University of Oregon
Oregon Preview
Throwers into Action
03/22/09 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. -- Anxious to finally join their highly successful NCAA indoor teammates for the first time in 2009, Duck throwers won five events to highlight a successful outdoor opener for the home team Saturday at the Oregon Preview.
Ashley McCrea and Cyrus Hostetler captured wins in their respective javelin competitions, while Lucy Cridland was a winner in the women's discus, Rita Santibanez won the women's shot put and Jordan Stray captured the title in the men's hammer before a lively crowd of 4,326 at Historic Hayward Field.
"We got what we wanted out of this meet," said Associate Head Coach Dan Steele. "There's a long season ahead of us, and the kids got a chance to compete. Any time we get out on Hayward is a good day."
McCrea, a 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier, set a personal best in the javelin with a throw of 172 feet, 2 inches. That mark was the third best in school history and a personal best by five-and-a-half feet.
"Today was huge for me given my past," said the senior from North Bend, Ore., who exceeded her previous best, 166-8, set in 2007. "Last season I was stuck in the 50s (meters) and so this meant a lot. I wanted to leave everything out there on the field.
"I've never run (a victory lap) before. It was fun."
"That was the performance of the day," said Steele. "Any time you get a personal best in the first event of the outdoor season, it's great to see."
McCrea wasn't the only victory lap victory rookie on Saturday.
Hostetler, another 2009 Olympic Trials competitor, won the javelin with a throw of 218-11 in his first meet as a Duck.
"The distance was a little disappointing," said the junior from Dundee, Ore. "I wanted to throw a little farther, but I'm happy with the win.
"It was my first victory lap at Hayward. It was good to be wearing the Oregon jersey. Being able to wear the yellow and green jersey felt amazing."
Santibanez, another newcomer, set a one-foot personal-best in the shot put with an effort of 48-10.75.
Cridland, a senior from Portland, Ore., set a personal best in winning the women's discus with a throw of 164-0.
"I'm very happy," she said. "I was kind of expecting it, and this was my first goal - to hit the regional qualifying mark, which I did on my first throw.
"I didn't compete in the indoor season, so it's good to get out here and get to start throwing again."
Stray, sophomore from Centralia, Wash., won the men's hammer with a toss of 195-8, while senior Steven Johnson was third at 187-11.
All five Duck winners and Johnson reached NCAA Regional provisional-qualifying marks.
But it wasn't just the throwers taking victory laps on Saturday.
The women's 1,500 produced three NCAA regional qualifiers for the Ducks. Junior Zoe Buckman won in 4:21.68, with junior Nicole Blood second (4:22.07) and Mattie Bridgmon third (4:27.12).
Senior Scott Wall won for the first time at Hayward Field during his Oregon career, taking the men's 1,500 in 3:48.17.
"Not a bad performance for the beginning of the year," said the Portland, Ore., native. "It was nice to finally be able to break through my senior year and take a victory lap."
Amber Purvis continued her form over from the indoor season where she was one of the nation's fastest freshmen. Racing outdoors for the first time, she won the 400 meters in a meet-record 54.27. That was the 10th-fastest time in school history and also a personal best for the Hercules, Calif., native.
Sophomore Melissa Gergel tied the meet record in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-1.5, which was an NCAA provisional mark. She matched the meet record set by Oregon's Kirsten Riley in 2004 and matched by Jessie Gallaher of Concordia in 2007.
Freshman Brian Schaudt of Philomath, Ore., was a double winner on Saturday. He leapt 22-7 - just three inches off his personal best - to win the long jump and then hit 47-4.5 in winning the triple jump.
Other Oregon winners included Rebecca Rhodes in the women's 100 meter hurdles (14.47), Eric Hersey in the men's 110 meter hurdles (14.53), Chad Barlow in the men's 400 (47.92), Alexandra Kosinski in the women's 800 (2:12.48), Lyndsay Pearson in the women's 400 meter hurdles (1:03.04) and Marshall Ackley in the men's 400 meters hurdles (53.62).
The Ducks also captured the men's 4x400 meter relay. The team of Zach Ancell, Justin Cross, Brian McGinty and Travis Thompson posted a time of 3:19.60.
Nike's Arianna Lambie won the women's 3,000 meters in 9:30.26, with Amber McGown second in 9:39.35.
Running unattached, A. J. Acosta won the men's 3,000 meters in 8:13.34, with Danny Mercado second in 8:14.69 and twin brother Diego Mercado third in 8:15.19.
Dana Buchanan, a sixth-year senior, won the women's 2,000 meter steeplechase in 6:55.17, but the time and place were less significant than the fact that Buchanan made her first varsity appearance for Oregon since the 2006 NCAA West Regional.
In the men's 2,000 meter steeplechase, senior Chris Winter broke his own meet record in winning in 5:54.25.
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