Duck Decathletes & Heptathletes Look Forward to Pac-10 Battle in the Desert
EUGENE - The University of Oregon track and field teams will send their multi-event corps this weekend to Tucson, Ariz., for the Pacific-10 Conference Championships Heptathlon & Decathlon, Sat.-Sun., May 14-15 at the University of Arizona’s Roy Drachman Stadium.
The Ducks sport three of the Pac-10's top-five seeded decathletes in redshirt sophomore Andy Young (first, 7,179), redshirt senior Gabriel LeMay (second, 7,175) and redshirt sophomore Ryan Voge (fifth, 7,054), and the trio also ranks 20th, 21st and 28th , respectively, on the NCAA qualifying list.
Others in the conference with NCAA provisional marks in 2004 include Arizona State senior Joshua Kinnaman (7,147) and Cal senior Scott Sobieralski (7,086) who rank third and fourth in the league. WSU sophomore Darion Powell looms as the top returnee from last year (second, 7,386) and was fourth three weeks later in his NCAA debut last year (7,511). His season best from two weeks ago (6,887) puts him seventh on this week’s Pac-10 list.
Young is a native of Newberg, Ore., (near Portland), and took fifth as a freshman last season in the league 10-eventer with a then-best (7,017w) and provisional mark, and is also the Ducks’ top returning finisher from last season. LeMay (pron. LUH-may), a local product out of Yoncalla, Ore., is a redshirt senior and second-year transfer from nearby Lane Community College where he owned a then-best of 6,832 points that ranked second in LCC history behind world champion Tom Pappas. Voge (pronounce VOE-ghee), is a first-year Duck transfer from New Mexico, who owned a previous Duck best of 6,448 points from his fifth-place finish in the 2003 Mountain West Championships. The Hillsboro, Ore., native (near Portland) initially enrolled as a freshman at Oregon State in 2001-02, then competed last year at New Mexico.
This season, the trio have competed only once in the decathlon, and got a sneak preview of the University of Arizona facility on spring break week (3/23-24/04). Young led collegians in the Mike Maynard Wildcat Combined Events decathlon and finished third overall with 7,179 points, four points ahead of LeMay (fourth, 7,175), and Voge (sixth, 7,054) also topped the NCAA provisional standard of 7,000 points. Overall in the event, former NCAA champion and Army post-collegian Bevan Hart won the competition by 63 points (7,798) over former Clemson All-American and Napa entry Andy Geisler (second, 7,735). Voge’s two-day mark was an impressive 606-point personal best, and LeMay and Young turned in 343 and162 -point personal bests, respectively.
Indoors in 2004, the Duck trio also scored NCAA provisional marks in the heptathlon which made its debut as an NCAA Indoor Championships event. LeMay ranked 17th nationally with his winning mark from the Mountain Pacific Championships on Feb. 27-28 (5,443) and was three places and 40 points shy of the last invite to the meet on the national qualifying list. Young and Voge also scored NCAA provisional marks in the same event and ranked 20th (5,385) and 40th (5,194) on the NCAA provisional list.
The Duck men may use one of their three wildcard entries to enter freshman Tommy Skipper who would make his event debut. The Sandy, Ore., native is well known among collegiate circles after he set the school pole vault record indoors in 2004 and led the collegiate regular season qualifying list with his early February vault (18-8 3/4). He ended the indoor campaign with a runner-up NCAA finish and his second highest clearance ever (18-4 1/2) in the NCAA finale and trailed only returning NCAA champ and 19-foot vaulter Brad Walker, a now graduated senior for Washington. Looking at his decathlon potential, the Sandy, Ore., native Skipper was one of the nation’s most versatile prep athletes the past four years and owns the following personal best high school marks - 100 10.83 (2002), 200 21.86 (2003), 300H 39.17 (2001), LJ 22-10 1/4, HJ 6-4 (2002), JT 211-9 (2001).
