Track Teams Prepare for Pac-10 Battle in LA
EUGENE - The Duck track and field teams open the championship season this weekend in the City of Angels and take on their conference rivals in the first of three championship meets - the Pacific-10 Conference Championships, Sat.-Sun., May 14-15 at UCLA's Drake Stadium.
The Oregon M&W will each enter a maximum of 24 student-athletes, spread among 21 events (3 sprints, 2 middle distance, 3 distance, 2 relays, 2 hurdles, 4 jumps, 4 throws, 1 multi-event).
The Bruins plays host to the Pacific-10 Conference Championships for the first time since 1996 when the Duck men finished second to UCLA 151-131, and the Duck women also took second that year behind UCLA, 151-144.
The Duck men return two individual champions from 2004 ? junior Eric Mitchum (110 hurdles) and sophomore Tommy Skipper (pole vault, decathlon), and the women are led by javelin top seed, three-time Pac-10 runner-up and redshirt senior Sarah Malone.
With a conference-leading three, top-two finishes under their belt, the ?Men of Oregon’ (first in ’03, second in ?02, ?04), are tabbed for another tight race for first with Arizona State, UCLA and USC. The UO women look to improve on fifth and seventh-place finishes in 2003 and ?04, respectively, while UCLA will contend for the team crown with USC and Stanford.
Four Duck multi-eventers got a head start in Westwood last weekend and scored in the decathlon (juniors Andy Young (second, NCAA prov. 7,165) and Cody Fleming (fourth, PR 6,980)) and heptathlon (juniors Lauryn Jordan (fourth, PR & NCAA Prov. 5,299) and Roslyn Lundeen (eighth, PR 4,935)).
In both team races after one event, the Duck men are in first with 13 points, and the UO women are tied with California for second with six points behind Washington State (first, 20).
Last weekend at home, scaled-back UO teams competed in the Oregon Twilight, Sat., May 7, and were paced by a U.S. junior 10,000 record by freshman Galen Rupp (28:15.52) that moved him to third all-time for the Ducks.
Looking ahead, the Ducks take the following weekend off before returning home to Hayward Field in Eugene for the third annual West Regional Championships, Fri.-Sat., May 27-28. The top five individual finishers and top three relays from each event will earn automatic invites to the NCAA Championships, Wed.-Sat., June 8-11 in Sacramento, Calif.
MEET INFORMATION - PAC-10 CHAMPS
Editions: 75th Men’s; 19th Women’s
Location: Drake Stadium, UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif.
Dates: Saturday-Sunday, May 14-15
Men’s Pac-10 Team Wins (Since 1979): 5 - 1979, ?86, ?90, ?91, ?03
Women’s Pac-10 Teams Wins (Since 1986): 2 - 1991, ?92
Sat. First Field Event: 10:30 am - M Hammer
Sat. First/Last Running Event: 1:20 pm - W 4x100 prelims / 6:10 pm - M 10,000
Sun. First Field Event: 3 pm - W Hammer
Sun. First/Last Running Event: 1:30 pm - W 4x100 / 5:25 pm - M 4x400 relay
Results Websites: www.UCLAbruins.com / www.Pac-10.org
Local TV Rebroadcasts: Fox Sports Northwest - Sat., May 21 (Noon - 2 pm PT); Tue., May 24 (1-3 pm PT)
Women’s Pronunciation Key: Sofie Abildtrup (ah-BUILD-trup), Elisa Crumley (ah-LIS-ah CRUM-lee), Bree Fuqua (FEW-quah), Mandi Fitz-Gustafson (GUS-tuff-son), Kayla Mellott (KAY-lah mel-LOT), Magdalena Sandoval (MAHG-dah-len-ah SAHN-dol-vahl), Sara Schaaf (SHOFF), Irie Searcy (I-ree SEER-cee)
Men’s Pronunciation Key: Kyle Alcorn (AL-corn), Richard Del Rincon (DELL RIHN-con), Paul Etter (EHT-er), AK Ikwuakor (ih-KWALK-kwah-kor), Kedar Inico (kih-DAR in-IH-coe), Lars Mueller Laursen (LARS MEW-ler LAR-son), Eric Logsdon (LOGS-don), Galen Rupp (GAY-lun), Ryan Voge (VOE-ghee), Leonidas Watson (lee-oh-NIE-dus), Brian Wuethrich (WITH-rick)
PAC-10 WOMEN’S TEAM PREVIEW: Pac-10 Crown May Stay in L.A.
