COMING UP: Season Complete
LAST WEEK: at NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (Men 39th-place, Women 10th-place)
NATIONAL CHAMPION: Sophomore Hillary Holt (Boise, Idaho / Mountain View HS) became the first-ever individual national champion in The C of I track and field program history – winning the 1,500-meter crown at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship in Marion, Ind. Holt used a perfect tactical race, making her move with just over 300-meters to go, moving past Maria Bernard of British Columbia and Ellie Staker of Embry-Riddle, winning the race going away with a school-record time of 4:30.10. It was the best outdoor performance by a Lady Yote outdoors – as Holt and Maggie Miller had both previously placed fifth (Holt fifth in the 800 in 2011 and Miller fifth in the 1,500 in 2010).
HOLT EARNS ALL-AMERICA HONORS IN 800: Holt had double-duty on Saturday, also racing in the 800-meter final just 90 minutes following the 1,500 race, placing a close fourth-place, earning her second All-America honor of the weekend. Her time of 2:11.63 was the third-fastest time in program history, earning 15 team points for the Lady Yotes.
KLOPFENSTEIN TAKES SILVER IN STEEPLE: Also earning All-America honors for the Lady Yotes was sophomore Sora Klopfenstein (Meridian, Idaho / Meridian HS), who finished second overall in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Klopfenstein, who finished as the runner-up in the event at the Cascade Conference Championships to Concordia's Lauren Moran, finished second to the same CU runner in Indiana – clocking a time of 11:16.32.
LADY YOTES CRACK TOP-10: The three scorers for the Yotes helped the women's team to their best finish in program history, finishing tenth overall with 23 points. They were one of six CCC teams to score at the national meet, as Concordia placed second overall, with Eastern Oregon in 26th, Northwest Christian in 35th, Southern Oregon in 43rd, and Oregon Tech in 54th.
MONTGOMERY LOGS BEST FINISH BY A COYOTE: Leading the Coyote men was distance standout, Greg Montgomery (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), who recorded the best outdoor finish ever by a Coyote, placing third in the 5,000-meters. The junior was one of four runners to crack the 15-minute mark in temperatures over 100-degrees, recording a time of 14:55.75 – behind a pair of Wayland Baptist runners. Montgomery becomes the first C of I men's runner to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.
GREAT ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCES: Also having good efforts at Nationals were multiple Yotes – led by Mike Hurd (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS), who advanced to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles. The sophomore set a school-record in the semifinals (52.89), finishing ninth overall in the finals. The women's 4x800-meter relay set a school record in the preliminary round (9:13.06), before finishing ninth in the finals, while freshman Audrey Youren (Gooding, Idaho / Gooding HS) took 12th in the high jump (5-4 1/4).
INJURY ENDS BASTERRECHEA'S MEET: A downer for the Yotes came on the first day of the meet, as multi-event standout Austin Basterrechea (Gooding, Idaho / Gooding HS) was injured during his first attempt in the long jump – forcing him to withdraw. The sophomore, who was seeded No. 5 in the decathlon, had the fourth-best time in the 100-meters before the injury.
LOOKING BACK: It was an outstanding overall outdoor season for the Yotes, as the Coyote men established a total of 10 records, with the Lady Yotes registering 12 new marks. The Lady Yotes recorded their best performance ever at the CCC Championships, placing second, while the Coyote men logged a third-place finish. Both teams made strides in the sprints and the field events this season – as three relay teams qualified for nationals, as did the first field event performers in program history.
SCHOOL RECORDS SET: A total of 22 school records fell during the 2012 outdoor track & field season. Mike Hurd broke a trio of men's records – including both the 110 (15.15) and 400-hurdles (52.89), along with the pole vault (13-5 1/4), while Austin Basterrechea set new records in both the long jump (23-2 1/2) and the decathlon (6,567). Andre Archer (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) broke his own school record in the triple jump (47-6 1/2), as did Nick Hampton (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) in the 800-meters (1:52.34). All three men's relays also set new records – the 4x100 (42.80), the 4x400 (3:19.27), and the 4x800 (7:45.04). Diamond Mitchell (San Diego, Calif. / Eastlake HS) broke both sprint records, setting new standards in the 100-meters (12.41) and the 200-meters (25.19), while Hillary Holt set a new 1,500-meter record (4:30.10). Jasmine Sibert (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) broke her own record in the 100-hurdles (15.16), Jessica Aguilar (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) set a new mark in the shot put (37-10 3/4), with Melinda Fuimaono (Chula Vista, Calif. / Southwestern CC) breaking the marks in both the javelin (112-3) and the discus (114-8). Sora Klopfenstein set a new record in the 3,000-steeplechase (11:07.65), Audrey Youren broke the mark in the high jump (5-5), Lexis Lange (Ephrata, Wash. / Ephrata HS) set a new mark in the pole vault (9-6 1/4), as did the 4x100 (47.92) and the 4x800 (9:13.06) relays.
ABOUT THE COACH: Pat McCurry concluded his eighth year at the helm of the track & field and cross country programs at The C of I. In eight years (after the Coyote running programs were dormant for nearly 30 years), McCurry has built the Coyote men and women into perennial NAIA Top-25 programs - with the men's cross country team earning six berths to the NAIA Championships, with the Lady Yotes advancing to four-straight NAIA meets, winning the 2008, 2009, and 2011 CCC titles, with his 2011 squad placing seventh at Nationals. For his efforts, McCurry was named 2008, 2009, and 2011 CCC women's cross country Coach of the Year, along with 2012 women's track Coach of the Year. Student-athletes have claimed 18 individual CCC titles on the track, 11 NAIA All-American awards in cross country and track & field, seven All-NAIA Region I awards in cross country, 38 All-CCC awards in cross country - along with 67 NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete awards. Prior to his arrival at The C of I, McCurry was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Eastern Oregon University, helping EOU to a national runner-up finish at the 2002 NAIA Men's Cross Country Championships and the 2003 CCC title in men's track & field. As an athlete at EOU from 1997-1999, McCurry claimed two consecutive CCC titles at 5000-meters and finished eighth at the NAIA Championships at 10,000-meters. His best athletic years came after college while running for Nike Portland, and later the Eastside Track Club - where at the 2003 University of Oregon Preview Meet, the Coyote skipper took home the title in the 3000-meters and has a personal best of 8:13 at that distance. He also holds the Willamette Invitational meet record and Charles Bowles track record at 10,000-meters from his 2004 performance there. McCurry has also claimed the title at many Treasure Valley area races, including the infamous Race to Robie Creek in 2005, 2009, and 2010, along with the City of Trees marathon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I track and field program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/trackandfield.
