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Sari-Bentzur, Myers Join Nation's Best At NCAA Outdoor Track Championships

First Lobos selected to National Championship field since 1998.

May 24, 2002

UPCOMING
University of New Mexico junior Keren Sari-Bentzur and freshman Kelli Myers travel to Baton Rouge, La. for the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Sari-Bentzur will compete in the heptathlon, where she is ranked 10th, on May 29-30. Meanwhile, Myers, ranked No. 11, takes on a talented high jump field at 5:30 p.m. (MST) on May 30. The duo are the first Lobos selected for the national championship field since Bobby Sadler (hammer) in 1998, and the first women since Sara Nicholsen (javelin) and Tangi Galloway (10,000m) competed at the 1997 NCAA Outdoor meet.

All track and field action will be held at Bernie Moore Track Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University. This is the fourth time the NCAA Outdoor Championships have been held in Baton Rouge, most recently in 1987. Head coaches Matt and Mark Henry, and assistant coach Katarina Zuber are no strangers to LSU. Zuber was an outstanding heptathlete and triple jumper for the Tigers from 1990-94, helping LSU capture two consecutive championship titles in 1990 and Oe91. While in Baton Rouge, she trained under another member of the Henry track family, LSU head coach Pat Henry, the older brother of Matt and Mark. Pat Henry has led Louisiana State to 22 indoor and outdoor NCAA titles since taking over the program in 1987.

Unfortunately, two of New Mexico1s 2002 NCAA provisional qualifiers were not selected to compete in Baton Rouge next week. Junior David Lloyd finished the year ranked 26th in the 400m hurdles, while sophomore Ben Ortega was ranked 28th in the 10,000 meters. The NCAA selected 19 athletes to compete in 400 hurdles and 20 athletes to run the 10,000.

MEET INFORMATION/RESULTS
Complete information and live results from the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are available at the official website of the Louisiana State University athletic department:

NCAA Outdoor Championships: http://www.lsusports.net

TRAVEL SCHEDULE Keren Sari-Bentzur, head coach Matt Henry, and assistant coach Katarina Zuber depart Albuquerque on Monday, May 27. Kelli Myers will depart for Louisiana the following day, Tuesday May 28, with associate head coach Mark Henry and assistant coach Scott Steffan. Contact media relations assistant Alfredo Moreno at (505) 925-5524 for further assistance with interviews and/or results.

FROM HEAD COACH MATT HENRY
(on Kelli Myers and Keren Sari-Bentzur): For a freshman (Kelli Myers) to get in, that1s a real pleasure for us. We knew she could go this high when we signed her, but she struggled a bit at the beginning, which is common for freshmen. If she jumps as well as she1s capable though, she could easily score some points next week. In Keren1s case, she1s more of an aged, experienced athlete. She1s worked hard, had some great performances for us over the last two years, and it1s great to see her make her first NCAA meet. We1re really looking forward to seeing what she can do.2

(on New Mexico1s representation at the NCAA Championships): 3We1re disappointed that we couldn1t get all four qualifying athletes into the championship field, but that1s how it is sometimes. It really is good to get New Mexico back to the NCAA meet though. I felt bad about not having any New Mexico kids at the national championships last year, but I hope this opens the door for us in the future. We hope to get a bigger group athletes in next season, and even more the year after. Eventually we want people to see 10 or 12 New Mexico athletes competing at the national championships again.2

NEW MEXICO AT THE NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Although Keren Sari-Bentzur and Kelli Myers are the UNM athletes to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships since 1998, New Mexico has a long and proud tradition of excellence at the national level. Since 1930, Lobo track and field athletes have earned All-American honors 45 times and have captured eight national titles at the outdoor national championships. Two years after hosting the 42nd NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at University Stadium in Albuquerque, the 1963 UNM men notched the Lobos1 best-ever NCAA track and field performance. Clarence Robinson swept the long and triple jump titles to lead the Lobo men into 5th place, just 1/2 a point out of fourth, and a mere seven points out of first place. The Lobo men also placed 5th in 1967.

