The Hawai`i women's track and field will participate in its final collegiate competition of the season at the Sacramento Invitational, Saturday, April 29. The event is hosted by Sacramento State at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex, site of this year's NCAA Championships.

The meet is the final event for UH athletes to qualify for the NCAA West Regionals. It is also the final tune-up against collegiate competition for the Rainbow Wahine, who host the Western Athletic Conference Championship, May 10-13, at Cooke Field.

So far this season, two Rainbow Wahine have qualified in four events for the NCAA West Regional. Sophomore Meghan Weaver became the first athlete in school history to qualify in three field events - discus, shot put, and hammer, the latter of which she set a new personal best at last week's Triton Invitational. Junior Patricia Gauthier qualified for the second consecutive year in the pole vault.

Travel Party
The Rainbow Wahine will send 17 athletes to this week's competition - Thalia Amanakis, Sharlene Carillo, Patricia Gauthier, Mallory Gilbert, Kuulei Karratti, Tiara Krismunando, Chantelle Laan, Ashley Monfort, Kendra Monroe, Candace Rosenthal, Emily Sheppard, Jessica Trujillo, Meghan Weaver, Samantha Weaver, Annett Wichmann, Michel Wilson, Nicole Wright

Recapping the Triton Invitational
Only two UH athletes competed at last week's UC San Diego Triton Invitational last weekend in La Jolla, Calif. Sophomore Meghan Weaver threw a personal best 180-4 in the hammer, becoming the first Rainbow Wahine to qualify in three events at the NCAA Regional in one season. She already made standard in both the shot put and discus. Freshman Nicole Awaa set new PRs in the shot put (43-3) and discus (151-10).

WAC Leaders
A pair of Rainbow Wahine top the latest Western Athletic Conference rankings in their respective events for the fifth consecutive week. Freshman Emily Sheppard has the top mark in the high jump at 5-8.75, set at at the Sunset Meet #5 on March 4. Sophomore Annett Wichmann ranks first in the heptathlon after her performance at the Northridge Multi-Events, March 16-17. Her total of 4,940 points included four school heptathlon records. In addition, a number of Rainbow Wahine are ranked in the Top 5 in their events - Wichmann (high jump - 5-6, T4th), Mallory Gilbert (high jump - 5-7, T2nd and heptathlon - 4049, 2nd), Meghan Weaver (discus - 156-4, 4th), Patricia Gauthier (pole vault - 12-6, 3rd), Jessica Trujillo (pole vault - 12-0, T5th), and Tiara Krismunando (pole vault - 12-0, T5th).

Outdoor Records Broken
The Rainbow Wahine have broken or tied seven outdoor school records - six by sophomore Annett Wichmann and one by junior Patricia Gauthier - so far this season.

Event Athlete New Mark Old Mark
Pole Vault Patricia Gauthier 12-6 12-6 by herself in 2005
Heptathlon Annett Wichmann 4,940 4,559 by Bianca DeBartolo in 2005
Hep.-100mH Annett Wichmann 14.91 15.14 by Bianca DeBartolo in 2005
Hep. 200m Annett Wichmann 26.47 26.49 by Nicole Kaffka in 2002
Hep.-High Jump Annett Wichmann 5-6 5-4.5 by Nicole Kaffka in 2002
Hep.-Shot Put Annett Wichmann 45-7.25 39-0.75 by Amanda Page in 2003
Hep.-Day 1 Total Annett Wichmann 3,193 2,753 by Nicole Kaffka in 2002

Weaver's Heaves Tops UH This Season
With UH record holder Novelle Murray sitting out this outdoor season, sophomore Meghan Weaver has taken the reigns as the team's top thrower. The London, Ontario native became the first UH athlete to qualify for the NCAA Regionals in three field events after her personal-best 180-4 throw in the hammer at last week's Triton Invitational. Weaver has the team's top throw in the discus (156-4), shot put (47-8) and hammer (180-4). At the Cal State Los Angeles Twilight Open, Weaver qualified for the NCAA Regionals in both the shot put and discus, the latter of which, she set a new personal best mark. All three marks rank her among the Top 20 in the Wes Region. Weaver currently ranks fourth in the WAC in the discus, sixth in the shot put, and sixth in the hammer. Last season, Weaver earned an NCAA regional qualifying mark in the shot put and won a silver medal at the WAC Outdoor Championships.

