June 9, 2008

Complete Track Notes: NCAA Championship Final

QUICKLY
Idaho State will be sending two athletes, one male and one female, to the NCAA Championship Final in Des Moines, Iowa from June 11-14th. Sophomore Sam Pierson will be representing the Bengals in the pole vault while junior Cassie Merkley will be competing in the heptathlon.

PIERSON EARNS BID FOR NATIONALS
Pierson's performance best vault of 17-02.75 at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championship earned him 24th place on the list of declared male athletes in the pole vault event. This list determines those that are accepted into the 2008 NCAA Championship Final. Pierson is one of ten Big Sky athletes to compete in the championship final. The only other pole vaulter from the Big Sky is senior Daniel Imlach of Sacramento State who is seeded 12th in the nation.

IDAHO STATE NATIONALS FACTS
*** Head coach Nielsen has sent 45 athletes to the NCAA Championships.
*** Idaho State has produced women's All-Americans 12 times: Assistant coach Jackie Poulson twice, Maureen Griffin three times and Amber Welty four times.
*** Amber Welty is the only Bengal to win gold in the National NCAA Championship, which occurred in 1988 in the high jump, and she is the only Bengal to finish in the Top-10 finishers at the NCAA Championship four years in a row.
*** The last women's All-Americans for Idaho State occurred in 2003 with Maureen Griffin in the hammer throw and Jackie Poulson in the heptathlon.
*** Idaho State has produced men's All-Americans 38 times: Jeff Jaynes three times, Greg Burrell three times, Jim Wharton three times and Carl Lawson twice.
*** The last men's All-American for Idaho State occurred in 2002 with assistant coach Paul Litchfield in the pole vault.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH NIELSEN
"Sam is really on top of his game right now." (About Pierson's 17-02.75 jump at the Big Sky Championship)

"She looked good in practice. "If she comes close to what she has done in the past she will be an All-American." (About Merkley's preparation for Nationals)

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: BENGALS SCHEDULE
Sam Pierson begins competing at the NCAA Championship Finals Wednesday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. in the qualifying round while Cassie Merkley must wait anxiously until Friday afternoon when the heptathlon begins at 1 p.m. with the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200-meter run. Friday will also bring the final round of the pole vault at 4:15 p.m. Merkley will finish the heptathlon on Saturday. The heptathlon will begin at 11 a.m. (times are subject to change) with the long jump and will finish with the javelin throw and 800-meter run.

ABOUT DRAKE STADIUM
Drake Stadium will be the site for the NCAA Championship Final. The stadium can hold 14,557 people. The blue track is made of Mondo-surface with a lane width of 48 inches and the infield contains artificial grass.

RESULTS
Results for the NCAA Championship Final can be found at www.godrakebulldogs.com.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL SCHEDULE

Day One - WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2008

TIME 		EVENT 		ROUND

4:15 		Pole Vault-Men 	Qualifying

Day Three - FRIDAY, June 13, 2008

TIME		EVENT

1:00 p.m.	100 Hurdles 	Heptathlon

		High Jump 	Heptathlon

		Shot Put 	Heptathlon

		200 Meters 	Heptathlon


TIME 		EVENT 		ROUND

4:15 		Pole Vault-Men 	Final

*Day Four - SATURDAY, June 14, 2008

*all times are subject to change

TIME 		EVENT

11:00 a.m. 	Long Jump 	Heptathlon

		Javelin 	Heptathlon

		800 Meters 	Heptathlon