McClurkin Ends Career on High Note

2009-Mindy-2010-ljaward_0_02009-Mindy-2010-ljaward_0_0

EUGENE -- Mindy McClurkin capped off her career as one of the best all-around women track and field athletes of all-time at BYU, earning an All-America citation in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday.

Competing in her final event as a Cougar, McClurkin jumped a distance of 6.53 meters, sitting the senior in her highest finish ever at nationals in third place and garnering her team six points in the team standings.

The six points were the only scored by the women's team at the championships and were good enough to give BYU a 36th-place finish, tied with Buffalo-SUNY, Louisville, Texas Tech and Oral Roberts.

The BYU men's team ended the weekend earning one point from Richard Nelson's performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase yesterday, leaving the Cougars tied for 69th place overall.

Junior Leif Arrhenius was the final Cougar to compete in the championships, competing in the shot put. Arrhenius' longest throw of 18.23 meters was good enough for 10th place overall but just short of qualifying for All-America for the third time in his career.