On a day when Falcons volunteer coach Jenny Simpson advanced to the finals of the women's 1,500-meter run, Pounds-Lyon posted an overall finish of 10th in the field of 24 with an effort of 170'-0.00" The mark allowed Pounds-Lyon, the 2007 USATF champion, to finish among the top 12 competitors and secure a spot in Sunday's finals. Kara Patterson (Asics) currently leads the competition with a distance of 198'-5.00."
Simpson was the runner-up in the semifinals in the 1,500-meter run, posting a time of 4:09.12 and finishing second in her heat to earn a spot in the finals. Morgan Uceny (adidas) had the top mark in the semifinals, clocking a time of 4:08.90.
Also advancing on Friday was former UNLV athlete Christine Spence, who ran the sixth-fastest time (55.72) in the semifinals of the women's 400-meter hurdles to grab a spot in Sunday's finals. Should Spence finish among the top three on Sunday, she would to join 2012 UNLV grad Amanda Bingson and Rebels assistant coach Khadevis Robinson in London. Bingson qualified earlier in the women's hammer throw, as did Robinson in the men's 800 meters.
TCU's Whitney Gipson, the MW Female Student-Athlete of the Year, advanced to Sunday's final in the women's long jump with an effort of 22'-5.00" Gipson, the reigning NCAA outdoor champion in the event, posted the fourth-best mark during Friday's competition.
Horned Frogs junior Charles Silmon will compete in today's semifinals of the men's 200 meters after placing fourth in his heat and 18th overall on Friday in a time of 20.68.
San Diego State sophomore Allison Reaser totaled a first-day personal-best 3,437 points and sits in 12th place among 20 entrants after Day 1 of heptathlon. Reaser's point total is her highest ever after the first day of competition, bettering the mark of 3,386 she earned en route to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships earlier this month. Hyleas Fountain (Nike) leads the competition with 3,948 points.
Reaser opened the day by establishing a personal-best in the 100-meter hurdles (13.55) before finishing 18th in the high jump (5'-4.25"). Reaser finished 12th in the shot put with an effort of 39'-5.00" and concluded the day by finishing fifth in the 200 meters in a time 24.12.
The final day of the heptathlon takes place today with competition in the long jump, javelin and 800 meters. Reaser needs to finish in the top three and reach the Olympic "A" standard of 6,150 points to advance to the London Olympics.
Meanwhile, Paige Blackburn, a 2012 Air Force graduate and Mountain West champion in the women's javelin throw, turned in an effort of 151'-9.00" on Friday to place 22nd in the event.
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its 10 member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
Mark Knudson is a Colorado State journalism school graduate and a 12-year veteran of professional baseball. During his playing career, Mark pitched for three major league teams, including the Colorado Rockies, where he was the first Colorado native to play for the hometown team. He recorded wins over three of the four legendary pitchers who make up the 4,000 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His win over Ryan came for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day in 1991.
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