Selected as the Pre-Season Athlete of the Year in RMAC track and field, HU junior Angella Graham lived up to her billing with an impressive performance at the RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships which concluded Tuesday at Adams State College. Graham won two individual events---the grueling heptathlon and the Triple Jump-- and earned All-Conference honors in four others (Long Jump, High Jump, 100H and 200) on her way to being voted the Athlete-of –the Meet by conference coaches.
Graham’s performance highlighted what coach Bob DeVries hailed as a “great meet” for the HU women. Juniors Candace St. Louis (100M, 200M) and Patricia Lewis (Heptathlon, Triple Jump) as well as freshmen Shayla Flores (Javelin) and Victoria Dominquez (Discus) also earned All-RMAC honors at the three -day competition in Alamosa, CO.
The Cowgirls placed fifth after a close battle throughout the meet with Colorado Mines for the fourth spot. “We were 11th a year ago,” noted DeVries, “Last year we scored 17 points in four events, and this year we scored 70 points and had scorers in twelve events.” Adams State College was the team champion for the sixth consecutive year. [Complete team scores below]
St. Louis, who has been injured throughout the outdoor season, came up big for the HU squad in the short sprints. Coming into the meet seeded only eighth in the 100M, the native of Trinidad qualified fifth for the final and then blazed her way to a third place finish in a school record 12.24. She later returned to run sixth in the 200M and contribute a leg on the 4 x 400 relay. “Candace was a warrior,” said DeVries, “She came to the meet determined to prove she belonged among the top sprinters in our conference.”
Former New Mexico prep champions Flores and Dominguez proved they were ready to step up to collegiate competition with ALL-RMAC performances as well. Dominguez, a frosh from tiny Cuba HS, saved her best throwing for the conference championships. After struggling with technique adjustments for a couple of weeks, Dominguez put it together at the RMAC meet and grabbed fifth place in the discus throw final. Flores, who set a new school record in the javelin earlier in the outdoor season, capped her freshman campaign with a sixth-place finish in the strong RMAC javelin competition.
Lewis, who joined the team after playing basketball for Highlands during the winter, proved she is an extremely versatile athlete. In just her second heptathlon, Lewis improved over 200 points from her first outing just a week earlier and scored a fifth place finish in the event. Lewis’s placing marked the seventh HU athlete to earn All-Conference honors in the multi events (outdoor and indoor) since the sport was added in 2005. Lewis came back on day three to leap to a sixth-place finish in the Triple Jump as well.
“This meet is always tough,” said DeVries,”the RMAC is one of the best track conferences in the nation. We showed that we can and will compete at the top level in the conference. We had 13 different athletes score in the meet, everyone contributed in some way. I’m very proud of these ladies.”
Final Team Scores at RMAC Championships:
Women
1. Adams State-185
2. Nebraska-Kearney- 148
3. Western State-143 1/2
4. Colorado Mines- 79
5. New Mexico Highlands- 70
6. Metro State- 61
7. Chadron State- 59
T8. Mesa State- 27
T8. UC-Colorado Springs- 27
10. Colorado State-Pueblo- 19.5
Click HERE to view the Complete Results from the 2009 RMAC Track and Field Championships
GO COWGIRLS!!!