BYU NewsNet - Track MWC Championships begin today

The BYU track teams head to San Diego this week for the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

BYU will be taking 28 athletes to compete at San Diego State University beginning today (May 9, 2007) and running through Saturday.

"We feel comfortable with who we have, we feel comfortable with the athletes we are taking that we can win the meet," BYU men's coach Mark Robison said. "We are very excited."

BYU faces a unique problem that few other teams encounter. Teams are only allowed to take 28 athletes to the conference championships. Many schools just take their best athletes and do not have to worry about the number. BYU is forced to leave home many athletes who have qualified for regionals because of the limit on how many athletes a school can bring.

The Cougar track team has done well this season. In almost every event, BYU has at least one athlete in the top ten in the MWC standings and in many events there are several Cougars among the top ten.

In the men's 800 meters, BYU has six of the top ten times with Jason Dorais currently holding the number one time in the conference.

The top five times in the men's 1,500 are held by BYU. Josh Rohatinsky has the best time in the conference not only in the 1,500, but also in the 5,000 and the 10,000.

BYU has the top five pole-vaulters in the conference, with seven of the top ten coming from BYU. Bob Low has set the top mark in the conference with a height of 17 feet, 4.5 inches.

The women's track team has also had a great year. In the 800, BYU has seven athletes in the top ten in conference for their times. This is also the case with the 1,500 and the 5,000. In the 5,000 meters, Whitney McDonald has the best time in conference, clocking in at 15:44.55.