BYU Sweeps Mountain Region Track Honors

PROVO, Utah (March 8) - Willard Hirschi and Craig Poole were each named Mountain Region Coach of the Year by their peers after leading their teams to Mountain West Conference indoor titles, while Jim Roberts and Kirsten Bolm picked up Athlete of the Year honors.

Hirschi coached the men's team to their 11th consecutive indoor conference title in Colorado Springs last week. Three of his athletes have qualified for the NCAA Championships this weekend. Poole led the women to a conference blowout in Colorado, winning the team title by over 130 points in his sixth straight indoor conference win. This is the 13th time that Poole has won the honor.

Roberts, a junior from Cleveland, Texas, is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the shot put by virtue of a monstrous 64'-10.5" performance at the Mountain States Games in Pocatello Feb. 5. The distance was good enough to place Roberts third on BYU's all-time list. Roberts was an All-American in the indoor shot put last year, finishing sixth at the NCAAs. Roberts finished second at the MWC Championships and is the shot put favorite for the NCAA meet.

Bolm, a senior from Scheessel, Germany, set two BYU indoor records this season while qualifying for two events in this weekend's NCAA finals. Bolm broke her own 60-meter hurdles record with a 8.13-second performance in Lincoln, Nebraska Feb. 12. She then added nearly four inches to the indoor long jump record with a leap of 21-2.75" at the MWC Championships, where she was named MWC Athlete of the Year. Bolm scored 25 points at the conference meet, winning the long jump and 60-meter hurdles and finishing fourth in the 200 meters.

All four BYU honorees are in Fayetteville, Arkansas preparing for the NCAA Indoor Championships Mar. 10-11.