Former Wyoming standout Kelsey Conci finished 11th in the semifinals of the 100-meter backstroke Tuesday at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.
Conci, an All-MW performer, finished in a time of 1:01.16, three places removed from reaching the final. She is the first UW swimmer to move past the preliminaries since Scott Usher made the U.S. Olympic Team in 2004.
"I could not be more proud of Kelsey," said Wyoming coach Tom Johnson in a release on WyomingAthletics.com. "She had a great swim and missed the finals by less than a half a second. She was a little slower coming off the wall in the beginning, but I think that it helped her really turn it on coming down the stretch. Down the stretch she really was coming strong and was just touched out."
Meanwhile, Boise State sophomore Heather Harper finished third in her heat and 111th overall in the 100-meter breaststroke. Harper posted a time of 1:12.96 to move up 35 spots from her seed of No. 146.
The race concluded Harper's schedule at the Olympic Trials. San Diego State senior Katelyn Weddle (1:11.19) finished 50th overall in the event, while former UNLV standout Marley Prothero placed 100th in a time of 1:12.74.
In the prelims of the 100-meter backstroke, UNLV juniors Katelyn Herrington (1:00.72) and Rachel Dixon (1:04.90) finished 41st and 124th, respectively, while senior Carmen Robb was 77th in the event with a time of 1:03.96.
The swimmers with the top 16 times during the preliminary heats will advance to the semifinals. From there, the top eight times in the semis move on to the finals with the first- and second-place finishers in the finals qualifying for the 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London July 22-August 12.
The following MW athletes will be competing in preliminary heats through Sunday, July 1. The meet concludes on Monday, July 2, with finals in the women's 50-meter freestyle and men's 1500-meter freestyle.
Today: San Diego State junior Mikaela Macklin will compete in the 200 individual medley, while Aztecs senior Meghan Zimmer will take part in the women's 200 freestyle.
Thursday, June 28: UNLV junior Brandon Meier will complete in the men's 200-meter breaststroke, as will Brandon Fischer, who recently completed his career at Wyoming and will be swimming in his second Olympic trials. Boise State's Rachel Henry will take part in the women's 200-meter butterfly.
Friday, June 29: Boise State's Amber Boucher and Stephanie North will compete in the women's 100-meter freestyle, while teammate Chelsea Miller will take part in the women's 200-meter breaststroke. Miller will be joined in the event by sophomore Kim Davis of Air Force, the first female swimmer in Academy history to compete in the Olympic Trials, UNLV's recently graduated Marley Prothero and San Diego State senior Katelyn Weddle. Wyoming's Brandon Fischer will swim in the men's 200 individual medley on Friday, as will Cowboys sophomore Jordan Turner. Wyoming junior Jaycee Calhoun will compete in the men's 200 backstroke.
Saturday, June 30: Senior Cody Roberts, the UNLV and MW record holder in the event, will compete in the men's 100-meter fly, while San Diego State senior Leona Jennings and UNLV senior Dannica Brennan will swim in the prelims of the women's 200-meter backstroke.
Sunday, July 1: Boise State's Amber Boucher and Stephanie North will be joined in the prelims of the women's 50-meter freestyle by SDSU senior Leona Jennings, UNLV junior Rachel Dixon and former Wyoming standout Kelsey Conci.
Boise State graduate Amber Boucher, the 2012 Mountain West Swimmer of the Year, and UNLV junior Katelyne Herrington competed against each other one more time on opening day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb. Herrington swam a 1:00.72 to finish tied for 41st overall, while Boucher posted a time of 1:01.87 to finish second in her heat and 85th overall in the 100-meter butterfly on Monday.
Boucher will race again later in the week in the 100-meter freestyle and 50-meter freestyle. Herrington swims again today in the 100-meter backstroke.
Eight more MW swimmers will be in action today, including Boise State sophomore Heather Harper, former UNLV standout Marley Prothero, Wyoming junior Morgan Hartigan and San Diego State seniors Katelyn Weddle and Leona Jennings in the prelims of the 100-meter breaststroke; and former Wyoming standout Kelsey Conci, UNLV junior Rachel Dixon and Rebels senior Carmen Robb in the prelims of the 100-meter backstroke.
The swimmers with the top 16 times during the preliminary heats will advance to the semifinals. From there, the top eight times in the semis move on to the finals with the first- and second-place finishers in the finals qualifying for the 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London, July 22-August 12.