THE LAST TIME:

€ UNM Women1s All-American: 1996 (Sara Nicholsen - Javelin/Tangi Galloway - 10,000m)

€ UNM Women1s National Champion: 1979 (AIAW) (Susan Vigil - 800m)

€ UNM Men1s All-American: 1991 (Simon Arkell - Pole Vault)

€ UNM Men1s National Champion: 1967 (Art Baxter - Triple Jump)

LAST TIME (Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships)
The University of New Mexico men1s team displayed outstanding depth on the track and in the field en route to a fourth place finish with a score of 125.50 points at the McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Lobo men were fourth for the second straight year, but improved on their 2001 score by 34.5 points to finish just 23 points behind third place Air Force. Head coach Matt Henry was rewarded for his team1s effort as he became the first UNM coach ever to be voted MWC Men1s Outdoor Track Coach of the Year.

With several athletes hampered by injuries, the UNM women1s team faded to seventh on the final day of the meet, finishing with a total of 57.50 points. Senior Monique Harris was the bright spot on Saturday as she capped her illustrious career with her third straight conference triple jump title. Brigham Young swept both the men1s and women1s competitions at the MWC Outdoor Championships for the third-straight year.

New Mexico1s men scored in nearly every event as they turned in their finest Mountain West Championship performance ever. Under the leadership of Henry and his staff, the team totalled 178.50 points this year at the conference indoor (53) and outdoor (125.5) meets. The men scored a combined 71 points at the 2000 MWC indoor (26) and outdoor (45) championships, one year before Henry1s arrival. Unfortunately, things did not go as well for the women, who slipped to their lowest finish since taking 14th at the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in 1998.

The Lobo men earned all-conference honors 10 times, including both the 4x100 (40.81) and 4x400-meter (3:12.08) relay teams, which clocked season-best times to each finish third. Junior Quincy Wright, who led off the 4x100 relay team, enjoyed a fine meet as he finished as the runner-up in the 100 meters with a career-best time of 10.53. Wright, redshirt freshman Chris Garafola (6th), and sophomore John David Nance (7th) combined for 13 points to lead a strong Lobo effort in the event. Later in the premier distance event of the day, the men1s 5,000 meters, sophomore Ben Ortega was unable to outkick rival Teren Jameson of Utah as he finished second with a (altitude adjusted) time of 14:37.36, 15 seconds behind the Ute senior. However, Ortega did pick up all-MWC track honors for the fourth time in his young career. Perhaps the best competition of the day took place in the 400-meter hurdles race, where the top-four finishers were separated by a total of .64 seconds. Wyoming junior Seth Billy captured his second-straight MWC title, besting UNM junior David Lloyd (50.76) by .48 seconds.

In the field, freshmen Hank Baskett III and Michael Powdrell both took home all-MWC honors, finishing second and third, respectively, in the high jump with marks of 6-10.25. Baskett cleared the height in fewer attempts to edge out Powdrell. Elsewhere, sophomore Guillermo Morrison was third in the discus with a throw of 160-feet even, followed by fellow sophomore Jason Barkermeyer in sixth. Sophomore Mark Johnson scored two more points in the triple jump (7th) to finish as the team1s high-point man with 12.

For the women, Harris led the squad in scoring with 16 points in the long and triple jumps. The Cerritos, Calif. native notched her fifth conference victory, the second-most individual conference titles in New Mexico women1s history, breaking her own MWC Championship record with a leap of 41-07.75 in the triple jump. Harris finished her career owning each of the top-five triple jump marks in MWC history and was also a nine-time all-conference honoree.

