Utah Valley University will send its track and field athletes to three different competitions across Nevada and California on April 3 and 4. The team announced on Apr. 2 that it will participate in the UNLV Rebel ELITE meet in Las Vegas, as well as the Stanford Invitational and Mike Fanelli Track Classic in the Bay Area.
The decision to compete at multiple events allows Utah Valley’s athletes to focus on their strengths. Distance runners and throwers are scheduled for the Stanford Invitational, where they will take part in events including the men’s and women’s 1500-meter, 5k, steeplechase, shot put, discus, hammer throw, and women’s 10k. At San Francisco State’s Mike Fanelli Track Classic, UVU athletes will also run in the women’s 5k, steeplechase, and 10k races along with the men’s steeplechase. Sprinters, jumpers, middle-distance runners, and additional throwers will compete at UNLV.
Last week at their only home meet of the season—the UVU Collegiate Invitational—windy conditions affected distance races but aided sprinters. On the men’s side Kade Thompson posted a personal record of 10.20 seconds in the 100 meters—the fastest time this season in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) competition—and is currently ranked fourteenth nationally entering this week. Gavin Stafford recorded a time of 10.24 seconds (second-best WAC; twenty-third nationally), while Garrett Nelson finished with a new best of 10.49 seconds.
In relay action Thompson joined Stafford, Nelson, and Collin Petersen for a strong showing in the men’s four-by-100-meter relay with a time of 39.90 seconds—seventh all-time for Utah Valley. James Duncan improved his standing from tenth to third all-time for UVU in the outdoor men’s one hundred ten meter hurdles by clocking a time of fourteen point nineteen seconds.
For women’s events Eme Stout entered Utah Valley’s top ten list at number five with an eleven point seventy-four second finish in her race—a mark that is third-best so far this WAC season—and helped her team secure second place in their four-by-one hundred meter relay (46.62). Stout was named WAC Track Athlete of the Week.
Maddie Passmore matched UVU’s school record for triple jump at twelve point twenty-six meters while also winning long jump (5.98m), ranking her second all-time for that event; she was named WAC Field Athlete of the Week—her second such honor as a Wolverine after previously earning it during indoor season.
Eddie Garcia moved up to fourth all-time for UVU with his hammer throw performance (57.12m) while Andrew Turner reached fifth place historically (55.75m). Cale Stinebaugh set a new personal best shot put mark (13.27m), entering ninth place all-time among Wolverines women; Grace Degarimore won both women’s shot put (14.64m) just shy of her recent personal record from Utah Tech—and discus throw (47.52m). Trevor Hill took first place on men’s shot put with his best effort so far this year: sixteen point eighty-one meters.
Looking ahead Utah Valley plans to stay local next week by competing at Weber State on April tenth followed by an event hosted by University of Utah on April eleventh.