UCLA appears the obvious favorite after they scored the second-highest tally in league history last year (174 1/2) behind their winning score from 1997 (189 1/2). Stanford and USC will try to stop the Bruins from winning their 16th of 19 possible team crowns since the meet’s inception in 1987, and the only other teams to win championships include include Oregon (1991, '92) and USC (1996). The breakdown of the 20 remaining event leaders by schools is led by USC (6), UCLA (5) and Stanford (4), followed by Arizona (1), Arizona State (1), California (1), Oregon (1), Washington (1) and Washington State (1-tie). Event leaders include NCAA indoor 60 hurdles champ Virginia Powell of USC (100, 11.15; 100 hurdles, 12.70), Pac-10 meet 400 record holder Monique Henderson of UCLA (200, 22.86; 400, 50.91), Chloe Jarvis of Cal (800, 2:05.61), Iryna Vashchuk of USC (4:17.08), Katy Trotter (steeple, 10:18.15) and Sara Bei of Stanford (5,000 15:41.57), Amy Hastings of Arizona State (10,000, 33:19.32), Candice Davis of USC (400 hurdles, 59.56), USC’s 4x100 (43.82) and 4x400 relays (3:33.77), Lindsey Gannaway of Stanford and Robin Mikesh of Washington State (high jump, 5-10-tie), two-time NCAA pole vault runner-up Kate Soma of Washington (14-3 1/2), Pac-10 meet triple jump record holder Candice Bauchman of UCLA (long jump, 21-5), NCAA indoor triple jump runner-up Erica McLain of Stanford (triple jump, first, 45-7), Pac-10 hammer record holder Jessica Cosby of UCLA (shot put, 57-10; hammer, 217-5), Ilona Rutjes of Arizona (discus, 189-9) and two-time All-American Sarah Malone of Oregon (javelin, 177-1).
PAC-10 MEN’S TEAM PREVIEW: Four Teams In Mix For Crown.
Last year’s team champ, UCLA graduated four of its event winners, and the team title is likely up for grabs between Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA and USC. The Sun Devils owns the conference’s deepest sprint corps and the national long jump leader, USC offers several top-ranked individuals in the sprints, middle distance and jumps, UCLA features talented middle distance, sprint and field event units, and Oregon will methodically pile up points in nearly every event. The breakdown of event leaders by schools for the 20 remaining disciplines follows: ASU (4), USC (4), UCLA (4), Stanford (3), Oregon (2), Arizona (1), California (1) and Washington State (1). Event leaders include James McSwain of Washington State (100, 10.19), Marvin Anderson of USC (200, 20.36), Domenik Peterson of ASU (400, 45.15), Jon Rankin (800, 1:47.11; 1,500, 3:39.49) and Erik Emilsson (steeple, 8:40.40) of UCLA, NCAA indoor 5K champ and outdoor 10K leader Ian Dobson of Stanford (5,000, 13:27.45; 10,000, 27:59.72), returning NCAA 110 hurdles runner-up Eric Mitchum of Oregon (13.56), Brandon Johnson of UCLA (400 hurdles, 49.18), ASU’s 4x100 (38.71) and 4x400 (3:02.76) relays, NCAA indoor high jump champ Jesse Williams (7-4 3/4), two-time NCAA pole vault champion Tommy Skipper of Oregon (18-6 3/4-indoors), NCAA indoor long jump runner-up Trevell Quinley of Arizona State (long jump, 26-9 1/2), former NCAA indoor triple jump champ Allen Sims of USC (55-2 1/2), Sean Shields of Arizona (shot put, 65-7 3/4), Michael Robertson of Stanford (discus, 202-5), Adam Midles of USC (hammer, 211-9) and Paul Tienert of Cal (javelin, 235-8).
2005 OREGON MEN'S PAC-10 RANKINGS
100 - 9th, Richard Del Rincon, 10.54
100 - 13th, Jordan Kent, 10.63
200 - 8th, Richard Del Rincon, 20.93
200 - 11th, Jordan Kent, 21.05
200 - 12th, Kedar Inico, 21.08-i
400 - 4th, Matt Scherer, 45.95-i
400 - 6th, Kedar Inico, 46.41-i
800 - 16th, Roderick Dotts, 1:50.46
1,500 - 9th, Eric Logsdon, 3:43.46-c
1,500 - 14th, Eric Logsdon, 3:45.58-c
5,000 - 5th, Eric Logsdon, 13:40.21
5,000 - 8th, Galen Rupp, 13:50.10 (fell)
10,000 - 2nd, Galen Rupp, 28:15.52
10,000 - 12th, Patrick Werhane, 30:49.95
110H - 1st, Eric Mitchum, 13.56
110H - 4th, A.K. Ikwuakor, 13.93
110H - 17th, Sol Rexius, 14.75W
110H - 24th, Andy Young, 15.37
400H - 3rd, A.K. Ikwuakor, 50.99
400H - 8th, Eric Mitchum, 52.15
Steeple - 2nd, Brett Holts, 8:47.11
Steeple - 8th, Kyle Alcorn, 8:53.77
Steeple - 16th, Scott Wall, 9:26.89
4x100 - 3rd, 39.83
4x400 - 2nd, 3:04.17-i
HJ - 3rd-t, Jeff Lindsey, 7-0.25
HJ - 15th, Ryan Voge, 6-7.25
PV - 1st, Tommy Skipper, 18-6.75-i
PV - 5th-t, Jon Derby, 17-6.5-i
PV - 13th-t, Andy Young, 16-6.75-d
LJ - 2nd, Leonidas Watson, 25-11-i
LJ - 5th, Jordan Kent, 24-9.5
TJ - 2nd, Leonidas Watson, 52-9.25
SP - 14th, Brandon Tower, 53-8
DT - 12th, Brandon Tower, 170-8
HT - 3rd, Paul Etter, 203-4
JT - 10th, Matt Adams, 203-3
JT - 12th, Brian Wuethrich, 202-0
Dec. - 2nd, Andy Young, 7,329
Dec. - 4th, Cody Fleming, 6,980
2005 OREGON PAC-10 WOMEN'S RANKINGS
200 - 16th, Sofie Abildtrup, 24.32
400 - 9th, Sofie Abildtrup, 54.37
400 - 19th, Michelle Donovan, 56.59
400 - 20th, Julie Schmidt-Scherer, 56.65
400 - 25th, Irie Searcy, 57.39
400 - 26th, Sara Schaaf, 57.42.