The following MW athletes will be competing in preliminary heats through Sunday, July 1. The meet concludes on Monday, July 2, with finals in the women's 50-meter freestyle and men's 1500-meter freestyle.
Wednesday, June 27: San Diego State junior Mikaela Macklin will compete in the 200 individual medley, while Aztecs senior Meghan Zimmer will take part in the women's 200 freestyle.
Thursday, June 28: UNLV junior Brandon Meier will compete in the men's 200-meter breaststroke, as will Brandon Fischer, who recently completed his career at Wyoming and will be swimming in his second Olympic trials. Boise State's Rachel Henry will take part in the women's 200-meter butterfly.
Friday, June 29: Boise State's Amber Boucher and Stephanie North will compete in the women's 100-meter freestyle, while teammate Chelsea Miller will take part in the women's 200-meter breaststroke. Miller will be joined in the event by sophomore Kim Davis of Air Force, the first female swimmer in Academy history to compete in the Olympic Trials, UNLV's recently graduated Marley Prothero and San Diego State senior Katelyn Weddle. Wyoming's Brandon Fischer will swim in the men's 200 individual medley on Friday, as will Cowboys sophomore Jordan Turner. Wyoming junior Jaycee Calhoun will compete in the men's 200 backstroke.
Saturday, June 30: Senior Cody Roberts, the UNLV and MW record holder in the event, will compete in the men's 100-meter fly, while San Diego State senior Leona Jennings and UNLV senior Dannica Brennan will swim in the prelims of the women's 200-meter backstroke.
Sunday, July 1: Boise State's Amber Boucher and Stephanie North will be joined in the prelims of the women's 50-meter freestyle by SDSU senior Leona Jennings, UNLV junior Rachel Dixon, and former Wyoming standout Kelsey Conci.
Khadevis Robinson is back in the running --- on the biggest stage of all.
Robinson, an assistant coach with UNLV's track and field team, nailed down a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Monday night with a second-place finish in the men's 800-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
A former TCU standout who also competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Robinson (Nike) posted a time of 1:44.64 to become the second Rebel in four days to earn a trip to London after 2012 graduate Amanda Bingson finished second in the women's hammer throw last Thursday.
"We are so proud of Coach KD and his accomplishments," said UNLV track and field coach Yvonne Wade. "He has trained very hard for this while coaching our Rebels, and it just proves that if you set your mind to something it can be done. Two of our Rebel family members are representing us in London. We all should be very proud."
Robinson will be joined in London by Nick Symmonds (Nike/Oregon TC Elite), who won the event in a time of 1:43.92, and Duane Solomon (Saucony), who recorded a third-place time of 1:44.65.
Meanwhile, three athletes with ties to the Air Force track and field team concluded competition in the trials on Monday.
Former Falcons All-American and 2011 graduate Justin Tyner placed 22nd in the qualifying round of the 3,000-meter Steeplechase, posting a time of 8:53.92. Daniel Huling (Reebok), who competed in Tyner's heat, ran 8:29.00 to record the fastest time in the qualifying round.
In the qualifying round of the men's pole vault, Air Force senior Cale Simmons and 2010 graduate Nick Frawley both came up short at the opening height of 17'-4.50". In rainy conditions, Mark Hollis (Nike) led the group of 11 qualifiers, clearing 17'-8.50" on his first attempt.
Competition at the trials resumes Thursday with TCU's Whitney Gipson, the MW Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, taking part in the women's long jump, and Air Force volunteer coach Jenny Simpson competing in the women's 1,500 meters. Gipson is the reigning NCAA champion in the long jump, while Simpson, the reigning world champion in the 1,500 meters, also competed in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Also on Thursday, New Mexico's Floyd Ross will compete in the men's triple jump after finishing second in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, and former UNLV athlete Christine Spence will take part in the women's 400-meter hurdles.
On Friday, Air Force's Paige Blackburn and Falcons' 2006 graduate Dana Pounds-Lyon will take part in the women's javelin, while San Diego State's Allison Reaser will begin the first of two days of competition in the heptathlon. Reaser took sixth in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a MW-record 5,753 points. She would need to finish in the top three and reach the Olympic "A" standard of 6,150 points to advance to London.
