Player Bio: Sandy Fortner - University of New Mexico Official Athletic Site

Sandy Fortner

	Class: Senior
	Hometown: Fort Sumner, N.M.
	High School: Fort Sumner HS

	Height: 5-9
	Event: Multi-Events/Jumps
	Experience: 4L

Track & Field Honors

• Indoor All-America (Pentathlon - '10)
• 4x MWC Champion (Pentathlon/Heptathlon - '08 &'10)
• 3x Indoor All-MWC (Pentathlon/High Jump - '08, Pentathlon - '10)
• 2x Outdoor All-MWC (Heptathlon - '08 & '10)

•2010 MWC Championship Heptathlon Highlights

•Stevens: Sandy Fortner A Small-Town Girl With Big-Time Talent>

NEW MEXICO:

Small town New Mexico star who has developed into the greatest multi-event athlete in UNM women's track & field history...2008 MWC champion and NCAA Championships qualifier, and school record holder in both the pentathlon and heptathlon...ranked among the top-5 in MWC history in both competitions (No. 2 heptathlon, No. 4 pentathlon)...she and sprinter Barbara Butler (1984) are the only UNM women to compete at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the same year...was also eligible to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, but scratched due to a knee injury...redshirted all of 2009 after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from the knee...an NCAA regional qualifier in the long jump (No. 6 all-time at UNM) and all-MWC high jumper (No. 10 all-time at UNM)...also an MWC finalist in the shot put (No. 5 all-time at UNM) and 60m hurdles...one of the nation's premier multi-event competitors in the shot...ranks sixth all-time at UNM in the 100m hurdles...a key member of the Lobos' 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams as well...helped to set the UNM indoor 4x400 record in 2007 and helped the UNM 4x100 team qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships for the first time in 2008...has competed in a remarkable 179 events, including 10 heptathlons and 7 pentathlons...dominated the class 1A competition while at tiny Fort Sumner High School in eastern New Mexico (town population 1,060)...identical twin sister Kelly is a pole vaulter for the Lobos.

2010: (indoor) MWC Athlete of the Year...MWC Champion in the pentathlon with a score of 4,156...owns the school record in the pentathlon...qualified for NCAA Championships in the pentathlon where she won the bronze (outdoor) MWC Heptathlon Champion with a score of 5,723...claimed the MWC Championship record with her 2010 performance in the heptathlon...owns the school record in the heptathlon...broke the school record earlier in the year at the Texas Relays with a score of 5,657 before breaking her record at the MWC Championships...qualified for the NCAA Championships but unfortunate events caused her to withdraw from the competition...only Lobo other than Barbara Butler (sprints) to compete at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor competitions for New Mexico in the same year...qualified for the NCAA Preliminaries in the long jump.

2009:
(indoor/outdoor) Competed in two events in the indoor season opener before undergoing surgery and redshirting the rest of the year.

2008:
(outdoor) Established herself as the greatest athlete in the MWC with a stirring heptathlon victory at the MWC Championships in Fort Worth...demolished Darcy Ahner's 18-year-old school record and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with a score of 5,641 - the 2nd-best in MWC history...became the first Lobo to win a conference heptathlon title since Ahner in '89...put together a near-flawless performance over the two days to upset top-seeded Emily Pearson of CSU for the second time in 2009...recorded career-bests in 4 of the 7 events (100mH, SP, 200m, jav.), fighting through a painful knee injury...had to be carried off the track after clinching the title with a courageous 800m run...became the third UNM woman to compete in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships...climbed as high as 12th through 5 events, but her knee injury eventually forced her to drop out midway through the final 800m (officially 24th, 4,649)...also qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regionals for the first time in the long jump (29th) and as a member of the 4x100 relay team (DNC)...was the Lobos' high point woman at the MWC Championships (15) as UNM put up its highest score in 18 years...also scored in the shot put (7th) and with the 4x100 relay team (5th)...competed in 43 events (4 heptathlons) and recorded PRs in 6 of the 7 heptathlon events during the season...ranked among the top-8 in the MWC in the high jump (3rd), long jump (8th) and shot put (6th), and was 11th in the javelin and 14th in the 100 hurdles...member of the Lobos' top-ranked 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams as well.

(indoor) Capped a tremendous winter with a 12th place finish in the pentathlon at the NCAA Championships (3,905)...was the first multi-event athlete and first woman from the state of New Mexico to represent the Lobos at the NCAA Indoor meet...punched her ticket to nationals with an NCAA provisional qualifying and school record score of 4,005 to win the MWC pentathlon...became the second woman in Lobo history to win a conference title in the event and recorded the 4th-best score in MWC history...set career-bests in the first two events of the day, including a massive PR in the high jump (5-08.50), and never looked back as she knocked off top-seeded Emily Pearson of CSU...piled up a team-high 21.5 points at the MWC Championships (9 event competitions), earning all-MWC honors in the high jump (T-3rd), and also scoring in the 60m hurdles (4th) and long jump (8th)...notched the highest hurdles finish since 2000 with a career-best altitude adjusted time of 8.65...27 event competitions on the season, including 3 pentathlons.