800 - 7th, Sara Schaaf, 2:08.52
800 - 20th, Kasey Harwood, 2:12.01-i
1,500 - 26th, Sarah Pearson, 4:32.85
1,500 - 29th, Laura Harmon, 4:35.78.
Steeple - 17th, Mandi Fitz-Gustafson, 11:09.20
5,000 - 5th, Laura Harmon, 16:18.56
5,000 - 12th, Magdalena Sandoval, 16:41.21-i
100H - 21st, Lauryn Jordan, 14.49
400H - 5th, Kayla Mellott, 60.15
400H - 6th, Kasey Harwood, 60.73
4x100 - 9th, 46.83
4x400 - 5th, 3:43.10
HJ - 6th-t, Lauryn Jordan, 5-8-i
HJ - 17th-t, Rachel Wallace, 5-5
PV - 18th-t, Emily Enders, 12-5.5
PV - 18th-t, Hannah Moore, 12-5.5
LJ - 6th, Lauryn Jordan, 19-11.25-i
TJ - 5th, Lauryn Jordan, 40-11.5
TJ - 12th, Clarice Hayward-Lee, 39-10.5
TJ - 17th, Maegan Traver, 37-11.5
SP - 5th, Bree Fuqua, 53-11
SP - 20th, Lauryn Jordan, 42-3.75
SP - 21st, Roslyn Lundeen, 42-1.75
DT - 10th, Bree Fuqua, 165-4
DT - 24th, Brittany Hinchcliffe, 137-2
DT - 25th, Katie Kersh, 130-4
HT - 4th, Brittany Hinchcliffe, 199-2
HT - 14th, Katie Kersh, 179-7
JT - 1st, Sarah Malone, 177-1
JT - 5th, Roslyn Lundeen, 159-0
JT - 10th, Elisa Crumley, 144-10
Hep. - 4th, Lauryn Jordan, 5,299
Hep. - 8th, Roslyn Lundeen, 4,935
DUCK WOMEN’S PREVIEW: Malone Seeks First League Jav Title.
The Duck women are in the midst of the rebuilding process yet again after the retirement of Tom Heinonen after the 2003 season, and resignation of Martin Smith just prior to the 2005 outdoor campaign. The Ducks will search for their first upper division effort since 1999 after they finished seventh in 2003 and ?04, sixth in 2002, eighth in 2001 and ninth in 2000. This year’s squad returns 36 of last year’s 55 individual points (and 3/4 of its sixth-place 4x400 relay). The javelin stands as UO’s probable biggest point producer, led by three-time Pac-10 runner-up and 2005 Pac-10 leader Sarah Malone (#4 nationally 177-1). The Newberg, Ore., native raised her school record to 179-7 last year in the Texas Relays and moved to second all-time in Pac-10 history, then added top-three finishes in the 2004 West Regional (first, 173-1), NCAA Champs (third, 178-1) and Olympic Trials (second, 177-11). Another pair of All-Americans that redshirted last year ? redshirt juniors Roslyn Lundeen and Elisa Crumley ? have finished top six in Pac-10 Championships in 2002 (4th/5th) and ?03 (2nd/6th), respectively. Lundeen threw a four-inch best in the Pac-10 heptathlon last week (159-0) en route to an eighth-place heptathlon finish (452-point PR, 4,935). Crumley has been slowed by her recovery from arm surgery last year and owns a season best of 144-10, while her personal best of 179-7 from 2002 ranks second in school history. Oregon’s most versatile athlete, junior Lauryn Jordan, will be in for another busy weekend after she notched a 279-point heptathlon personal best and NCAA provisional score last weekend (fourth, 5,299-#6 all-time at UO). In individual events, she ranks top six in the conference in three jumping events ? the high jump (sixth-tie, 5-8 #4 all-time indoors for UO); long jump (sixth, 19-11 1/4-indoor school record) and triple jump (fifth, 40-11 1/2-#4 all-time outdoors for UO). Senior Sofie Abildtrup sped to UO’s third-fastest 400 clocking ever in last year’s Pac-10 prelims (second, 52.92), then returned for fifth in the final in her second-fastest career time (53.22). In the 2004 regular season, she also joined the UO all-time charts in the 100 (10th, 12.01) and 200 (23.93), and in 2005 owns outdoor season bests of 24.32 and 54.37, in the 200 and 400, respectively. Senior Kayla Mellott ran a personal best in the Pac-10 400 hurdles prelims last year (60.72), then added seventh in the final (61.27). This year, she has taken another .58 seconds off her personal best and still ranks seventh all-time for UO, while freshman Kasey Harwood