The decathlon has proven one of the Ducks’ biggest point producers in recent years under the guidance of fifth-year event coach Bill Lawson. Before his arrival in 1998-98, the Ducks had featured three top-nine Pac-10 finishers the same year only once since 1987 (1995 - Jeromy Williams, first, 7,806; Ray Livingston, second, 7,754; Kanon Vanderhoff, third, 7,539). Since the arrival of the former University of Northern Iowa associate head coach Lawson, the Ducks have turned the trick the each of the past four years, including three in the top five last year (Santiago Lorenzo, first, 7,564; Jason Slye, fourth, 7,078w, Andy Young, fifth, 7,017w). Over that period, a Duck has finished top two in the event every year, including a current string of three straight titles by the former NCAA champion Lorenzo (2003, 7,564; 2001, 7,617) and Billy Pappas (2002, 7,532).The Duck trio will also take aim at a spot on the school all-time top-10 list, and will need a score of 7,303 points or better. Oregon’s decathlon list is a storied one and has claimed one NCAA title, 12 All-America honors and 10 Pac-8/10 titles (the third most of the 21 events for the Ducks behind the steeplechase (12) and mile/1500 (11)). Three Ducks have topped 8,000 points - Pedro daSilva (8,167), Muhammad Oliver (8,087) in the 1992 NCAA final when they third and fourth overall, and former NCAA runner-up and Eugene product Craig Brigam (third, 8,027). Two of Lawson’s pupils already stand top-10 - fourth-ranked Santiago Lorenzo (7,889) who netted an NCAA title with that mark in Eugene in 2001, and Billy Pappas (ninth, 7,488) who posted his score for an All-America honor the same year.
In the women’s heptathlon, redshirt senior Abby Andrus will also chase a top-five Pac-10 finish and season best that could net an NCAA return. Last season and her first as a Duck, she posted a 151-point personal best of 5,303 points to finish third in the league showdown. She followed with her NCAA debut (18th, 5,019) and third +5,000 point score of 2003 after the former junior college national runner-up joined the Ducks the previous fall with a then-personal best of 4,903 points.
This season, the Peoria, Ariz., native ranks fourth the conference with her season best of 5,060 points from the Oregon Invitational (4/22-23), that also ranks her seventh in the regional and 31st nationally. Other conference rivals ranked ahead of her on the national qualifying list include Cal’s Brooke Meredith (third, 5,511), WSU’s Julie Pickler (24th, 5,135) and Washington’s Grace Vela (30th, 5,065).
Indoors in 2004, Andrus made her second NCAA appearance with the addition of the five-event pentathlon to the NCAA Indoor Championships schedule. During the season, she claimed her invite on the last weekend of the regular season with a qualifier (3,908 points) from an Idaho State meet that ranked her 11th nationally, then followed with a 16th-place NCAA finish a week later in Fayetteville, Ark. (3,075 points with no points from the long jump).
The heptathlon has also stood as an Oregon forte throughout history and has accounted for one NCAA title, another runner-up finish, six All-America honors and two Pac-10 titles. Two-time Olympian Kelly Blair owns a fair share of that hardware with her NCAA title in 1993 (school record 6,034), runner-up finish in 1994 (5,877) and third All-America honor in 1992 (sixth, 5,377), and Pac-10 titles in 1993 (meet record 5,989) and ?94 (5,025). She went on to win three U.S. titles, and make two Olympic Teams (1996, 2000) and two World Championships teams (1995, ?97). Other Duck All-Americans include Jennifer Thomas (1997, 11th, 5,306; 1998, sixth, 5,385) and Stefanie Hunter (1989, ninth, 5,484).
Current heptathlon mentor and first-year Duck mentor Rock Light also owns a celebrated resume in the event. In his six seasons overseeing the event at LSU, his women’s heptathletes won an NCAA title in 1991 (Sharon Jaklofsky) and additional All-America honors in 1992 (Jaklofsy, Jovennie McDuffie) and 93 (Jaklofsky), and he also guided four All-America decathletes including 1995 NCAA champ Mario Sategna (8,172). In Southeastern Conference Championships action, Jaklofsky won conference hep titles in 1991 (5,969), ?92 (5,904) and ?93 (5,628) and an indoor pentathlon crown in ?92 (4,212) and Sategna won a dec title in ?94 (7,489).
Looking ahead to the following weekend, the remainder of the Duck men’s and women’s track and field teams prepare for battle for the remaining 20 events on the men’s and women’s sides in Tucson, Fri.-Sat., May 14-15. The men are the returning Pac-10 champions after a one-point win, 131-130, over Stanford last year, and the Duck women took seventh with 60 points. The Duck men return a pair of former league champions - Adam Jenkins (javelin) and Brandon Holliday (400 hurdles), and three more runners-up in Eric Mitchum (110 hurdles), Brett Holts (steeple) and Jason Hartmann (10,000). The women return a two-time runner-up in Sarah Malone (javelin) - the nation's top-ranked javelin thrower with her school record from the Texas Relays (179-7).
