'Dogs ready for hammer time
Fresno State throwers prepare for first meet of semester
Juan Villa / The Collegian
Fresno State hammer throwers Gigi Wiesmann (above) and Brian Vasquez (below) are two of 15 Bulldogs track and field athletes who will compete in the Weight Pentathalon at Warmerdam Field, Saturday. The hammer throw will be one of the meet’s five events.
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By Jeff Christian
The Collegian
The Fresno State track and field team will shift its season into gear this weekend as the team will attend a two-day pole vault competition in Reno and host an all-day weighted pentathlon competition at Fresno State on Saturday.
The meet, which starts at 9 a.m. will feature five different events: hammer throw, javelin, discus, shot put and weight throw.
The women throwers will return two highly skilled and experienced competitors, seniors Mallory Webb and Katie Richardson.
Webb, a two-time All-American, finished ninth overall in the javelin at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and Richardson won the 2006 WAC Championship in the discus.
The men’s throwers are much younger and although the squad contains less experience than their women counterparts, Pagel is excited about the opportunities and challenges that await them in the upcoming season.
The men will be led by two returning juniors, Brian Vasquez in the hammer throw and Oscar Rodriquez in the shot put.
Although expectations for the upcoming season are high, Pagel believes that the team is capable of achieving great success.
“We’re coming back with a really strong team and I see them having a real positive season,” Pagel said. “If they can relax and have fun, then they have a chance to outdo their expectations.”
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