Wichmann Leads the Way
Newcomer Annett Wichmann has made quite a first impression in her rookie season. In addition to her school-record performance in the heptathlon at the Northridge Multi-Events and California Invitational Multi-Events, the sophomore took home the silver medal in the pentathlon at the WAC Indoor Championship in February. At the Northridge Multis, Wichmann totaled a new school record 4,940 points and set event records in the high jump, shot put, and Day 1 total. In the Cal Multi-Events, in which she only competed on the first day, Wichmann tied the UH heptathlon record for the 100m hurdles and broke her own Day 1 total. At the California Invitational Multi-Events, Wichmann led through the first day and was on pace to eclipse the NCAA provisional mark but was overcome with an overnight virus, forcing her to pull out of the competition. The Jena, Germany native broke four school records that day in the 100m hurdles, 200m, shot put, and Day 1 total. Wichmann has the team's top mark in four individual events - long jump (17-6), triple jump (38-4.25), javelin (134-7), and heptathlon (4,940).

A Jump in the Rankings
Freshman Emily Sheppard leaped her way into the UH record books. Her jump of 5-7.75 (1.72m) in the high jump at the WAC Indoor Championship is a new UH record. That mark earned the Vancouver, British Columbia native a silver medal and was an inch from gold. In addition, she had the team's second best mark in the long jump (18-1), triple jump (36-4.75) and the third best mark in the pentathlon (2,873 pts). During the current outdoor season, Sheppard ranks among the league's leaders in high jump (5-8.75, 1st) and triple jump (35-3.25, 13th). Her high jump mark would put her among the leaders in the West Region had it come against collegiate competition.

Vaulting Her Way to the Top
Junior Patricia Gauthier is slowly leaving her mark as one of the top pole vaulters in the West Region. The Ottawa native, ranks second in the WAC with a jump of 12-6 at the Sunset Meet #8, which tied her own school record set last year. Gauthier qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the second consecutive year after a pair of jump of 12-5.5 at last week's Cal State Los Angeles Twilight Open and Mt. SAC Relays, a mark that ranks 19th in the West Region. During the indoor season, Gauthier set a new school record in the event with a jump of 12-6 at the Husky Classic in Seattle. In addition, Gauthier captured the bronze at the WAC Championship with a leap of 12-4. The junior also owns the outdoor school record of 12-6 set at last year's final All-Comers meet. That mark ranked her second in the WAC and tied for 54th in the national rankings. Gauthier met Regional standard three times last season and broke the Cooke Field record twice.

On "Laan" and By Foot
Sophomore Chantelle Laan has been one of the team's most consistent distance runners. Her marks of 2:17.42 in the 800m and 4:38.80 in the 1,500m rank ninth and eighth in the WAC, respectively. During the indoor season, the London, Ontario native, ranked among the WAC's Top 10 in the 3,000-meter and mile events, both with personal best times. Laan was third in the 3,000-meter with a PR 10:15.05 at the UW Open #3 and eighth in the mile with a time of 5:03.52 at the Husky Classic. Laan redshirted this past cross country season.

Golden Arm
When all is said and done, senior Novelle Murray will finish her career as one of the best throwers in school history. Murray captured the school's first-ever gold medal in the WAC Indoor Championship with a throw of 60-1.75 (18.33m) in the weight toss. Earlier this season, she heaved a school-record 61-11.5 (18.88) at the Husky Classic, the top mark in the WAC this season. Murray also holds school records in the outdoor discus and hammer events. However, the Surrey, British Columbia native will redshirt the outdoor season this year.

UH to Host WAC Outdoor Championships
For the first time in school history, UH will serve as hosts of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Cooke Field. The four-day meet runs from Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, May 13. The heptathlon and decathlon will take place during the first two days while the final two days will consist of the individual events. Louisiana Tech is the defending women's champions.

Indoor Marks Fall in 2006
The Rainbow Wahine broke a total of eight indoor school records this season. Sophomore Annett Wichmann broke two records - triple jump (39-0.5) and pentathlon (3,741 pts). Others setting new UH marks included: Candace Rosenthal in the 60m hurdles (9.07), Michel Wilson in the 5000m (18:48.62), Emily Sheppard in the high jump (5-7.75), Patricia Gauthier in the pole vault (12-6), Meghan Weaver in the shot put (47-4.25), and Novelle Murray in the weight toss (61-11.5).

Lindgren Joins UH Staff
World-renowned track star Gerry Lindgren joined the UH coaching staff as an assistant coach in charge of cross country and the distance runners. Considered by many as the greatest high school runner of all-time, Lindgren was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team at the age of 17. He set eight world high school records, won 11 NCAA Championships, set 57 American records and shared a world record in the 6-mile.

Head Coach Carmyn James
Hawai`i head coach Carmyn James enters her sixth season at the helm of the women's cross country and track and field programs. Under her tutelage, two runners qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, including Cheryl Smith's first place finish at the 2001 WAC Championships. In addition, the track and field program has produced 10 participants to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

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