(Compiled by Quinn Robinson)
Tennis: Women’s team wins MW title
The No. 1-ranked Fresno State women’s tennis team clinched the Mountain West Women’s Tennis Championship by beating second-seeded New Mexico 4-2 Sunday at Sierra Sport and Racquet Club.
The Bulldogs (16-8) have won 12 straight matches and will enter the 2014 NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid for winning their conference tournament. The win on Sunday secured Fresno State’s first MW championship in program history and is the ‘Dogs’ first conference title since 2011.
The Bulldogs took two out of three matches in doubles competition with the tandem of Sophie and Anneka Watts beating New Mexico’s Miza Bezdickova and Lizette Blankers 8-3. Fresno State’s No. 3 doubles team, Tanya Murtagh and Rana Sherif Ahmed, gained a win as well with an 8-1 victory over Rachana Bhat and Susanne Baklini.
The Bulldogs will find out where they’ll be headed for the NCAA Championships on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. A selection show will be hosted on campus with details of the event to be announced today.
Women’s Golf: Björgvinsdóttir claims women’s conference title
Freshman Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir captured the Mountain West Championship title by finishing 2-over par with a 218 (71-71-76) in the three-day tournament. Björgvinsdóttir made 10 birdies and recorded her best finish of the season.
“I am really happy to win this tournament, and it is a great finish for this season,” Björgvinsdóttir said. “Overall, I am happy with this tournament, and I am so excited to start our next season.”
As a team, the Bulldogs concluded the 2013-14 season with a tie for third place with a score of 45-over par (909) for the tournament.
Junior Madchen Ly finished in sixth place with a 6-over par, 222 (71-71-80). Fellow Bulldog, Hanna Sodersten finished tied at 21st with a 15-over par, 231 (77-77-77).
“We really made a statement this week of where our program is and where we are headed,” said Fresno State head coach Emily Milberger. “We ended this season on a lot of positive notes.”
In making history again, Björgvinsdóttir and Ly were named second-team All-Conference for the first time in the MW. The last Bulldog to be named to an all-conference team was Christine Uhalde in 2010 for the Western Athletic Conference.
Track And Field: ‘Dogs close out season with strong home showing
The Bulldogs men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out the final meet of the regular season by winning a combined 14 events Saturday at the Bulldog Invitational.
“Overall, our team performed well today and really competed all the way through the end,” Fresno State head coach Scott Winsor said. “Our confidence level is great and right where it needs to be going into the MW Championships.”
Senior Meagan McKee finished in the top three in all of the women’s throwing events, including a victory in the shot put after throwing the shot over 47 feet. She finished second and third in the hammer throw and discus, respectively.
In the track events, Kyra Johnson won the 800-meter race with a time of 2:12.27. Bakersfield’s Ariana Mariscal finished second. Kyra’s sister, Dezirae, finished second in the 400-meter with a time of 55.74 seconds, just .14 seconds off of her season-best.
In the 4×400 relay, the Johnson sisters teamed up with Je’Nia Sears and Njeri Omawahleh to earn a first-place finish with a time of 3:42.55 to beat Cal State Northridge’s team by almost two full seconds. Sears also won the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 4 inches, barely missing her school-record mark she set earlier in the season.
On the men’s side, Fresno State saw solid performances from a few of its athletes as well.
Devin Harrison won two individual events and also contributed to a relay win. He won the 200-meter in 21.81 seconds, a season-best time for the junior.
Harrison also won the long jump with a leap of 7.26 meters and then was a part of the 4×400 relay team that won with a time of 3:15.52.
Freshman Kamara Biawogi, who was on that winning 4×400 relay, also won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.91.
Senior Michael Jamieson won the 800-meter in a close finish with a 1:52.28. He held off Cal Poly’s John Guerrero by .38 seconds.
Kevin Poythress set a new personal record in his last home meet. Poythress ran a 9:00.06 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The time was 15 seconds better than Poythress’ previous mark and eighth-best in Fresno State history.
Senior Roderick Dash won the hammer throw with a mark of 61.84 meters, while junior Brice Sandri took first place in the discus with a distance of 52.45 meters.
The Bulldogs will have 2 1/2 weeks to prepare for their trip to the University of Wyoming for the Mountain West Championships that will take place on May 14.
