankings, will send a contingent of 22 athletes to the meet, which is hosted by Occidental College and held at D.W. Patterson Field and Bill Henry Track. The meet serves primarily as a qualifier for NCAA Championships.

 

Following the meet, UH will head to Ruston for the WAC Championships which begins Wednesday, May 12 and runs through Saturday, May 15.

 

UH Participants at Oxy Invite: Ashley Aitken (800m), Thalia Amanakis (100mH, 400mH), Madara Apine (TJ), Samantha Balentine (HJ, JT), Anika Borden (WT), Lauren Cutler (JT), Cecilia Durocher (PV, TJ), Brittany Feiteira (200m), Karen Guravska (JT), Ashlee Jimenez (200m, 400m), Jamilee Jimenez (LJ), Amber Kaufman (HJ), TeRina Keenan (SP, Discus), Rachel Keylon (3000mSC), Emma McCorquodale (WT), Mariana Monasi (1500m), Careena Onosai (SP, Discus), Lauren Opsal (400mH), Mallory Ramsey (PV), Sarah Saddleton (HJ), Tava Tedesco (1500m), Sam Whitehall (800m)

 

America's Best & No. 5 in the World: Amber Kaufman's season-best high jump mark of 6-3.75 (1.91m) set at the Stanford Invitational is the American- and collegiate-leading outdoor mark in the country. The mark is also the tied for the fifth-best in the world thus far in the 2010 season. Kaufman has cleared six feet in each completion so far this year, including the indoor season.

 

Nationally Ranked: The Rainbow Wahine are ranked No. 52 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Team Rankings (May 4), down five spots from a week ago. UH is the second highest WAC team behind Louisiana Tech (No. 47). Individually, Amber Kaufman is the top-ranked high jumper in the country with her mark of 6-3.25 at the Stanford Invitational. In the discus, TeRina Keenan is ranked No. 24 (169-7/51.69m) while newcomer Madara Apine is ranked No. 35 in the triple jump (41-5.75/12.64m).

 

Athlete of the Year Candidate: For the second time this season, high jumper Amber Kaufman was selected as one of 10 athletes to the official watch list for The Bowerman, a recently-debuted trophy which is awarded to the top male and female collegiate athlete in the sport of track and field. Kaufman was selected to the first official watch list then dropped to the “Also Receiving Mention” category for the next two updates. The three finalists will be named on June 15.