More meet information is available at the
www.ArizCats.com and www.Pac-10.org websites.
2004 Pac-10 Decathlon Qualifying List
1 - 7,179% - **Andy Young, ORE (3/23-24)
2 - 7,175% - Gabriel LeMay, ORE (3/23-24)
3 - 7,147% - Joshua Kinnaman, ASU (3/23-24)
4 - 7,086% - **Scott Sobieralski, CAL (3/24-25)
5 - 7,054% - **Ryan Voge, ORE (3/23-24)
6 - 7,052% - Chris Staton, UCLA (4/14-15)
7 - 6,887 - **Darion Powell, WSU (3/24-25)
8 - 6,847 - ***Brandon Brownell, WSU (3/24-25)
9 - 6,700 - - David Turpin, WSU (3/24-25)
10 - 6,326 - *Nicholas Taylor, STAN (4/14-15)
11 - 6,139 - *Timi Wusu, STAN (4/14-15)
12 - 5,892 - **Doug Blaty, WASH (4/5)
2004 Pac-10 Heptathlon Qualifying List
1 - 5,511# - *Brooke Meredith, CAL (3/25)
2 - 5,135% - **Julie Pickler, WSU (4/14-15)
3 - 5,065% - *Grace Vela, WASH (4/14-15)
4 - 5,060% - Abby Andrus, ORE (4/22-23)
5 - 4,621 - **Nastassja Hall, UCLA (4/14-15)
6 - 4,547 - *Amanda Underwood, ARIZ (4/14-15)
7 - 4,447 - ***Georgea Richards, UCLA (4/14-15)
8 - 4,215 - *Ahimsa Hodari, STAN (4/14-15)
Asterisks indicates # of years of eligibility remaining (ie 3 *** = freshman, 2 ** = sophomore 1 * = junior)
# = automatic mark
% = provisional mark
All-Time Oregon Decathlon List
1. Pedro daSilva - 8,167 (1992)
2. Muhammad Oliver - 8,087 (1992)
3. Craig Brigham - 8,027 (1975)
4. Santiago Lorenzo - 7,889 (2001)
5. Jeromy Williams - 7,806 (1995)
6. Ray Livingston - 7,754 (1995)
7. Dave Edstrom - 7,599 (1959)
8. Kanon Vanderhoff - 7,539 (1995)
9. Billy Pappas - 7,532 (2002)
10. Paul Pappas - 7,303 (1997)
> Andy Young - 7,179 (2004)
> Gabriel LeMay - 7,175 (2004)
> Ryan Voge - 7,054 (2004)
All-Time Oregon Heptathlon List
1. Kelly Blair - 6,034 (1993)
2. Camille Jampolsky - 5,516 (1987)
3. Stefanie Hunter - 5,484 (1989)
4. Jennifer Thomas - 5,452 (1998)
5. Abby Andrus - 5,303 (2003)
6. Jenny Kenyon - 5,169 (2002)
7. Kamala Kohlmeier - 5,100 (1991)
8. Katie O’Brien - 4,990 (1988)
9. Lauri Tennant - 4,948 (1983)
10. Tish Henes - 4,902 (1996)
Young Decathlon Personal Bests
100 meters - 11.31w, w:+4.4, Pac-10 Championships, 5/10/03
Long Jump - 21-8 3/4, w:+2.0, Texas Relays, 4/2/03; 22-0 1/4, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
Shot Put - 35-3 3/4, Pac-10 Championships, 5/10/03
High Jump - 6-3 1/2, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
400 meters - 50.27, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
1st Day - 3,669 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
110 Hurdles - 15.14 (w:+0.4), Pac-10 Championships, 5/11/03
Discus - 127-5, Pac-10 Championships, 5/11/03
Pole Vault - 15-9, Texas Relays, 4/3/03
Javelin - 170-10, Texas Relays, 4/3/03
1,500 - 4:22.49, Pac-10 Championships, 5/11/03
2nd Day - 3,669, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Final - 7,179, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23-24/04
LeMay Decathlon PRs
100 (11.05 pre-Oregon)
LJ (21-0); 6.45m, 21-2, w:1.6, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
SP (43-3 pre-Oregon)
HJ - 1.95m, 6-4 3/4, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
400 - 48.63, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
First Day - 3,774 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
110H - 15.78, w:0.9, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