looms just behind in eighth (60.73) with her personal best. In the distances, two weeks after redshirt senior Laura Harmon took eighth in the Pac-10 5,000 last year (17:21.57), she logged a 13-second personal best in the West Regional (third, 16:33.17) and earned an NCAA invite. She followed with an NCAA invite in cross country in 2004 (All-America 31st) and indoors in the 5,000 in ?05 (15th, 17:24.21-sick). The jumps crew sports several past Pac-10 scorers in sophomore pole vaulter Emily Enders (fifth in ?04, then-PR 13-2 1/4) and senior triple jumpers Maegan Traver (triple jump, seventh in ?04, PR 39-7) and Clarice Hayward-Lee (8th in ?03, 39-9 3/4). Redshirt senior Bree Fuqua was a double scorer in her Pac-10 debut last year (shot put, fourth, 52-5 1/2; discus, fifth, 162-2). This year, she moved atop the UO shot put list with her Pepsi Team Invite best (53-11), and she was an NCAA qualifier last year (24th, 49-5) after she took fourth in the West Regional (then-PR 52-8 3/4). Redshirt junior hammer thrower Brittany Hinchcliffe has upped the school record by more than eight feet this year and ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in ?05 (199-2). She competed in the hammer for Washington State in 2002 (ninth, 174-8) and ?03 (13th, 170-9) before she transferred to Oregon and sat out the 2004 season due to inter-conference transfer rules.
DUCK MEN’S PREVIEW: Ducks Will Attack By Land, Air & Sea.
Oregon has finished a conference-leading first or second the last three years, and return 85 of its 122 individual points from last year (and 3/4 of its runner-up 4x400). Overall, this year’s roster sports 11 NCAA veterans, including eight individuals that have combined for 12 All-America awards (including two NCAA titles and two more runner-up honors). Except for the 800, shot put and discus, the Ducks have a top-10 ranked performer in 18 of the 21 Pac-10 Championships events. Looking at this year’s league rankings, returning NCAA 110 hurdle runner-up and junior Eric Mitchum and NCAA indoor pole vault champion Tommy Skipper lead their respective events. Skipper is on the mend and made his outdoor debut last weekend in the Oregon Twilight (first, 17-0 3/4). In 2005, he won the collegiate indoor crown in mid-March (18-4 1/2), then underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee soon after to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee that he competed on in February and March. Last year in the outdoor championship run, he won crowns in the Pac-10 (18-3 1/4), West Regional (Pac-10 and UO record 18-10 1/4) and NCAA (18-8 1/4) Championships. The UO sprint crew will play a big part in the Duck title hopes and will try to steal points from fellow team contenders Arizona State, UCLA and USC. Junior Matt Scherer ran his 400 outdoor personal best (45.95) in the 2004 finals of both the Pac-10 (fifth) and West Regional (fourth) clashes and moved to third all-time for UO behind former world record holder Otis Davis (45.07) and 1995 Pac-10 champion Pat Johnson (45.38). He anchored the Pac-10's second-ranked 4x400 relay that sped to a school record indoors in ?05 (3:04.17) and outdoors in ?04 in its Pac-10 runner-up finish (3:03.49). On the 1,600 relay, he’ll be joined by indoor All-America 400 sprinter Kedar Inico (sixth, 46.62, outdoor PR 46.30), Travis Anderson (PR 46.90) and A.K. Ikwuakor (PR 47.59). The latter member has proved the unit’s most improved for the hurdle corps, and he has chopped .16 seconds off his preseason 110-hurdle best (14.09) to a current best of 13.93 from the Drake Relays two weekends ago that tied him for sixth all-time at UO. In the 400 hurdles, he has dropped 1.33 seconds off his preseason best (52.32), and now ranks ninth in