PROVO -- BYU distance runners Carolyn Quebe and Laura Taylor provided a 1-2 punch for the Cougars at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York City on Saturday.
Quebe, a junior, ran the mile in 4:54.32 and Taylor, a senior, ran in the same heat with a time of 4:56.83. Quebe and Taylor finished in first and second place, respectively, in the college heat.
"I was really impressed with our distance runners," BYU women's coach Craig Poole said. "All in all our athletes competed well this weekend. We learned a lot of positive things, and our athletes had a big opportunity to go against the best competition in the nation."
Also competing well for the women were sophomore Angela Wagner and freshman Katie Palmer. Wagner came in sixth in the championship heat of the 3000 meters with a time of 9:35.32, just one second off her personal best this season. Palmer finished in eighth place in the championship heat of the 800 meters, crossing the line at 2:10.29. Both runners were part of the women's distance medley relay team that will be headed to nationals in a month.
The women's 4x400 team finished third in its section of 10 teams with a season-best time of 3:52.44.
Senior Matt Weirich, sophomore Chris Little and junior Whitney Neves took the four through six spots in the championship heat of the men's pole vault. Weirich cleared 17-04.50 and his teammates weren't too far behind with Little clearing 17-00.75 and Neves vaulting 16-06.75.
"Our vaulters did really well today, and Weirich was extremely close to clearing 17-08.50," BYU men's coach Mark Robison said.
Senior high jumper Bryce Bergen, a 2007 All-MWC selection and 2007 NCAA Championships competitor, came in sixth in the championship heat, clearing 6-08.25.
The rest of the BYU men's and women's track & field athletes were competing at the Mountain State Games at Idaho State on Saturday.
Freshman Krystle Forester won the women's shot put and sophomore Kevin Ahlstrom won the men's 400-meter dash. Forester set a lifetime best of 44-02.00, close to a foot farther than her previous best, and Ahlstrom crossed the line in the 400 with a time of 49.66.
Sophomore Kindy Longmore also competed well, placing third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.99.
Both teams will be in action next weekend at the Boise State Invitational except for the men's distance squad which will travel to Seattle.