University of Oregon
UW Indoor Preview
Gergel Earns Return Trip to NCAA Championships at Dempsey Indoor Preview
01/17/10 | Track and Field
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Melissa Gergel earned a trip to the NCAA Championships and Colin Witter-Tilton a pair of women's 800 meter runners earned NCAA provisional marks Saturday at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview at the Dempsey Indoor Facility.
Gergel, a junior from Glenwood, Ill., hit the NCAA automatic standard in the pole vault by clearing the bar at 14 feet, 1.25 inches, becoming just the third Oregon woman to clear 14 feet indoors. She tied Carly Dockendorf for the UW Indoor title and moved into a tie with Niki McEwen for the second-best indoor vault in Oregon history, trailing only All-American Becky Holliday, who cleared 14-3.25 in 2003.
The men were also successful in the pole vault with Witter-Tilton earning an NCAA provisional mark with a clearance at 17-5. That was the second-best clearance on the day and was an indoor personal best by nearly half a foot for the senior from Oro Valley, Ariz.
Anne Kesselring and Zoe Buchman ran NCAA Championship provisional times in the 800 meters. Kesselring, a freshman Nurnberg, Germany, won the race in 2:07.25 with Buckman, a junior from Canberra, Australia, on her heels in 2:07.99. Kesselring's time ranked fifth all-time indoors for Oregon. Freshman Chloe Steinbeck won her section of the 800 in 2:13.81.
Jordan Stray won the men's weight throw with a personal best toss of 62-1. That mark moved the junior from Centralia, Wash., to No. 4 on the Oregon career list. Junior Scott Penny was third with a throw of 52-8.75.
Sophomore Danny Marconi set all conditions personal best in tying for first in the high jump. The Klamath Falls, Ore., native cleared 6-11, just missing an NCAA provisional mark. Defending NCAA indoor heptathlon champion Ashton Eaton tied for fourth with a clearance at 6-9.
Sophomore Brian Schaudt won the triple jump with an indoor PR of 48-6.
Senior Rita Santibanez won the shot put with a throw of 44-10.25. Sophomore Brianne Theisen, the defending NCAA heptathlon champion, was fifth with a personal-best throw of 40-6.25.
Freshman Elijah Greer broke the school record in the 600 meters by winning the off-event in 1:18.01. That was nearly :03 better than the previous mark of 1:20.94 set by Tomas Finol in 2003. Travis Thompson finished second in 1:18.35, as that time moved the junior from Newport, Ore. to No. 2 on the UO list.
Greer also helped Oregon's distance medley relay team to a victory in 9:47.19. Senior A.J. Acosta led off, followed by junior Justin Cross, Greer and senior Scott Wall.
Newcomers Michele Williams and Alexandria Davidson cracked the school record books in the 60 meters in their first meet as Ducks, as did senior Keshia Baker.
Mandy White led the team in the 60 meters, finishing fifth in 7.70, just off her personal best. Williams, a junior transfer from Adams State was right behind her in 7.72, which moved her to fourth on the Oregon list. Davidson, a freshman from DuPont, Wash., clocked 7.73 in the prelims, which was matched by Baker's PR in the final. Both times rank fifth all-time at Oregon.
Baker also set a PR in winning her heat of the 200 meters in 24.29. That was the second-fastest time on the day, and also moved the Sacramento, Calif., native to No. 2 on the UO indoor list. Williams was second in that heat in 24.81, while junior Jamesha Youngblood was third in 24.84.
The Ducks were also victorious in both 4x400 relays.
The men's team of Chad Barlow, Eaton, Matt Butcher and Thompson crossed the line in 3:12.71.
The women's team of Camilla Dencer, Theisen, Davidson and Erin Funkhouser won in 3:47.83.
Freshman Michael VanDoren took second in the shot put with a throw of 49-8.5.
Sophomore Jordan Roskelley just missed an NCAA mark in the women's pole vault, clearing an indoor personal best 13-0.75 in tying for fourth.
Freshman Sarah Penney was second in the mile in 4:50.10.
Junior Eric Hersey won his finals heat of the 60 meters hurdles in a personal best 8.08.
Sophomore Lynsday Pearson just missed a PR in the 60 meter hurdles, finishing second in her final heat in 8.85.
Junior Amy Skofstad took second in the long jump with a leap of 18-3.
Senior Kenny Klotz was fourth in the mile in 4:05.20.
Junior Jasmine Kelly was just a half-inch off her indoor PR with a clearance at 5-6 in the high jump. Freshman Kelly Petaja also cleared that height which was tied for fourth overall.
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