University of Oregon
Prefontaine Classic
Mitchum & Skipper Shine Against World's Best in Pre Classic
06/19/04 | Track and Field
EUGENE - University of Oregon freshman Tommy Skipper and sophomore Eric Mitchum posted strong efforts Saturday against many of the world's best in their final home track and field appearance of 2004 in the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field.
In the pole vault, Skipper matched his pre-meet seed of eighth in the nine-man field that featured three of the nine men ever to clear 6.00 meters (19-8 1/4). Skipper cleared a final height of 18-4 1/2 - his third highest outdoor clearance of his career with the top three all from the past month. The Sandy, Ore., native passed at the opening heights of 17-4 1/2 (5.30m) and 17-8 1/2 (5.40m), then cleared 18-0 1/2 (5.50m) and 18-4 1/2 (5.60m) on his third attempts, before he missed three tries at 18-8 1/4 (5.70m.) Skipper was the only collegian invited to the field that was topped by American record holder Jeff Hartwig (first, 19-0 1/4). Australian and 2001 world champion Dmitri Markov took second (19-0 1/4), ahead of post-collegian and NCAA indoor champ Brad Walker (third, 19-0 1/4), Toby Stevenson (fourth, 19-0 1/4) and Derek Miles (fifth, 18-8 1/4). Former Duck All-American and Pac-10 champ Piotr Buciarski followed in sixth (18-4 1/2), just ahead of Olympic champ Nick Hyson (seventh, 18-4 1/2), as the duo edged Skipper on fewer misses at 18-4 1/2 (Buciarski made his first attempt and Hysong converted his second try). The Duck record holder Skipper will now enjoy a short respite from competition after a busy month that featured NCAA (18-8 1/4), West Regional (18-10 1/4) and Pac-10 (18-3 1/4) wins, while his regional effort broke the Pac-10 record formerly held by Stevenson, a Stanford graduate in 2000 (18-9 1/4). Skipper also finished second in mid-March's NCAA indoor finale (18-4 1/2) after he led the collegiate indoor qualifying list with his school record from early February (18-8 3/4). Coming into Saturday, Skipper ranked sixth in the U.S. and eighth in the world on the early season best lists with his school record 18-10 1/4 from the West Regional three weeks ago in Northridge, Calif. On the track in the 110 hurdles, sophomore Eric Mitchum competed in the Pre Classic for the second straight season and took sixth (13.66, w:1.3) as the only collegiate entry. Nike's Larry Wade won the event (13.14) in the same time as Olympic champion Allen Johnson (13.14)., and former Duck All-American Micah Harris followed in third place (13.44). Mitchum added another chapter to an impressive second season for the Ducks that recently featured Pac-10 (13.62, w:0.8) and West Regional (13.72, w:0.4) wins, and an NCAA runner-up finish and .15-second school record last week in Austin, Texas (13.38, w:1.2). In mid-March, the Calumet City, Ill., native was also an All-American indoors in the 60 hurdles (sixth, 7.74) after he broke his school record with the second-fastest clocking in the prelims (7.69). Mitchum and Harris entered Saturday's meet tied for sixth in the U.S. and eighth in the world on 2004's early season best lists. Among other former Ducks, 2003 NCAA champion Becky Holliday took sixth in the pole vault (13-9 1/4), two-time Pac-10 champ Adam Kriz placed eighth in the hammer (219-9), Grace Upshaw finished second in the long jump (22-7), and Nick Rogers did not finish the 5K. Among other area post-collegians, Ray Hughes added 10th in the mile (4:00.87) and Marla Runyan took fourth in the 1,500 (4:06.37). Men's event winners included Shawn Crawford (100, 9.88, w:1.8), Charlie Gruber (1,500, 3:37.23), Alan Webb (mile, 3:50.85), Joseph Koskei (5,000, 13:26.78), Felix Sanchez (400 hurdles, 48.12), Jamie Nieto (high jump, 7-6 1/2), Christian Cantwell (shot put, 71-4), Koji Murofushi (hammer, 271-2). Women's event winners included Inger Miller (100, 11.05), former Eugenean Maria Mutola (800, 1:57.78), Yelena Zadorzhnaya (1,500, 4:02.15), Perdita Felicien (100 hurdles, 12.46, w:0.7), Stacy Dragila (pole vault, 15-5) and Marion Jones (long jump, 22-9, w:1.0). Full meet results are available at the
Looking ahead three weeks, Skipper, Mitchum and redshirt junior Sarah Malone will compete next in the U.S. Olympic Trials, Fri.-Sun., July 9-18 at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif., and more meet info is available at the
Several other Duck freshmen will compete this weekend in the U.S. Junior Championships in College Station, Texas. More meet info is available at the
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