UO history (50.99), just ahead of Mitchum (10th, 51.27). In the distances, redshirt senior Eric Logsdon posted an eight-second personal best in the 5,000 (fifth, 13:40.21) two weekends ago in the Cardinal Invitational to join the school’s hallowed all-time list at the eight spot. Indoors in ?05, he logged school records in the mile (4:01.86) and 5,000 (13:49.99). Already an All-American twice in the outdoor 5,000 and in cross country, Logsdon added All-America honors in March in the 3,000 (seventh, 8:04.27) after he owned a regular season best (7:54.29) that ranked second in UO history. After he joined the squad for spring term in late March, freshman Galen Rupp has run a pair of heralded efforts in the Oregon Invite 5,000 (eighth, 13:50.10-fell at 2K) and Oregon Twilight (10,000, second, NCAA auto. 28:15.52). That latter race broke former Duck Rudy Chapa’s 1976 U.S. junior record (28:32.7) by more than 16 seconds, ranked him third in the U.S. in ?05 and second in the NCAA, and moved him to third all-time for UO behind World Championships vets Bill McChesney Jr. (27:50.82, 1982) and his prep coach Alberto Salazar (28:06.12, 1979). Redshirt senior Brett Holts is a three-time Pac-10 scorer in the steeplechase (third in ?04, second in ?03, fourth in ?02), and ranks second on this year’s Pac-10 list (8:47.11, PR 8:44.57 in ?04), although Stanford’s Ian Dobson, the returning NCAA runner-up has yet to clear the barriers in 2005. The Bend, Ore., native Holts was a steeple All-American in 2004 (seventh) and NCAA qualifier in ?03 (22nd-prelim), and also earned All-America honors in cross country in ?02 (43rd). Redshirt senior Leonidas Watson ranks second in the league in both the long jump and triple jump, and his ?05 outdoor bests of 25-10 3/4 and 52-9 1/2 rank seventh and fourth, respectively, in school history. Indoors in ?05, he led the nation two weeks late in the season with his indoor school record (25-11), that he duplicated in the NCAA indoor finale (fourth, 25-11) ? one inch behind NCAA runner-up Trevell Quinley of ASU (26-0). After he loomed as the team’s most improved player on the basketball court in the Pac-10 slate, redshirt sophomore Jordan Kent rejoined the track and field team in late March. Outdoors in ?05, he ranks second on the team in the 100 (10.63), 200 (21.05) and long jump (24-9 3/4), and all-time at Oregon, he ranks top eight with his freshman bests from ?03 in the 100 (eighth, 10.46) and 200 (seventh, 20.99). Senior Paul Etter has added four feet to his personal best in the hammer this season (203-4) and ranks eighth all-time for UO and third in the league rankings.
PAC-10 CHAMPS SCHEDULE & TENTATIVE UO ENTRIES
Drake Stadium (UCLA), Los Angeles, Calif.
Saturday-Sunday, May 14-15, 2005
SAT., MAY 14
10:30 a.m. M Hammer (Etter)
1 p.m. W High Jump (Jordan, Wallace)
1:20 p.m. W 4x100 Qual. (Abildtrup, Bridenbeck, Jordan, Schmidt-Scherer)
1:30 p.m. W 1,500 Qual.
1:30 p.m. W Shot Put (Fuqua)
1:45 p.m. M 1,500 Qual.
2 p.m. M 110H Qual. (Ikwuakor, Mitchum)
2:15 p.m. W 100H Qual.
2:15 p.m. W Long Jump (Jordan)
2:30 p.m. W 400 Qual. (Abildtrup, Donovan, Schmidt-Scherer, Searcy)
2:30 p.m. M Javelin (Adams, Fleming, Laursen, Skipper, Wuethrich)
2:40 p.m. M 400 Qual. (Inico, Scherer)
2:55 p.m. W 100 Qual.
3:05 p.m. M 100 Qual. (Del Rincon, Kent)
3:20 p.m. W 800 Qual. (Schaaf)
3:30 p.m. M 800 Qual. (Dotts)
3:30 p.m. M Pole Vault (Derby, Moore, Skipper, Young)
3:50 p.m. W Steeple (Fitz-Gustafson)
4:10 p.m. M Steeple (Alcorn, Holts)
4:15 p.m. M Long Jump (Kent, Watson)
4:30 p.m. W 400 Hurdles Qual. (Harwood, Mellott)
4:30 p.m. W Javelin (Crumley, Lundeen, Malone, (Kriz) Wallace)
4:30 p.m. M Shot Put
4:45 p.m. M 400 Hurdles Qual. (Ikwuakor, Mitchum)
5:00 p.m. W 200 Qual.
