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First time for everything: BSU women’s track and field eyes first WAC Championship in program history
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Since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2001 the Boise State women’s track and field team has yet to win a WAC championship. Despite competing for both the indoor and outdoor championship every season, the coveted championship trophy still lingers on the Broncos’ to-do list.
As the women enter the 2007 WAC Indoor Championships Friday, BSU Head Coach Mike Maynard said he feels this could be the year the BSU women make history.
“The women’s team is so vastly improved,” Maynard said.
“They are very hungry to win their first WAC championship.
With that said – there’s virtually a dead heat between us and a couple of other teams.”
The women will be competing in a field of ten teams, but coach Maynard said his staff feels the women are in the middle of a three or four team championship race. As with the men’s team, Maynard feels the women’s title hopes could rest on one or two events.
“On the women’s side there’s three teams within five points of each other,” Maynard said. “That’s the bad news. Fortunately, the good news is our women’s team is among them, which means if we come out of this championship having a good, solid performance from our ladies, then we have an opportunity to walk away with a championship.”
The women have shown well in all four of the regular season indoor meets this year. They have excelled in the distance running events as well as the field events. Jumpers Eleni Kafourou and Theodora Xylaki have stolen the headlines so far this spring with impressive performances in the triple, high and long jumps.Kafourou has shown consistency in her improvement after starting the year with a triple jump measure of 12.73 meters and a second place finish in the Hampton Inn and Suites Classic. In the third meet of the season Kafourou jumped 13.02 meters – her best jump this year. She has also garnered a first-place finish this year in the long jump with a 6.12-meter measure.
Xylaki has been the Broncos’ No. 1 high jumper all season long. She has won three of the four indoor meets, jumping her highest measurement of the season in week two (1.73 meters).
Coach Maynard expects the distance running events and the team relays to be strengths for the women on the track side of
the indoor championships. Becky Guyette, Breanna Sande and Kendra Hernandez have all placed in the top five in the mile on multiple occasions this year. Coach Maynard hopes the BSU sprinters can match the distance runners’ success and put pressure on all aspects of the track meet.
“We’ve got ladies in every event who have an opportunity to score,” Maynard said. “We have the opportunity to make a breakthrough in the sprints. So people can step up in areas that aren’t necessarily our strong events but we can score more points that people expect.”
Coach Maynard also feels that the women’s biggest attribute this season is their relentless pursuit of a championship. He said the team uses the motto of World War II icon Rosie the Riveter – “We can do it” – to keep themselves driving toward their goals.
“They’re poised on the verge of great success,” Maynard said.
“We are still young, but the coaches and I feel like we finally have young ladies who are driven to win, are talented and are improving. Whether we win a championship or not, I can tell you this women’s team, in the next few years, will win a championship.”
Jake Garcin