New Mexico began the outdoor championships in fine fashion as a pair of Lobos earned all-conference honors in the opening multi-event competitions at Falcon Track in Colorado Springs, Colo. Despite enduring two 30-minute weather delays, sophomore Mark Johnson recorded season-bests in each of the final five events on May 16 to take home the gold in the decathlon. Johnson became New Mexico1s first conference decathlon champion since Gary Kinder captured the Wester Athletic Conference title in 1985. On the women1s side, junior Keren Sari-Bentzur ran a courageous 800 meter race to move from fourth to third in final event of the day, earning all-MWC honors for the fourth time in her career. Meanwhile, freshman Amber Nolte finished eighth in her first heptathlon competition.

Sari-Bentzur and senior Monique Harris combined for 14 points to propel the women into fourth place with 27 total points after the first full day of competition on May 17. Meanwhile, the Lobo men put themselves in position for a strong finish, scoring 32 points on Friday and qualifying nine athletes for the next day1s track event finals. The men finished the day in fourth place as well, just 16 points behind second place Air Force.

New Mexico1s trio of javelin throwers combined for 14 points to spark the men1s team on Friday. Freshman Matt Keeran became the second Lobo in as many years to earn all-MWC honors in the event as he finished third with a season-best throw of 206-06.00. He was followed by sophomore Jimmy Minner, who notched a mark of 193-07.00 to move up a spot from his fifth place finish in 2001. Fellow sophomore Craig Keish, a 2001 all-MWC honoree, finished his injury-plagued season on a good note with a sixth place throw of 189-06.00. The UNM men also received an outstanding performance from its long jumpers as junior Shannon Kincaid (24-02.50) and freshman Michael Powdrell (23-11.75) each recorded personal-bests to finish fourth and fifth, respectively, in the event. Sophomore Guillermo Morrison enjoyed his best performance of the year in the shot put, finishing fifth with a throw of 51-10.50, just 5.25 inches out of third place.

In the women1s long jump, Sari-Bentzur showed no effects from her grueling heptathlon competition, finishing second in the event to earn all-MWC honors for the fifth time in her career and second time at the 2002 outdoor championships. The Omer, Israel native recorded a mark of 19-11.50, her second-best leap of the year, to finish 4.75 inches ahead of Harris, who was third. Meanwhile, the Lobos1 young shot put duo of freshman Amanda Barnes and sophomore Bobbi Hall each turned in career-bests to combine for six points in the event. Barnes unleashed a toss of 46-08.75 to take fifth, while Hall placed seventh with a throw of 45-07.75.

On the track, sophomore Matt Gonzales had the best finish of the day for the Lobos, taking fourth in the 10,000 meters with an altitude-adjusted time of 30:31.07. In preliminary events, the New Mexico men showed outstanding depth in the sprints and hurdles, qualifying for finals competition nine times in the 100, 200, 110m hurdles, and 400m hurdles. Junior Quincy Wright clocked the fastest time of the day (10.76) in the 100, while junior David Lloyd (51.08) and senior Justin Massey (52.13) were impressive in qualifying for the finals of the long hurdles.

2002 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD COMPETITORS

Keren Sari-Bentzur
Heptathlon 5-10 € Jr-1L
Omer, Israel (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