5:10 p.m. M 200 Qual. (Del Rincon, Kent)
5:30 p.m. W 10,000
6:10 p.m. M 10,000 (Logsdon, Rupp)
SUNDAY, MAY 15
10:30 a.m. W Hammer (Hinchcliffe, Kersh)
12:45 p.m. W Discus (Fuqua)
1 p.m. M Triple Jump (Watson)
1:30 p.m. W 4x100 (Abildtrup, Bridenbeck, Jordan, Schmidt-Scherer)
1:37 p.m. M 4x100 (Del Rincon, Inico, Kent, Scherer)
1:45 p.m. W 1,500
1:55 p.m. M 1,500
2 p.m. M High Jump (Fleming, Lindsey)
2:05 p.m. W 100 Hurdles
2:15 p.m. M 110 Hurdles (Ikwuakor, Mitchum)
2:25 p.m. W 400 (Abildtrup, Donovan, Schmidt-Scherer, Searcy)
2:30 p.m. M 400 (Inico, Scherer)
2:30 p.m. W Pole Vault (Enders, Moore)
2:45 p.m. W 100
2:45 p.m. M Discus (Fleming, Tower)
2:55 p.m. M 100 (Del Rincon, Kent)
3 p.m. W Triple Jump (Hayward-Lee, Jordan, Traver)
3:10 p.m. W 800 (Schaaf)
3:20 p.m. M 800 (Dotts)
3:40 p.m. W 400 Hurdles (Harwood, Mellott)
3:50 p.m. M 400 Hurdles (Ikwuakor, Mitchum)
4 p.m. W 200
4:05 p.m. M 200 (Del Rincon, Kent)
4:15 p.m. W 5,000 (Harmon, Sandoval)
4:40 p.m. M 5,000 (Alcorn, Holts, Logsdon, Rupp)
5:15 p.m. W 4x400 (Abildtrup, Donovan, Harwood, Schmidt-Scherer)
5:25 p.m. M 4x400 (Anderson, Ikwuakor, Inico, Scherer)
5:45 Team Awards Ceremony
FOX SPORTS PAC-10 CHAMPS TV REBROADCASTS
*Note: Be sure to double-check your local listings www.tvguide.com/listings
Fri., 5/20
FSN Ohio, 12 PM (ET)
FSN Bay Area, 12 PM (PT)
Sat., 5/21
FSN Arizona, 2 AM (MT)
FSN Pittsburgh, 12 PM (ET)
FSN SW, 12 PM (CT)
FSN Detroit, 3 PM (ET)
FSN Midwest, 2 PM (CT)
FSN Rocky Mtn., 1 PM (MT)
FSN NOW, 12 PM (PT)
FSN West 2, 12 PM (PT)
FSN Bay Area, 2 PM (PT)
FSN West, 2 PM (PT)
FSN Arizona, 7:30 PM (MT)
Sun., 5/22
FSN Chicago, 2 PM (CT)
FSN New England, 1 PM (ET)
FSN New York, 2 PM (ET)
FSN North (Minn.) (Metro), 1 PM (CT)
FSN West 2, 5 PM (PT)
Comcast Phil., 2 PM (ET)
Mon., 5/23
FSN South, 3 AM (ET)
FSN Bay Area, 12 PM (PT)
Tue., 5/24
FSN NW - Tue 5/24, 1 PM (PT)
Wed., 5/25
FSN Detroit - Wed 5/25, 12:30 PM (ET)
Comcast Mid Atl. - Wed 5/25, 1 PM (ET)
FSN North (Wisc.) - Wed 5/25, 12 PM (CT)
PAC-10 HISTORY: Duck M&W Have Cemented Their Place in History.
The Pac-10 men’s championships were created in 1979 when the addition of Arizona and Arizona State enlarged the former Pac-8 format (1965-78). Overall, the Duck men have won five Pac-10 team titles (1979, 1986, 1990, 1991, 2003), and three Pac-8 titles (1965, 1967, 1978). Last year, UO notched its league-leading third straight top-two finish when it took second with 130 points behind meet favorite UCLA (first, 143). The year before, Oregon was crowned champion in 2003 five months after the meet was over by a one-point margin over Stanford (131-130) when a USC sprinter was subsequently ruled academically ineligible and the 200, 400, 4x100 and 4x400 were rescored. Interestingly, 2003’s rescored Oregon win was the third forfeited title for the Ducks including 1991 and 1978 when Washington State and USC surrendered their wins, respectively. The revised finish continued the steady progress for the Ducks at the conference level who finished sixth in 1999, seventh in 2000, fifth in 2001, and second in 2002. Overall, UCLA handily leads the Pac-10 men’s charts with 12 team crowns (1980, 82, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, ?04), and last year’s win broke a five-year drought ? their longest winless stretch since the league’s creation in 1979. Other programs with titles to their credit since then include Washington State (3 - 1983, 84, 85), USC (3 - 1997, 99, 00), Stanford (2 - 2001, 02) and Arizona (1 - 1981). With the official formation of the Pac-10 women’s conference in 1986-87, UCLA has dominated the league finale with 15 wins total (1987, 88, 89, 90, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, ?04). Oregon interrupted that run with back-to-back crowns in 1991 over UCLA (130 1/2-112 1/2) and in 1992 over Arizona (123-90). USC owns the other crown from 1996 over the Ducks (151-144). In the Miss Congeniality competition, the Trojans have been runner-up five of the past eight years they haven’t won (and behind UCLA each of those five meets).
