Feb. 27, 2015
Albuquerque, N.M.----- San Jose State University graduate student Emma Sutherland turned in the team's best performance of the day with a fourth-place finish in the high jump on the second day of the Mountain West Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The first-year Spartan from Napier, New Zealand had a season-best 1.75 meters jump to close out San Jose State's most successful day in two years of women's track and field conference championship competition.
"Emma really stepped it up in the high jump. This was the best competition I've seen in a Mountain West high jump," said San Jose State head coach Jeff Petersmeyer, who was an assistant coach at Boise State before taking over the Spartans program in 2013.
With her fourth-place finish, Sutherland was one of three Spartans to score points in the three-day championship. Freshmen Cambree Harbaugh and Kelsey Johnson-Upshaw finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the long jump.
"Based on the (pre-championship) rankings, we scored more points than I thought we would," the Spartans' coach added. "We though we had something to prove and the long jump was a great start to the day."
LONG JUMP JUMP STARTS THE SPARTANS
Harbaugh, from Meridian, Idaho, posted an indoor career best of 5.88 meters (19-feet-3.5), as did Johnson-Upshaw, from Arlington, Texas, with her leap of 5.63 meters (18-feet-5.75). The first-year Spartans became the first San Jose State women's track and field athletes to score points at a conference championship meet in the two-year history of the program. Harbaugh's mark came on her sixth and final jump of the competition.
"I'm kind of surprised I made it to the finals. I felt everyone else was jumping well. I wasn't sure I would make it," said Harbaugh, who was the #7-qualifier for nine spots in the long jump finals.
"I was hoping to come here and get a good mark. It's cool to get a good mark and be the first to score, especially since nobody else expected us to get anything," Harbaugh said. The Mountain View High prospect was referencing the 2014 conference indoor and outdoor championships in which the Spartans did not have an entry qualify out of preliminary competition for a championship final.
Johnson-Upshaw's eighth-place mark also a personal best.
"I did really well. I'm very proud of myself," said Johnson-Upshaw who advanced to the final based on her final jump in the preliminary round.
BECKINGHAM & WILSON ARE CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
Two more Spartans, junior Jennifer Beckingham from England, and freshman Caitlin Wilson from Tallahassee, Fla., qualified for championship finals Beckingham was the #5-qualifier with a 4:58.14 time in the mile. Wilson was the #6-qualifier in the 200-meter dash at 24.34.
"I couldn't be prouder with our effort today," concluded Petersmeyer, who gave special kudos to Wilson for her "great 200." "We had a number of personal bests and season bests."
In the team scoring, San José State is tied for tenth with UNLV at 10 points each. Host New Mexico is the leader with 45, one ahead of Colorado State's 44.
Final day coverage is available at Mountain West Championship Central.
2015 Mountain West Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships
Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, N.M.
February 27, 2015
Day 2 of 3
Team Scores (after seven events) - 1, New Mexico, 45. 2, Colorado State, 44. 3, San Diego State, 31.5. 4, Utah State, 30. 5, Wyoming, 28. 6, Fresno State, 25.5. 7, Boise State, 22.5. 8, Nevada, 15.5. 9, Air Force, 11.5. 10, tie, San Jose State & UNLV, 10.
Long Jump final - 1, Jenia Sears, Fresno State, 6.27m. 2, Krystal Wharton, UNLV, 5.99m. 3, Ashley Hatcher, Fresno State, 5.92m. 4, Chari Hawkins, Utah State, 5.89m. 5, Cambree Harbaugh, San Jose State 5.88m. 6, Samantha Bowe, New Mexico, 5.88m. 7, Audrey West, Wyoming, 5.65m. 8, Kelsey Johnson-Upshaw, 5.63m.
1-Mile Run preliminaries -1, Sammy Silva, New Mexico, 4:57.18. 2, Sophie Connor, New Mexico, 5:01.46. 3, Carina Gillespie, Air Force, 4:58.14. 4, Tamara Armoush, New Mexico, 5:01.62. 5, Jennifer Beckingham, San Jose State, 4:58.56. 6, Rici Morrill, Boise State, 5:03.94. 7, Caroline Weiler, Utah State, 4:59.71. 8, Giulianna Vessa, Air Force, 4:59.83. 9, Adela Hofmannova, Utah State, 5:00.26. 10, Caitlin Devitt-Payne, Nevada, 5:07.50.
60-meter high hurdles preliminaries - 1, Holly VanGrinsven, New Mexico, 8.27. 2, Micha Auzenne, San Diego State, 8.31. 3, Chari Hawkins, Utah State, 8.47. San Jose State entries - 17, Makayla Webb, 9.31. 19, Leah Lambert, 9.57.
400-meter preliminaries - 1, Holly VanGrinsven, New Mexico, 54.25. 2, Dezirae Johnson, Fresno State, 54.98. 3, Katehrine Surin, Nevada, 55.38. San Jose State entries - 22, Makayla Webb, 1:00.37. 24, Lenae Stevens, 1:01.28.
60-meter preliminaries - 1, Destiny Smith-Barnett, UNLV, 7.39. 2, Lorenda Holston, Colorado State, 7.42. 3, Micha Auzenne, San Diego Satte, 7.48. San Jose State entries - 10, Caitlin Wilson, 7.64. 21, Kelsey Johnson-Upshaw, 7.90. 25, Maija Pinkins, 8.21.
800-meters preliminaries - 1, Mandy Chitwood, UNLV, 2:11.32. 2, Sammy Silva, New Mexico, 2:11.51. 3, Kerry White, Wyoming, 2:11.70. San Jose State entries - 14, Marayne Martin, 2:22.03. 15, Angelica Parodi, 2:24.17.
200-meters preliminaries - 1, Destiny Smith-Barnett, UNLV, 24.04. 2, Leah Fair, Colorado State, 24.26. 3, Ashley Henderson, San Diego State, 24.32. 4, Emily Romo, Colorado State, 24.32. 5, Drea Austin, UNLV, 24.33. 6, Caitlin Wilson, San Jose State, 24.34. 7, Jazmen Bunch, San Diego State, 24.41. 8, Megan Kelley, 24.43. Other San Jose State entries 24, Maija Pinkins, 25.92. 25, Madiha Raza, 26.54. 26, Lenae Stevens, 26.70.
5,000-meters final - 1, Alice Wright, New Mexico, 16:31.85. 2, Nikki Delgado, UNLV, 16:50.11. 3, Holly Page, Wyoming, 16:55.68. San Jose State entry - 21, Rebecca Garcia, 18:58.66.
High Jump final - 1, Jazmyn Webster, Colorado State, 1.81m. 2, Jordan Ward, Boise State, 1.78m. 3, Chari Hawkins, Utah State, 1.75m. 4, Emma Sutherland, San Jose State, 1.75m. 5, Sabina Sandberg, Wyoming, 1.75m. 6, Jessica Green, 1.72m. 7, Kinsey Minter, Nevada, 1.72m. 8, Savannah Miller, Fresno State, & Nicole Wadden, Nevada, 1.72m.