NEW MEXICO: Two-time Israeli national long jump champion who owns UNM indoor records in the pentathlon and long jump...makes her first NCAA Championship appearance (seeded 10th) on the strength of her first provisional qualifying score in the heptathlon...rolled her ankle severely in training following the MWC Outdoor Championships, but will compete in every heptathlon event in Baton Rouge...2002: Earned all-MWC honors for the fourth and fifth times in her two-year Lobo career by finishing 2nd in the long jump (19-11.50) and 3rd in the heptathlon (4,944 pts.) at the MWC Outdoor Championships...finished the year ranked 10th in Trackwire 3Dandy Dozen2 in the heptathlon with her score of 5,371 at the Mt. SAC Relays...score shattered previous personal-best by 243 points, was 129 points shy of the NCAA automatic mark, and just 48 points shy of the 12-year-old UNM record...owns the Lobos1 top marks and ranked among the Mountain West1s top-10 in the heptathlon (2nd - MWC), long jump (2nd - MWC), and 100m hurdles (8th - MWC)...2nd on the team and 8th in the league in the high jump...3rd on the team in the javelin...solidified her position as the best pentathlete in UNM history, bettering her school record with a score of 3,727 to finish third, earning all-conference honors for the third time, at the MWC Indoor Championships...2001: Was Trackwire.com1s preseason selection for Top International Newcomer in the long jump...owned UNM1s top marks in the long jump, high jump, javelin, heptathlon and pentathlon...also the Mountain West Conference1s fifth-ranked indoor triple jumper...fine outdoor season despite being hampered with a strained hamstring at the MWC Championships...finished third in the long jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational, matching her personal-best mark of 20-03.00, which was just 1.25 inches shy of a provisional NCAA qualifying mark...won the long jump at the Don Kirby Invitational and was second in the 100m hurdles...fourth in the long jump at the Willie Williams Classic and UT-Arlington Open...10th in the heptathlon at the Texas Relays with 5,128 points, just 47 off a provisional qualifying score...tremendous indoor season-debut, finished among the top three in seven of eight competitions...earned all-MWC honors in both the long jump and pentathlon...finished second in the pentathlon, bettering her own school record with a score of 3,694, and was the runner-up in the long jump as well...finished second in the long jump at the Flagstaff Invitational with record-setting leap of 19-11.00...opened the season by winning the long jump and taking second in the pentathlon with a school record 3,671 points at the Air Force Invitational...third in the 60m hurdles at the J.D. Martin Invitational...Academic All-MWC honoree.

HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM: Recorded 2000 season-bests of 20-03.00 in the long jump, 5-08.25 in the high jump and 5,025 points in the heptathlon at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Rehovot, Israel.

HIGH SCHOOL: Israeli high schools long jump champion at Eshel Hanassi high school under the tutelage of coach David Kushnir...personal-bests of 19-09.50 in the long jump, 5-06.00 in the high jump and 4,785 points in the heptathlon...graduated in 1995.

PERSONAL: Keren Sari-Bentzur was born on Dec. 5, 1977 in Beer-Sheva, Israel...daughter of Izak and Dina Sari...has two siblings, Rotem (22) and Reem (30)...married Rotem Bentzur on Aug. 16, 2001...major is Nutrition.

Kelli Myers
High Jump € 5-8 € Fr-HS
Lovington, N.M. (Lovington HS)

NEW MEXICO: One of the finest prep high jumper in New Mexico state history who has already established herself among the best competitors in UNM history...has steadily elevated her level of performance throughout the outdoor season after a bit of a slow start indoors...makes her NCAA Championship debut seeded 11th in the high jump...2002: Earned all-Mountain West Conference honors with her second place finish in the high jump with a mark of 5-08.75 at the MWC Outdoor Championships in Colorado Springs...cleared the same height as the winner, BYU freshman Lindsey Steele, but had more attempts...tied 12-year-old school record and recorded an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with her winning high jump leap of 5-10.75 at the UTEP Twilight meet...mark was the best in the MWC this season, second-best in the league1s 3-year history, and 2.25 inches above her previous season-best...finished the season tied for 11th in the nation in the event...has four victories, including three in the last four meets, in the high jump this spring, and has finished first or second in six competitions this season...only UNM woman to garner MWC Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors this season (May 7).

HIGH SCHOOL: New Mexico state record holder and three-time state high jump champion at Lovington (N.M.) High School...state record jump of 6-feet even in 1999 also equalled the best high school mark in the nation and was among the best marks of any American woman that year...also among the best long and triple jumpers in the state...a five-year letterwinner in track under head coach Don Rodie...helped lead the Wildcats to a pair of state titles in 2000 and 2001.

PERSONAL: Kelli Elizabeth Myers was born on Feb. 28, 1983 in San Angelo, Texas...daughter of Doug and Beth Myers...has a brother, Justin (21)...favorite athlete is Marion Jones...is most inspired by her parents...major is undecided.