TCU junior Charles Silmon, the MW record holder in the men's 100 meters, came up short Sunday in his bid to earn a spot in the 2012 London Olympics.
Silmon, competing in the semifinals of the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., finished fifth in his heat and 12th overall with a time of 10.26 seconds.
Meanwhile, former TCU standout and current UNLV assistant coach Khadevis Robinson will make a bid for his second Olympic appearance when he competes today in the finals of the men's 800 meters. Robinson, who also represented the U.S. in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, posted the fastest time of the day (1:45.83) in the semifinals of the event on Saturday.
Other athletes with MW ties competing today include Air Force's Cale Simmons and Nick Frawley, a 2010 graduate of the Academy, in the prelims of the men's pole vault; and former Air Force All-American and 2011 graduate Justin Tyner in the prelims of the men's 3,000-meter Steeplechase.
Following today's action, competition at the trials will resume on Thursday with TCU's Whitney Gipson, the MW Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year, taking part in the women's long jump, and Air Force volunteer coach Jenny Simpson competing in the women's 1,500 meters. Gipson is the reigning NCAA outdoor champion in the long jump, while Simpson, the reigning world champion in the 1,500 meters, also competed in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Also on Thursday, New Mexico's Floyd Ross will compete in the men's triple jump after finishing second in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month.
On Friday, Air Force's Paige Blackburn and Falcons' 2006 graduate Dana Pounds-Lyon will take part in the women's javelin, while San Diego State's Allison Reaser will begin the first of two days of competition in the heptathlon. Reaser took sixth in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a MW-record 5,753 points. Reaser would need to finish in the top three and reach the Olympic "A" standard of 6,150 points to advance to London.
TCU junior Charles Silmon, the MW record-holder in the men's 100 meters, finished 10th overall in Saturday's prelims to advance to today's semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Silmon, a first-team All-American who set the MW record (10.04) during competition at last month's NCAA West Region Prelims in Austin, Texas, posted a time of 10.17 on Saturday. The top performance of the day was turned in by Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist who finished in a time of 9.90.
Meanwhile, former TCU standout and current UNLV assistant coach Khadevis Robinson posted the fastest time of the day in the semifinals of the men's 800 meters with a mark of 1:45.83. Robinson was the only runner to post a sub-1:46.0 in the event's two heats.
Robinson will make his second Olympic appearance with a top-three finish in Monday's final. He also represented the U.S. in the 2004 Games in Athens.
In women's action, former UNLV sprinter Lekeisha Lawson came up short in her attempt to qualify in the women's 100 meters, finishing 18th in a time of 11.54.
UNLV track and field assistant coach Khadevis Robinson and former Rebel Lekeisha Lawson (2005-09) advanced to the semifinals in their respective events Friday at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
One day after former UNLV standout Amanda Bingson earned a spot in the 2012 London Olympics with a second-place finish in the women's hammer throw, Robinson finished first in his heat of the 800 meters, posting a time of 1:47.30. He will be seeded eighth overall in Saturday's semifinals. Lawson currently has the 13th-best time in the women's 100 meters after finishing second in her heat in a time of 11.34.
Meanwhile, San Diego State senior Whitney Ashley, the 2012 NCAA champion in the women's discus, finished 22nd in the field of 24 on Friday with an effort of 153'-3.00" (46.73 meters). Ashley needed to finish in the top 12 to advance to Sunday's final.
Former SDSU standout Melinda Smedley also came up short, finishing sixth in her preliminary heat of the 100-meter dash and 25th overall with a time of 11.55. Smedley needed to finish among the top three in her heat or be one of the next six-fastest runners to move onto Saturday's semifinal.
New Mexico long jumper Kendall Spencer, the reigning NCAA indoor champion, saw his Olympic bid come to a close when he finished 17th in the event with a mark of 24-9.25.
The top three finishers in each event qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team. The trials run through July 1.
Former UNLV women's track and field standout Amanda Bingson will represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games in London after finishing second in the hammer throw Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Beaverton, Ore.
Bingson, the Mountain West record holder in the event who broke the UNLV record eight times, finished with a mark of 235'-6.00" The day's top mark belonged to Amber Campbell, who also competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Campbell's throw was also measured at 235'-6.00," but at 71.80 meters, it was just enough to top Bingson's effort of 71.78 meters.
