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Show Track and field ready for finals Jose Carvajal ASST. SPORTS EDITOrthE 5IGNP0ST Men's track and field After winning the indoor championship last year, the men's track and field team will be heading into this weekend's Big Sky Championship meet at Flagstaff, Ariz., as one of the top three teams in the conference. As the indoor season began, head coach Chick Hislop had the Wildcats pegged to win the conference.Six meets later, the best WSU can hope for is a second-place finish.Going into the conference meet. Northern Arizona University is looking to win it. The Lumberjacks hold such a large lead in the point total that it would take them not showing up for them not to win it. "NAU is quite ahead of anybody else," said Hislop. "It would take us having an outstanding meet and them having a below average meet just to make it pretty close." But the Wildcats will continue to battle, hoping to edge out Idaho State for second place. The only defending cha mpion returning from last year's squad is high jumper Charles Clinger. Last year, Clinger won the event with a jump of 7-2 34. In his only time jumping this season, Clinger cleared 7-4 easily, but couldn't get over 7-7. The junior from Freedom, Wyo.. already met the NCAA Provisional Qualifying Standard and will compete in the NCAA championships March 10 and 1 1 in Fayetteville, Ark. Also meeting the NCAA Qualifying Standard this season for the Wildcats was Jason Schoenfeld. Schoenfeld qualified in the 5,000-meter run (8: 12.33), and is also the favorite in the 3,000-meter run. "He's one of our top performers," said Hislop of the senior from Roy. Great performances are also-expected from Joel Atwater, who has the 1 1th best time in the nation for the mile, and Wes Davis. Atwater, a freshman from Taylor, is also one of those members of the team that has met the NCAA Qualifying mark and will move on to Arkansas. Davis, a senior from Evanston, Wyo., owns the school record in the 55-meter hurdles. "Wes is one of the best in the conference," Hislop said. Chason Memmott is also expected to perform well for the Wildcats in the 55-meter and 200-meter dashes. As for the altitude, Hislop doesn't see it as a problem. "Everyone has to run in those conditions," he said. Women's track and field After finishing third in last years indoor championship behind Northridge and Northern Arizona, Pregnancy, baby don't hinder lifetime goals Kim Cazier SPORTS WRITERTHE SIGNPOST 1 tsM m I 4 fit 4 2 H Charles Clinger, shown here at the Wildcat Invitational, will lead the way for the Wildcats at the Big Sky indoor Championship meet. o the Lady 'Cats are looking to compete. Again, the Lumberjacks are favored to win the meet, with the Wildcats battling with Idaho State and Montana State for the other top spots. This meet will mark the first time the Lady 'Cats have had someone competing in every event: ."We had 24 athletes qualify during the year, and you can only take 25 to the meet," said WSU women's head coach Jim Blaisdell. WSU is also fielding a fairly young team. "We have a young team," said Blaisdell. "For 25 percent of our team, which represents six athletes, this will be their first ever Big Sky indoor meet." Although the Wildcats are a young team, they will be looking to their veterans for leadership. Junior Brooke Cottle tied WSU's record in the high jump at 6-0 two weeks ago. With the jump, Cottle reached the NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark. It was the best jump in the Big Sky this year, and ranks second in Big Sky history. Senior Kelly Hansen recorded the best in the mile this year (4:50.49), and senior Kristy Tolman will look to take first in the 800-meter run. On the younger end of the roster, long jumper Terri Eyre improved over the season, and had a season-best jump at the Wildcat Invitational two weeks ago. Freshman Erin Smith had a solid performance two weeks ago, as did Terri Eyre, who set a personal record in the longjump. Another Wildcat performing well was Emily Bremser, who improved two feet in the triple jump over the span of two weeks. WSU also holds the best time this season in the distance medley relay (12:01.59). The distance medley relay team were the only members of last year's squad to take first place at the Big Sky meet last year. Overall, Blaisdell feels that his team will compete. f' "We're usually right there," he said. "Weber State has had the reputation of performing well at the conference meet." Who said that you can't have it all? Well, whoever did never told Brooke Marcheschi Cottle. At 21, Cottle has triumphed over what some may consider a major setback to achieve her lifetime goal in the highjump. Cottle started high jumping while at Ogden High School. Her main focus was basketball, she decided to try the highjump her freshman year. "I did it for fun and games until I was a junior," she said. After that, it was clear that she had the talent. As a senior, everything seemed to be going her way as she received many letters of opportunity from universities to continue her athletic success.' However, Cottle then learned that she was going to be a mother. What some would consider a major setback only made Cottle more focused. "I started recruiting Brooke from Ogden High and was fortunate enough for her to come to Weber," said field events coach Dan Walker. "I explained to her that as a coach I had already been through this dealing with the baby and post-partem). I told her that I knew what to expect and how to get her back in shape and where she needs to be." Walker said the baby slowed her progress, but she kept her focus. "Her success is a whole team effort because of all the family and coaches involved," Walker said. Cottle couldn't agree more. She attributes much of her success to the support of her husband Brady, daughter Avery and the rest of her family. "My baby is my life," she said. "My husband is the most supportive person on earth, and both of our families are very supportive." This health administration major is focused on all aspects of her life. Between school she currently boasts a 3.7 GPA and track workouts a couple of hours a day, she is determined to be successful. Last weekend, Cottle achieved one of her lifetime goals to jump 6 feet and break the university record. So what's next? 'To do it again and keep going up," she said. 'The 6-foot jump opened all kinds of doors for her," Walker said. "She is 1 2-inch off from qualifying for the Olympic trials, which is the beBt track meet in the world." Although there is no doubt that qualifying for the Olympics would be an outstanding achievement, Cottle has her focus set on the NCAA tournament in March, in Fayetville, Ark. "I need to go in there with confidence," she said. 'There are going to be athletes on their way to the Olympics, so I hope I can compete." 1 Becoming an All-American is also a goal Cottle hopes to achieve. "Being part of the best of the best would be very exciting," she said. Cottle is tied for fourth in the nation and is one of only six in the nation who have cleared 6 feet this year. She is also the only one to have cleared 6 feet in the Big Sky Conference. WSU DAVIS CAMPUS "Lunch and Learn" Fall Semester Workshops These workshops are topics for student enrichment suggested by WSU-Davis students. The workshops are free. Attend as many as you can. These are for your enjoyment and are paid for by student fees. 395-3460 Free Pizza! is All-Breeds Bull Test Sale Utah Bekf improvement Association Saturday, March 18, 2000 1:00 pm Producers Auction Salina, Utah Sale preview begins at 12:30 pm www cowdoctor.comutahbulltest Raised on high forage ration ' Gain and yearling weight ratios ' Guaranteed breeders Rib eve area and baekfat seins Semen tested KXK'c inch free 130 Performance-tested Bulls 10 different breeds ready to work Satellite coverage by Superior Livestock Marketing Service. Satellite Site: Galax v 3. Channel IS. For lurther information contact C. Kim Chapman Shand Rasmusson USU Extension Animal Scientist UBIA President (435)896-9262 ext. 274 (435)283-4244 Workshops are held in Room 101 at noon on Tuesdays and 12:30 on Wednesdays. Wedsnesday Mar. 1 Tuesday Mar. 7 Wednesday Mar. 22 Women's Voices in Poetry Dr. Sally Bishop Shigley, Professor of English Child's Play is Serious Business Alan Mills, Director of Mills Montessori School Nutrition Lynn Dawson, Instructor, Nutrition |