University of Oregon
Mountain Pacific Championships
McFadden Wins MPSF Pentathlon as UO Women Stand Tied for Second
02/28/09 | Track and Field
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Senior Kalindra McFadden won the pentathlon and strong performances in the long jump, pole vault and 200 meters helped propel the Oregon women's track and field team into second place following Friday's first day of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Championships held at the Dempsey Indoor Facility.
McFadden scored a personal-best 4,044 points, which was 28 points better than Stanford's Whitney Liehr, to win her first pentathlon title. She won the 800 meters in 2:17.45 and the shot put with a throw of 42-8.25. The Bozeman, Mont., native also cleared a season-best 5-5.75 in the high jump, which was tied for third, took fourth in the long jump with a mark of 18-2.5 and ran fifth in the 60 meter hurdles in 8.93.
McFadden's total was an NCAA provisional mark that was just six points shy of an NCAA automatic bid. It was also the second-best pentathlon total for an Oregon athlete.
Stanford led the women's competition with 56 points, followed by Oregon and Arizona State with 47 points each. California was fourth with 28 points, followed by Washington at 25.5.
On the men's side, the Ducks picked up 14 points in the 5,000 meters with a 2-3 finish from the Mercado twins to stand tied for fourth with 20.5 points. Diego Mercado finished second in 13:58.79, just off his personal best, while Danny Mercado was third in 14:03.28. Danny Mercado's mark was nearly a 10-second PR, and also improved his NCAA Indoor Championships provisional mark.
In addition to McFadden's pentathlon win, sophomore Jamesha Youngblood claimed eight points for the Duck women by finishing second in the long jump. Her leap of 20-1.5 was just shy of UCLA's Danielle Watson, who won with a mark of 20-2.25. Freshman Brianne Theisen also got a point for the Ducks in the long jump with her eighth-place effort of 18-11.25.
Sophomore Melissa Gergel was third in the pole vault. Her clearance of 13-5.25 was the second-best of Friday night, but Katerin Stefanidi of Stanford was awarded second based on misses.
Oregon also earned nine points in the 200 meters from Keshia Baker and Mandy White, who both ran personal bests. Baker was fourth in 24.44, while White was fifth in 24.62. Baker's time ranked fourth all-time at Oregon.
In Friday's first event, Megan Maloney got the scoring started for the women with her fourth-place finish in the weight throw. The senior threw 56-2.5 on her fourth attempt.
Sophomore Bria Wetsch placed fifth in the 5,000 meters by running an NCAA provisional time of 16:38.64.
The women's distance medley relay team placed fourth in 11:45.69, gaining five points.
In preliminary round action, freshman Amber Purvis and White advanced to Saturday's final in the 60 meters. Purvis won her heat in 7.40 seconds, while White ran a personal best 7.57 in finishing second to Cal State Northridge's Sherrina Lofton (7.54) in heat one.
Freshman Lyndsay Pearson finished second in her heat of the 60 meter hurdles, running 8.80 to advance to Saturday's final.
For the men, who had a light day of action on Friday, sophomore Vernell Warren jumped a personal-best 24 feet, 7.25 inches to tie for third in the long jump. It was also an NCAA provisional mark for the Portland, Ore., native.
In preliminarily rounds for the men, sophomore Eric Hersey won his 60 meter hurdles heat in a personal-best 8.17 to advance to Saturday's final.
In the heptathlon, junior Aaron McVein was a surprising third after the first four events with 2,989 points. The Eugene, Ore., native won the high jump in a collegiate best clearance of 6-7 and was second in the 60 meters (7.14). Junior Marshall Ackley was ninth with 2,664 points.
Arizona State led the men's competition with 28 points, while Washington was second with 25. Cal State Northridge was next with 24 points, followed by Oregon and Stanford tied for fourth (20.5) and UCLA in sixth (20).
The MPSF championships conclude Saturday with a number of Ducks entered in finals, including Andrew Wheating and Galen Rupp in the men's 800 meters, A.J. Acosta and Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott in the mile, Matt Centrowitz and Luke Puskedra in the 3,000 meters and Ashton Eaton in the long jump, in addition to the completion of the heptathlon. The women will have Purvis and White in the 60-meter final, Zoe Buckman in the 800 meters, Alex Kosinski in the mile, Nicole Blood, Mattie Bridgmon and Lindsey Scherf in the 3,000 meters and Theisen in the high jump.
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