2005 UO WOMEN’S OUTLOOK: Field Events Again Pace Charge in ?05.
The field events again lead the Oregon women’s charge in 2005 with a trio of double All-Americans back in the javelin ? redshirt juniors Elisa Crumley (12th in ?02, 13th in ?03) and Roslyn Lundeen (seventh in ?02, eighth in ?03) and 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Sarah Malone (seventh in ?02, third in ?04). The pole vault sports another pair of NCAA veterans in redshirt junior Hannah Moore and sophomore Emily Enders who made NCAA trips indoors and outdoors in ?04, and finished 13th (12-11 1/2) and 15th (12-9 1/2), respectively. Senior Bree Fuqua enjoyed a successful debut campaign for UO in 2004 with an NCAA trip outdoors in the shot put thanks to her then-personal best in the West Regional (fourth, 52-8 3/4) that left her second all-time for the Ducks. She was also a scorer in both the shot put (fourth, 52-5 1/2) and discus (fifth, 162-2) in the Pac-10 Champs. Senior Sofie Abildtrup paced the Ducks in all three sprint events in her debut season in ?04, and ranked top-10 outdoors all-time for UO last year in the 100 (10th, 12.01), 200 (seventh, 23.93) and 400 (third, 52.92), then added an NCAA trip in the 400. Redshirt senior Laura Harmon has made three straight NCAA trips, including invites in the 5,000 indoors in ?05 (15th) and outdoors in ?04 (18th) that book-ended an All-America honor in her NCAA harrier debut in ?04 (31st). Redshirt senior Magdalena Sandoval seeks renewed health after an impressive opening to her 2003-04 slate that featured an indoor school record in the 5,000 (16:04.40) and NCAA appearances indoors and in cross country. Two newcomers in particular expect to challenge for NCAA invites immediately. Redshirt junior hammer thrower Brittany Hinchcliffe ranked 29th in the U.S. with her 200-3 best as a redshirt in ?04, and junior transfer Lauryn Jordan just missed an NCAA indoors in the pentathlon in ?05 (3,894). The latter addition from San Joaquin Valley Community College arrived with the team’s top preseason PRs in the high jump (5-8 1/2), long jump (19-10) and heptathlon (4,895), and its second-best mark in the triple jump (40-8 1/4) ? while all four marks would have ranked top-10 in school history.
2005 DUCK MEN’S SEASON PREVIEW: UO Flexes Depth Around the Track.
The UO men return after a best-ever sixth-place NCAA indoor finish in March, thanks to a school record nine qualifiers and eight All-America honors ? including another pole vault crown from sophomore pole vaulter Tommy Skipper (18-4 1/2). The Duck sprint and hurdle crew ranks among the nation’s best with a pair of indoor All-American indoors in the 400 in ?05 ? senior Kedar Inico (sixth) and junior Matt Scherer (ninth) ? joined by 2004 NCAA outdoor 110 hurdle runner-up and junior Eric Mitchum, a three-time All-American and school record holder in the 110 hurdles (13.38). The UO 4x400 relay has run school records indoors in ?05 (3:04.17) and outdoors in ’04 (3:03.49), and followed with fifth-place finishes in both NCAA chases. Skipper is the top returning outdoor collegiate pole vaulter with his 2004 Pac-10 record (18-10 1/4) but missed eight weeks of the outdoor slate after left knee surgery in March ? an injury he competed through three indoor meets that included an NCAA win (18-4 1/2) and USA runner-up finish (18-2 1/2). Last year, he won the NCAA outdoor crown (18-8 1/4) and took second indoors (18-4 1/2), and also broke the school indoor record with a mark of 18-8 3/4. Redshirt senior Leonidas Watson has rewritten the school long jump and triple jump indoor records several times the past two seasons. He sports indoor bests of 25-11 and 52-10 1/4, and was an All-American indoors in ?04 (ninth) and ?05 (fourth, PR 25-11). Redshirt seniors Eric Logsdon and Brett Holts have combined for seven All-America honors in cross country and track and field. Logsdon has won three honors in the 5,000 on the oval indoors in ?05 (seventh) and outdoors in ?04 (seventh) and ?03 (eighth) and in cross country in 2003 (29th) and ?02 (41st). This past indoor season in a five-week span, he also sped to school indoor records in the mile (4:01.86) and 5,000 (13:49.99) and moved to #2 in the 3,000 (7:54.29). Holts is a three-time top-four Pac-10 placer in the steeplechase and was an All-American over the NCAA barriers in ?04 (seventh), and in cross country in ?02 (43rd). Senior hammer thrower Paul Etter was an NCAA qualifier in ?04 in the hammer and a top-six placer in his 2004 Pac-10 and West Regional debuts (sixth/fifth). Other Ducks with NCAA experience include redshirt sophomore sprinter Jordan Kent (200, 20th, 2003), junior 110 hurdler A.K. Ikwuakor (110 hurdles, 23rd-prelims, 2004), indoor heptathlon All-American and redshirt junior Ryan Voge (10th, 2005) and redshirt junior decathlete Andy Young (13th, 2004). Top newcomers include junior sprint transfer Richard Del Rincon (100 10.23w-10.40; 200 20.57w-20.87) and freshman Canadian steeplechaser Chris Winter (8:54.94). Recent Danish national javelin runner-up Lars Mueller Laursen (javelin 233-6) joined the team for the spring term, as did freshman distance star and Portland native Galen Rupp ? the U.S. junior record holder for the 3,000 (8:03.57), 5,000 (13:37.91) and 10,000 (28:15.52).
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Del Rincon, Hinchcliffe and Jordan Go Green in ?05.
