Mitchum Joins Pre Classic 110 Hurdles
EUGENE - University of Oregon sophomore Eric Mitchum is the second Duck to join the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field this weekend, and will face an all-star line-up in the 110 hurdles.
The NCAA runner-up from last week’s NCAA Championships is the only collegian in the field that also features Olympic champion and American record holder Allen Johnson, World Championships qualifier Larry Wade (fourth in 2003), former Alabama NCAA champion Ron Bramlett, former WSU All-American Arend Watkins, Haiti’s Dudley Dorival.
The international-caliber meet begins Saturday, June 19 at noon Pacific Time and lasts until 3 pm. The meet will conclude with a special recognition of former Duck sub-4:00 milers before the final event, the Bowerman Mile.
The meet will be televised Saturday evening (6/19) by ESPN2 from 6:30?8:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and again by ESPN, Sat., July 31 at 1-2:30 am Pacific Time. Tickets are available at the www.GoDucks.com website or by calling (541) 346-4461 locally or 1-800-WEB-FOOT. More meet information is available at the www.PreClassic.com website.
Mitchum lowered his school record in Austin, Texas last weekend in the collegiate finale (second, 13.38, w:1.2). The two-time Duck All-American ended only .06 seconds behind NCAA champion and Florida junior Josh Walker (first, 13.32) who entered the meet as the top seed with a season best of 13.42 from the previous day’s prelims.
The Calumet City, Ill., native Mitchum entered the NCAA meet seeded third nationally with a windy best of 13.50 from the same exact straightaway in April’s Texas Relays, while his previous wind-legal school record of 13.53 came in mid-April’s Mt. SAC Relays. He advanced to the final with the seventh-fastest time among the 27-man field in the opening semifinal round (13.54w, w:2.2).
Looking back over this season, Mitchum ran his 11th sub-14.00 clocking in the NCAA final in his 12th race of the season. Six of those efforts were faster than his pre-season best of 13.73 that ranked him second in school history heading into 2004 behind another recent Duck All-American Micah Harris (13.67, 2002).
Mitchum became the eighth Duck All-American in the event, and its third runner-up with Bob Gray (1991, 13.63), and Mel Renfro (1962, 13.38). Only one Duck has posted a better NCAA finish - two-time champion Jerry Tarr who won 120 hurdles titles in 1961 (13.9) and 1962 (13.5) - and the latter year the same that he broke the American record with his 13.3 clocking. Indoors this year, Mitchum claimed his first All-America honor in the indoor 60 hurdles (7.74), after set a school record in the prelims (7.69) earlier that day.
Saturday’s Pre field will also feature former Duck All-American Micah Harris. The 2002 Oregon graduate was the prior UO record holder (13.67, 2002), and was an All-American as a senior in the 110 hurdles (seventh), and was also an NCAA semifinalist in 2001 in the Eugene-hosted meet in his first season with the Ducks. As a post-collegian the past two seasons he has trained at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., just south of San Diego, Calif. Last season, he ranked 12th in the U.S. and 26th in the world (13.43) with his then-personal best from the Modesto Relays last April. This season, he has improved to 13.38 in the Steve Scott Invitational in early May and is tied for 10th in the U.S. and 14th in the world on the 2004 season best list.
Mitchum joins freshman teammate Tommy Skipper in Saturday’s field as the Sandy, Ore., native will compete in the pole vault, slated for a 1:08 pm start. The recent NCAA pole vault champion will face the biggest challenge of his young career in the nine-man field that features an Olympic champion, a world champion, and three of the top nine highest vaulters ever. His recent personal best, school and Pac-10 record of 18-10 1/4 (5.75m) from the West Regional, Sat., May 29 in Northridge, Calif., is the second-lowest of the field. He is currently tied for sixth in the U.S. and eighth in the world on the outdoor season best list.
Prefontaine Classic 110 Hurdles Field
Date: Sat., June 19
Start: 1:47 pm Pacific Time
Location: Hayward Field, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
Meet Info: www.PreClassic.com
Tickets: (541) 346-4461 (locally) / 1-800-WEB-FOOT / www.GoDucks.com
TV Rebroadcast: Saturday evening (6/19) by ESPN2 from 6:30?8:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and again by ESPN, Sat., July 31 at 1-2:30 am Pacific Time.
110 Hurdles Competitors
Ron Bramlett
Dudley Dorival (Haiti)
Eric Mitchum
Micah Harris
Allen Johnson
Anwar Moore
Larry Wade
Arend Watkins
Pre Classic Schedule
12:00 Hammer Throw (M)
1:00 National Anthem
1:04 Pole Vault (W)
1:08 Pole Vault (M)
1:12 400 Hurdles (M)
1:20 1500 Meters (M)
1:26 Shot Put (M)
1:30 100 Meters (W)
1:40 100 Meters High Hurdles (W)
1:47 110 Meters High Hurdles (M)
1:49 High Jump (M)
1:53 1500 Meters (W)
2:05 100 Meters (M)
2:10 Long Jump (W)
2:13 800 Meters (W)
2:20 5000 Meters (M)
2:36 Introduction of Oregon Sub-4 Milers
2:39 Introduction of Milers out of Clerk’s Area
2:46 Bowerman Mile (M)
3:00 Presentation of Prefontaine Trophy to winner of 5K
- www.GoDucks.com -