DT - 131-5, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
PV - 14-3 1/4, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
JT (151-1 pre-Oregon)
1,500 - 4:26.53, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Second Day - 3,401 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Final - 7,175 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23-24/04
Voge Decathlon Personal Bests
100 - 11.27, w:1.5, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
Long Jump - 23-4 3/4, 7.12m, w:2.1, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
Shot Put - 12.16m, 39-10 3/4, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
High Jump - 2.02m, 6-7 1/2, 822 points, Mountain West Champs, 5/14/03
400 - 49.96, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
First Day - 3,863 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23/04
110 Hurdles - 16.00, w:0.9, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Discus - 110-5, 534 points, Don Kirby Invite, 3/21/03
Pole Vault - 4.55m, 14-11, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Javelin - 48.96m, 160-7, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
1,500 - 4:42.56, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Second Day - 3,191 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/24/04
Final - 7,054 points, Mike Maynard Combined Events, 3/23-24/04
Andrus Heptathlon Event Personal Bests
100H - 13.99 (w:2.8), Pac-10, 5/10/03
High Jump - 1.62m (5-3 3/4), Pac-10, 5/10/03
Shot Put - 10.54m (34-7), Oregon Invite, 4/22/04
200 - 25.69 (w:0.0), NCAA, 6/13/03
1st Day - 3,108, Pac-10, 5/10/03
LJ - 5.62m (18-5 1/4, w1.7), Pac-10, 5/11/03
JT - 36.08m (118-4), Oregon Invite, 4/25/03
800 -2:14.42, Oregon Invite, 4/25/03
2nd Day - NCAA, 2,195, 6/14/03
Overall - 5,303, Pac-10 Champs, 5/10-11
2004 NCAA National Qualifying List
1 Ryan Harlan, Sr., Rice 8054 - MW (04-17)
2 Maurice Smith, Sr., Auburn 8024 - ME (04-01)
3 Mustafa Abdur-Rahim, Jr., Dartmouth - 7936 - E (03-25)
4 Trey Hardee, So., Mississippi St. - 7746 - ME (04-01)
5 Donovan Kilmartin, Fr., Texas - 7729 - MW (04-01)
6 Travis Brandstatter, Jr., Minnesota - 7677 - MW (04-15)
7 Justin Youngblood, Sr., Texas-San Anton - 7403 - MW (04-01)
8 Chris Wineberg, Sr., Cincinnati - 7387 - ME (04-01)
9 Jereme Richardson, Jr., Idaho - 7346 - W (04-23)
10 Paul Speer, Jr., Wichita St. - 7343 - MW (04-23)
11 Blake Sabo, Sr., Tennessee - 7335 - ME (04-08)
12 Hans Uldal, So., Missouri - 7329 - ME (04-30)
13 Rajne Svenssohn, Sr., Manhattan - 7313 - E (04-08)
14 Steve Esler, Sr., Buffalo - 7306 - E (04-23)
15 Rick Hill, Sr., Clemson - 7300 - E (04-17)
16 Chris Helwick, Fr., Tennessee - 7276 - ME (04-08)
17 Brandon Buteaux, So., Texas-San Anton - 7218 - MW (04-01)
18 Trevor O'Grady, Jr., Rutgers - 7212 - E (05-01)
19 Brent Hobbs, So., Clemson - 7180 - E (04-17)
20 Andy Young, So., Oregon - 7179 - W (03-23)
21 Gabe LeMay, Sr., Oregon - 7175 - W (03-23)
22 Devin Scoresby, Sr., BYU - 7167 - W (04-22)
23 Joshua Kinnaman, Fr., Arizona St. - 7147 - W (03-24)
24 Mark Johnson, Sr., New Mexico - 7141 - MW (04-01)
25 David Hinton, Jr., Mt. St. Mary's - 7102 - E (04-21)
26 Scott Sobieralski, So., California - 7086 - W (03-25)
27 Ashraf Fadel, Sr., Wisconsin - 7056 - ME (04-01)
28 Ryan Voge, So., Oregon - 7054 - W (03-23)
