MPSF Indoor Championships 2014Feb 27, 2014 by FloTrack Staff
Flotrack will be live from MPSF
Flotrack will be live from MPSF
SEATTLE – The Dempsey Indoor season comes to a close this weekend, rolling to the finish with one of the best team competitions in the NCAA. The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships go this Friday and Saturday, with full days of action each day. The ever-expanding MPSF meet is the premier team competition on the Dempsey schedule, and also the last opportunity for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships which are just over two weeks away.
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In previous years, the indoor season featured a number of Final Qualifier meets around the country after the MPSF weekend, but that is no longer the case, so the focus on performing this week is bigger than ever. And once again, the MPSF has grown to a new record number of participants, as the USC women’s team and the Cal State Fullerton women’s team have joined this year, bringing the total to 12 men’s teams and 17 women’s teams.
The MPSF now features all eleven of the Pac-12 schools that sponsor indoor track, though USC and Utah will have only women in attendance. The Pac-12 does not sponsor indoor track. Several more of the West’s top track teams also call the MPSF home, including schools from the Big West and West Coast Conferences.
This year’s MPSF Championships will see top-10 showdowns on both the women’s and men’s sides with the four-time defending NCAA women’s indoor champion and No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks against No. 9 Stanford and No. 19 UCLA. The No. 5 Oregon men are the highest-ranked MPSF squad, up against No. 9 Arizona and No. 23 Stanford.
Along with contending for individual and team conference titles, the push for NCAA qualification is on everyone’s mind this weekend. To reach NCAA Indoors in Albuquerque, athletes must finish the season ranked in the top-16 in their event nationally.
Along with contending for individual and team conference titles, the push for NCAA qualification is on everyone’s mind this weekend. To reach NCAA Indoors in Albuquerque, athletes must finish the season ranked in the top-16 in their event nationally.
Dozens of athletes competing this weekend are already in position to reach nationals, but will try to shore up their marks, and dozens more will try to improve into that top-16 group. Based on the current rankings, there are 24 athletes currently ranked in the NCAA top-10 that are scheduled to compete in the Dempsey this weekend, including several NCAA leaders.
Below, we’ve highlighted three premier events to watch to watch this weekend.
| Men's 3k | Men's Mile | Women's 800m |
|
Ed Cheserek (Oregon) Ben Saarel (Colorado) Trevor Dunbar (Oregon) Blake Theroux (Colorado) Erik Olson (Stanford) Michael Atchoo (Stanford) Jared Ward (BYU) Jake Hurysz (Colorado) Todd Wakefield (WSU) Chris Brewer (Oregon) Connor Winter (Colorado) Sam Macaluso (Arizona) Dustin Fay (UCLA) Ammar Moussa (Colorado) Parker Stinson (Oregon) Ryan Herson (ASU) Garrett Sweatt (Stanford) |
Isaic Yorks (UW) Brett Johnson (Oregon) Todd Wakefield (WSU) Marco Bertolotti (Stanford) Sam Prakel (Oregon) Blake Theroux (Colorado) Connor Winter (Colorado) Blake Nelson (UW) Meron Simon (UW) Daniel Winn (Oregon) Jordan Locklear (Cal) Bernie Montoya (ASU) Travis Fuller (BYU) Thomas Coyle (Stanford) Andre Kimpel (WSU) Lee George (WSU) |
Laura Roesler (Oregon) Claudia Saunders (Stanford) Amy Weissenbach (Stanford) Samantha Murphy (Oregon) Rosalie Waller (UUT) Shea Martinez (BYU) Allysa Hansen (BYU) Margaret Bellino (UA) Ali Eisenbeiss (UUT) Jaye Buchbinder (Stanford) Rachel Stewart (BYU) C.J. Smith (UW) Annie Moore (UW) Nijae Jones (Cal) Paisley Pettway (UCLA) Caitlin Turner (LBST) |
Courtesy to the University of Washington Sports Information Department