University of Oregon
Oregon Preview
Ten Meet Records Fall at Oregon Preview
03/21/10 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. -- Ten meet records fell on a brilliantly sunny afternoon of track and field action Saturday at the Oregon Preview at the Historic Hayward Field. The crowd of 5,918 was also a record for the 2010 outdoor season opener.
That number included more than 500 kids who participated in a free youth clinic before the collegians took the field.
"It was great," said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "A special thank you to the Oregon Track Club and the City of Eugene Recreation Department, they did a marvelous job. I think the kids did a fantastic job, it was a good day for an early season track and field event.
"What a fantastic crowd, a record crowd."
The record-setting day began with a record by Oregon's Claire Michel in the very first event, the women's 2,000 meter steeplechase, and continued through the end with a record run in the men's 4x400 meter relay by the Oregon Track Club Elite.
In between, records fell in the women's hammer, men's 2,000 meter steeplechase, women's 4x100 meter relay, women's pole vault, women's 1,500 meters, women's 400 meters, women's 400 meter hurdles and the men's 3,000 meters.
Michel, a junior from Clackamas, Ore., ran 6:44.08 to break Dana Buchanan's 2009 mark of 6:55.17.
"I felt good but I think I forget sometimes how hard the steeplechase is," said Michel. "I went out a little bit faster than we were trying to pace, we were trying to go very even. As soon as I got to the last lap, you forget that those barriers really tire you out."
The women's relay teams picked up right where they left off from the indoor season. The Ducks' 4x100 squad of Mandy White, Amber Purvis, Keshia Baker and Jamesha Youngblood won in 44.30. That time not only demolished a 15-year-old meet record, but was also the second fastest in school history.
"I really like second leg," said Purvis. "It's the longer leg so it really lets me pick up my speed."
Purvis came back later in the day to break her own meet record in the 400 meters, running a personal best 53.96. That moved the sophomore from Hercules, Calif., to eighth on the Oregon career list.
Junior Melissa Gergel broke her own Preview record by more than a foot with a clearance of 14-1.25. That was less than an inch off her outdoor best. She attempted two vaults at 14-8.5, which would have been the school record, but could not clear the bar.
"Last year I would have been thrilled with that obviously," said Gergel. "But since I've jumped higher it's hard to not be disappointed, but I haven't really practiced all week, so I wasn't feeling great so I should be happy with that."
Jamesha Youngblood broke Abby Andrus' 2003 record of 1:00.51 by clocking 59.95 in the 400 meters hurdles. That put the junior from San Pablo, Calif., at No. 8 on the UO top 10.
"We're all trying to do well and compete for national championships so we'll see where it goes," said Youngblood. "A lot of track meets come down to how you do in the relays, what place and how many points you can score."
Running unattached, senior Jordan McNamara shattered the previous mark in the men's 3,000 meters by :20 to win in 7:53.63.
Other records included former Duck Britney Henry in the women's hammer, who threw 216-9 to break the 2006 mark of 208-6 by Brittany Hinchcliffe. Billy Nelson beat Chris Winter's year-old record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase by :10, running 5:44.59.
The OTC Elite men capped the day with a meet record in the 4x400 meter relay. The team of Tyler Mulder, Elias Koech, Mark Wieczorek and Matt Scherer ran 3:08.45 to snap the two-year old mark of 3:11.70, also set by OTC Elite.
OTC Elite newcomer Sally Kipyego won the women's 1,500 meters in 4:10.71 to break Marla Runyan's 2000 record of 4:11.44.
"Getting a chance for me particularly to run in front of the home crowd for the first time, it feels good to just have a decent race with a crowd like that," said Kipyego.
Oregon's Zoe Buckman finished right behind Kipyego to establish a personal best of 4:12.80 and jump to No. 4 on the Oregon top 10.
"I went into the race wanting to hone in on 4:10 and I didn't set myself any limits and I just had this feeling that I was going to run fast and was completely calm and confident going into it," said Buckman. "It was both an honor and an opportunity to compete here. I would have liked to have finished stronger but there's next time."
After redshirting the 2010 indoor season, Duck sophomore Matthew Centrowitz won the men's 1,500 meters in 3:48.97. He outkicked OTC Elite's Stephen Pifer the final 300 meters for the victory. Senior Michael Maag, making his Oregon debut, was fourth in the 1,500 in 3:51.75.
"That was a loaded field," said Centrowitz. "Just getting the win was great."
Other highlights for the Ducks:
* Senior Lauren Zaludek pulled away from the field the final three laps to win the women's 3,000 meters in 9:37.71. It was the first collegiate win on the track for the fifth-year runner from Elmira, Ore.
* Jasmine Kelly set a personal best in winning the women's high jump at 5-10. That moved the senior from Vancouver, Wash., into a tie for sixth on the UO outdoor list.
* junior Britton Nelson threw a personal best 219-8 to win the men's javelin. Freshman Michael Thompson was second at 216-3 in his first event as a Duck.
* senior Colin Witter-Tilton captured the men's pole vault with a clearance at 16-6.75.
* junior Jordan Stray won the men's hammer with a throw of 209-8, his best distance in two years.
* freshman Chloe Steinbeck took the women's 800 in 2:11.18.
* sophomore Lyndsay Pearson won the women's 100 hurdles in a wind-aided personal best of 13.94.
* sophomore Eric Hersey claimed the men's 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.24.
* sophomore Brian Schaudt leapt 47-8.5 to win the men's triple jump. Freshman Tyler Pinkney was second at 47-2.25.
* Oregon's contingent of Vernell Warren, Eric Hersey, Chad Barlow and Matt Butcher won the men's 4x100 in 41.76.
* Oregon's women's 4x400 meter squad of Camilla Dencer, Friday, Buckman and Steinbeck won in 3:51.12.
* junior Sara Cole earned a second place finish in the women's hammer with a mark of 168-11.
* junior Jordan Roskelley took second in the women's pole vault at 12-7.5.
* freshman Michael VanDoren finished second in the men's shot put with a throw of 49-4.5.
* freshman Alexandria Davidson took second in the women's 100 meters in 12.15.
* David Klech and Danny Marconi tied for second in the men's high jump with a clearance of 6-9.5.
* sophomore Matt Butcher was second in the men's 200 meters in 22.00.
* former Duck heptathlete and current Duck volunteer assistant Kalindra McFadden won the women's long jump in 18-5.75.
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