29 Chris Staton, Jr., UCLA - 7052 - W (04-15)
30 Curtis Pugsley, Sr., BYU - 7044 - W (04-01)
31 Mike Runey, Sr., Texas St. - 7044 - MW (04-01)
32 Alex Hritcu, Jr., Tennessee - 7043 - ME (04-08)
33 Tyler Bengtson, Sr., Princeton - 7041 - E (04-15)
34 Jake Wiseman, Jr., Indiana - 7037 - ME (04-22)
35 Ron Vellion, Jr., Houston - 7034 - MW (04-01)
36 Adam Matthews, Sr., Idaho St. - 7009 - W (03-18)
2004 West Regional Decathlon Rankings
1 Jereme Richardson, Jr., Idaho - 7346 (04-23)
2 Andy Young, So., Oregon - 7179 (03-23)
3 Gabe LeMay, Sr., Oregon - 7175 (03-23)
4 Devin Scoresby, Sr., BYU - 7167 (04-22)
5 Joshua Kinnaman, Fr., Arizona St. - 7147 (03-24)
6 Scott Sobieralski, So., California - 7086 (03-25)
7 Ryan Voge, So., Oregon - 7054 (03-23)
8 Chris Staton, Jr., UCLA - 7052 (04-15)
9 Curtis Pugsley, Sr., BYU - 7044 (04-01)
10 Adam Matthews, Sr., Idaho St. - 7009 (03-18)
2004 NCAA Heptathlon National Qualifying List
1 Hyleas Fountain, Sr., Georgia 6033 - E (04-18)
2 JaNelle Wright, So., Kansas St. - 5615 - MW (03-24)
3 Brooke Meredith, Jr., California - 5511 - W (03-25)
4 Chelsea Hammond, Jr., S. Carolina - 5405 - E (04-09)
5 Ryanne Dupree, So., Texas-San Anton - 5383 - MW (04-01)
6 Jessica Stockard, So., Missouri - 5378 - ME (04-30)
7 Tamara McGill, Jr., Pittsburgh - 5375 - E (05-01)
8 Andrea Pressley, Sr., Jacksonville - 5368 - E (03-25)
9 Annmarie Turpin, Sr., Irvine - 5332 - W (04-15)
10 Krystal Ward, Jr., Houston - 5329 - MW (04-17)
11 Jordan Willmann, Jr., Baylor - 5326 - MW (05-01)
12 Ashley Selig, So., Nebraska - 5316 - MW (04-01)
13 Sara Jane Baker, So., Nebraska - 5295 - MW (04-30)
14 Saskia Triesscheijn, So., VA Tech - 5292 - E (04-14)
15 Lela V. Nelson, Jr., E. Michigan - 5290 - ME (04-08)
16 Josie Hahn, Jr., Vanderbilt - 5241 - ME (04-08)
17 Iventa Grunte, So., Wichita St. - 5238 - MW (04-24)
18 Koya Webb, Sr., Wichita St. - 5236 - MW (04-24)
19 Danielle McNaney, Jr., Liberty - 5235 - E (03-18)
20 Amber Williams, Jr., Miami - 5212 - E (05-01)
21 Ruthann Gairdner, Jr., Rice - 5177 - MW (04-15)
22 Jennifer Johnson, So., Texas A&M - 5167 - MW (04-30)
23 Crissy Gourdin, So., Colorado St. - 5136 - MW (04-02)
24 Julie Pickler, Fr., Washington St. - 5135 - W (04-15)
25 Maranda Brownson, Jr., Nevada - 5119 - W (04-15)
26 LaToya McBride, Jr., Mississippi - 5080 - ME (04-17)
27 Janine Polischuk, Fr., San Diego St - 5078 - W (04-15)
28 Sarah Gretzmacher, Fr., Georgia - 5075 - E (03-25)
29 Ashley Wilhelm, So., Cincinnati - 5069 - ME (04-17)
30 Grace Vela, Jr., Washington - 5065 - W (04-15)
31 Abby Andrus, Sr., Oregon - 5060 - W (04-22)
32 Liis Berendsen, So., BYU - 5054 - W (04-01)
33 Shani Boston, Fr., Pennsylvania - 5049 - E (04-21)
34 Carla Breuer, Sr., Montana - 5033 - MW (04-23)
35 Kai Ivory, Sr., Pennsylvania - 5009 - E (04-21)
2004 West Regional Heptathlon Rankings
1 Brooke Meredith, Jr., California - 5511 (03-25)
2 Annmarie Turpin, Sr., Irvine - 5332 (04-15)
3 Julie Pickler, Fr., Washington St. - 5135 (04-15)
4 Maranda Brownson, Jr., Nevada - 5119 (04-15)
5 Janine Polischuk, Fr., San Diego St - 5078 (04-15)
6 Grace Vela, Jr., Washington - 5065 (04-15)
7 Abby Andrus, Sr., Oregon - 5060 (04-22)
8 Liis Berendsen, So., BYU - 5054 (04-01)
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