2007:
(outdoor) Was slowed by injuries much of the spring, but placed 4th in the heptathlon at the MWC Championships with a season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying score of 5,087 (53rd nationally)...was 2nd through 4 events after notching career-bests in the 100 hurdles (14.48) and 200 (25.64), and winning the shot put (38-05.50)...finished with a career-best time of 2:23.32 in the 800...came back to finish 4th in the high jump on day 3 with a season-best leap of 5-05.00...competed in 32 events, including 3 heptathlons, in 6 meet appearances...ranked among the team's top-5 in 8 individual events and was the Lobos' top-ranked 100m hurdler...also a member of the Lobos' top 4x400 relay team...Academic All-MWC honoree.

(indoor) Ranked 5th in the MWC in the pentathlon with a career-high and NCAA provisional qualifying score of 3,709, recorded in a 6th place finish at the elite Roger Cox Multis in Albuquerque...suffered heartbreak for the 2nd year in a row in the MWC pentathlon competition when she missed all 3 high jump attempts at 5-02.00 to go scoreless in the event...coaches pulled her out of the pentathlon to rest her for the rest of the MWC Championships...rewarded their decision with an indoor best leap of 19-01.25 to finish 7th in the long jump and a career-best mark of 5-05.00 to place 5th in the high jump...came back in the final event of the meet to help the 4x400 relay team clock a school record time of 3:47.66 (6th) with an outstanding 3rd leg in her first relay race of the year...competed in 23 events in 6 meet appearances...led the Lobos' in the 60 hurdles (8.91*), long jump and pentathlon.

2006:
(outdoor) Was the nation's 6th-ranked freshman heptathlete (35th overall)...recorded a career-best and NCAA provisional qualifying score of 5,190 in a 5th place finish at the MWC Championships...competed in the heptathlon 3 times, surpassing the NCAA provisional qualifying standard in all three competitions...competed in 33 events overall, including a 7th place finish in the long jump (18-01.50) at the MWC Championships...was the Lobos' top-ranked long jumper (5th MWC), recording a season-best mark of 19-02.75 at home in the Don Kirby Invitational...also led the team in the 100m hurdles (14.82) and helped the 4x400m relay team record its fastest time of the season at USC (3:46.45)...was the Lobos' No. 2 high jumper (8th MWC) with a top mark of 5-06.00 during the Mt. SAC Relays heptathlon.

(indoor) Ranked 8th in the MWC in the pentathlon with a top score of 3,403...was off to a great start at the MWC Championship meet before fouling on all three shot put attempts and ended up finishing 12th (3,045)...competed in 19 events, including 3 pentathlon competitions...led the team in the long jump with a top mark of 18-08.50 en route to a 6th place finish at the MWC Championships...also had the Lobos' fastest 60m hurdles time (9.19 - 20th MWC).

HIGH SCHOOL:

A 2005 graduate of Fort Sumner (N.M.) High School...2005 Albuquerque Journal Female Athlete of the Year - the first competitor from a 1A program to win the award...4-time high point winner at the state meet, including her freshman and sophomore years at 2A Tucumcari High School...19 gold medals in her career...captured state titles in the high jump, long jump, 100-meter hurdles, 400 meters and 100 meters as a senior...set 8 class 1A records in her career...PRs of 5-06.25 in the high jump, 18-03.00 in the long jump, 15.8 in the 100m hurdles, 25.8 in the 200 and 36-06.00 in the triple jump...all-state selection in volleyball and basketball, leading the Vixens to state titles in both sports as a senior...part of 6 state championship teams in basketball ('05), volleyball ('04 & '05) and track ('02, '03 & '04)...North-South All-Star game selection in both sports...named Fort Sumner's 2005 Young Person of the Year...dad, Brian, is the Fort Sumner girls' basketball and track coach...FSHS salutatorian.

PERSONAL:

Born in Amarillo, Texas...full name is Sandy Lenea Fortner...daughter of Brian and Mary Fortner...dad played basketball at Lubbock Christian University...has an older sister Danna (22)...majoring in University Studies.

PERSONAL BESTS

Outdoor
Heptathlon: 5,723 (school record) long jump: 20-6.25
100m hurdles: 14.17
200-meters: 24.89
800-meters: 2:27.25
high jump: 5-7.00
shot put: 46-0.00
Javelin: 133-7.00