BYU senior Tonya Todd captured first place in the 3,000-meter run at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational Friday night with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 9:28.80.
Todd was clocked seven seconds faster than Megan Flowers of Arkansas, the second-best runner on the Razorbacks' 1993 NCAA champion cross country squad. Seventeen runners, including Cougar Tara Kauffman (14th, 10:18.3), were in the field.In Saturday's finals, Cougars Tiffany Lott placed third in the 55 hurdles (7.97), Melissa Balderas was third in the mile run (4:53.71), the mile relay squad composed of Julie Bennion, Dena Burrows, Carolyn Keyes and Tiffany Jackson placed sixth (3:54.17) and Holly Anderson was 14th in the triple jump (36-43/4).
Even though each event had a large number of athletes representing many schools, BYU notched other highlights in the two-day meet.
Angela Lee placed fourth in the 5,000 (17:27.73), Melinda Boice was fourth in the high jump (5-8 3/4), Petra Juraskova was ninth in the shot put (46-8) and Amy Christiansen was 11th (46.00), and Elaine Jones was 10th in the long jump (18-1).
Jennifer Frazier had her season's best long jump of 17-73/4 for 17th place and Anderson followed with 17-61/4 for 18th.
Meanwhile at the Mountain States Games in Pocatello, BYU's Olina Karabinova placed first of collegians in the pentathlon (3,647 points), Emily Keller won the 3000 (10:33.03), Natasha Bushnell was fourth in the mile (5:20.43) and Elice Smith was eighth (5:24.64), Christina Stark was third in the 55m hurdles (8.51) and Jill Zaugg finished fifth (8.57).