The third and final spot went to Jessica Crosby (232'-2.00"), who also competed in Beijing in 2008.
But if the performances turned in by the two former Olympians --- Campbell and Crosby --- were hardly surprising, such was not the case where Bingson was concerned. After finishing third at the recently concluded NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Bingson, a two-time first-team All-American, had yet to earn the "A" standard required to make the Olympic team.
That changed Thursday when Bingson unleashed a throw that was more than two feet farther than her record-breaking effort of 233'-1.00" (71.04 meters) at last month's NCAA West Regional Men's and Women's Championship Prelims in Austin, Texas.
"Coming up here (Oregon) all I wanted to do was get to the finals and do well," said Bingson. "I didn't know I was going to do this well though. As soon as I threw that 71.22 I knew that the "A" standard was in me. I just relaxed, went for it and got it. I was in such disbelief at first, but this has been my best series all year. I'm ready to represent the USA at the Olympics and just live this up to the fullest!"
The hammer competition was Thursday's lone event at the trials, which run through July 1.
Here's my opinion of the quarterbacks I believe rank as the top six in the MW heading into the 2012 season. Care to weigh in? Think I'm off the mark? Hit me with your best shot and cast your vote below. It's an election year, remember? You can also leave a comment on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.
1. Brett Smith, So., Wyoming
Smith turned in a spectacular freshman season, completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,622 yards with 20 touchdowns. He was also the Cowboys' leading rusher with 710 yards and 10 touchdowns, finishing with 3,332 yards of total offense. The 2011 MW Freshman of the Year ranked second in MW and 33rd nationally in total offense (256.3 yards per game), he was No. 4 in the MW and 36th in the NCAA in passing yards (201.7 yards per game). He set a new MW freshman single-season record for total offense and had a hand in 30 of the team's 46 touchdowns.
2. Derek Carr, Jr., Fresno State
Carr led the WAC in passing yards (3,544) last season, a total that ranks as the third-most in Fresno State history and the most ever by a Bulldog sophomore. His passing yardage led the WAC and ranked 15th nationally, while his 279 completions and 446 attempts were the second-most in the history of the program. Carr threw 26 touchdown passes against nine interceptions while completing 62.6 percent of his passes.
3. Cody Fajardo, So., Nevada
Fajardo earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2011, finishing with 2,401 total yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games. Fajardo became the starting quarterback for the Wolf Pack in October and threw for 1,707 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 694 yards and 11 more scores. He ranked third in the WAC in passing efficiency with a 138.2 rating and was sixth in the WAC in rushing with 69.4 yards per game.
4. Ryan Katz, Sr., San Diego State
The void left by four-year starter Ryan Lindley is expected to be filled by Katz, a transfer from Oregon State who started every game for the Beavers in 2010, completing 60 percent of his passes for 2,401 yards and 18 touchdowns. Katz played in 18 games for Oregon State from 2008-11, starting 14 games and throwing for 2,722 yards and 19 touchdowns. Katz is eligible to play immediately at SDSU after graduating from Oregon State this spring. He will take graduate courses at SDSU this fall.
5. Joe Southwick, Jr., Boise State
The Kellen Moore era may be over, but there's no evidence of panic in the streets in Boise. The benefit of the Broncos' ability to build large leads in recent seasons has allowed Southwick to play in 16 games the past two years. He's made the most of it, completing 64.8 percent of his passes (35-of-54) for 400 yards with just one interception. In the Broncos' spring game, Southwick finished 14-of-19 for 145 yards and one touchdown. None of the other three quarterbacks bidding to supplant Moore threw more than eight passes.
6. Connor Dietz, Sr., Air Force
While perhaps not possessing the passing skills of former starter Tim Jefferson, Dietz is more than capable of directing the Falcons' complex option attack, having played in 21 career games with three starts. Dietz has completed 30-of-62 passes (53.3 percent) for 392 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. A fifth-year senior, Dietz compiled a passing efficiency rating of 198.97 as a junior.
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.
Have a question for Mick? E-mail him at mick@TheMWC.com or check him out on Twitter @MWCMick.
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.
Since his retirement, Mark has been a feature writer and columnist for Mile High Sports, a radio talk show host and TV analyst for numerous sports media outlets. For the past six years, he was a columnist and baseball analyst for The Mtn., along with being one of Colorado's six Heisman Trophy voters.
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.