Top Duck women’s newcomers in 2005 include junior and San Joaquin Valley CC transfer Lauryn Jordan (PRs ? heptathlon 5,299, HJ 5-8.5, LJ 19-11.5-indoors, TJ 40-11.5), redshirt junior and Arizona State transfer Mandi Fitz-Gustafson (1,500 4:37.86, steeple 10:51.81), freshman sprinter Julie Schmidt-Scherer from Copenhagen, Denmark (200 24.45, 400 54.97) and redshirt junior and Washington State transfer Brittany Hinchcliffe (HT 200-3). Other notable women’s newcomers include freshman Kasey Harwood (800 2:12.02-i, 400H 60.73), Katie Leary (1,500 4:36, 3,000 10:00.38), sophomore and Boise State transfer Emily Mathis (800 2:13.98, 1,500 4:39.98), freshman Kalindra McFadden (200 25.00, 100 hurdles 14.64, HJ 5-4.5) and freshman Sarah Pearson (1,500 4:32.85, 3,000 9:56.92). Although she has to redshirt the '05 campaign because of transfer rules, junior Britney Henry has upped her personal best by more than eight feet (217-10) since her arrival last fall in Eugene, and the former LSU school record holder (207-9) was an NCAA and Olympic Trials qualifier in 2004. The men’s newcomer list is headlined by junior sprinter and Grossmont JC transfer Richard Del Rincon (100 10.40-10.23w, 200 20.87-20.57w), junior Danish javelin thrower Lars Mueller Laursen (233-6), freshman and North Vancouver, B.C. native Chris Winter (steeple 8:54.94), and juniors and Lane CC transfers Cody Fleming (decathlon 6,980, DT 154-2) and Brian Bartow (decathlon 6,671, JT 209-0). Other men’s newcomers that will vie for Pac-10 and West Regional invites include junior and Glendale Community College transfer Matt Adams (JT 203-3, DT 156-1), redshirt sophomore and BYU transfer Montrell Dunn (TJ 49-7-49-10w, LJ 23-10) and freshman and North Bend, Ore., native Brian Wuethrich (JT 202-0).
DUCK WOMEN’S NEWCOMERS
Ashley Bridenbeck, Fr., Lake Oswego, Ore. - 100 12.1, 200 25.56
Heather Fitz-Gustafson, Fr., The Dalles, Ore. - 800 2:18, 1,500 4:39.43. 3,000 10:27.33
Mandi Fitz-Gustafson, RJr.-TR, The Dalles, Ore. - 800 2:16.9, 1,500 4:37.86, Steeple 10:51.81
Kasey Harwood, Fr., Polson, Mont. - 800 2:12.01, 300H 44.10, 400H 60.73
Britney Henry, Jr.-TR, Spokane, Wash. - HT 217-10, JT 119-0
Brittany Hinchcliffe, RJr.-TR, Olympia, Wash. - HT 200-3, DT 154-11
Lauryn Jordan, Jr.-TR, Stockton, Calif. - HJ 5-8 1/2, LJ 19-10, TJ 40-8 1/4, Hep 5,299
Katie Leary, Fr., Klamath Falls, Ore. - 1,500 4:36, 3,000 10:00.38
Emily Mathis, So.-TR, Henley, Ore. - 800 2:13.98, 1,500 4:39.98
Kalindra McFadden, Fr., Bozeman, Mont. - 200 25.00, 100H 14.64, HJ 5-4.5
Sarah Pearson, Fr., Eugene, Ore. - 800 2:15.4, 1,500 4:32.85, 3,000 9:56.92
Irie Searcy, RFr., Portland, Ore.- 100 12.6-h, 200 25.6-h, 400 57.8-h
Julie Schmidt-Scherer, Fr., Copenhagen, Denmark - 200 24.45, 400 54.97, LJ 18-5 1/4
DUCK MEN’S NEWCOMERS
Matt Adams, Jr.-TR, Chino Valley, Ariz. - JT 203-3, DT 156-1
Brian Bartow, Jr.-TR, Grants Pass, Ore. - Dec. 6,671, JT 209-0
Nick Dalton, Sr.-TR, Clevedon, New Zealand - 1,500 3:50, 3,000 8:30
Richard Del Rincon, Jr.-TR, LaMesa, Calif. - 100 10.40 / 10.23w (w:3.7), 200 20.87 / 20.57w, 400 47.92
Montrell Dunn, Jr., Las Vegas, Nevada - LJ 23-10, TJ 49-7, 49-10w
Cody Fleming, Jr.-TR, Sparks, Nevada - Dec. 6,980, HJ 6-7, DT 154-2
Rob Gillespie, Fr., Eugene, Ore. - 400 49.12, 800 1:53.21
Steve Green, RFr., Malta, Mont. - TJ 46-0-ind, 45-7-hs
Michael Hill, Jr.-TR, Bend, Ore. - HT 169-1
Lars Mueller Laursen, Jr.-TR, Copenhagen, Denmark - JT 233-6
Galen Rupp, Fr., Portland, Ore. - 1,500 3:45.3, Mile 4:01.8, 3,000 8:03.57, 5,000 13:37.91, 10,000 28:15.52
Joel Sauvain, Fr., Canby, Ore. - 1,500 3:58, 3,000 8:44
Pat Swick, Fr., Las Vegas, Nevada - 800 1:59, 1,600 4:22,, 3,200 9:22, 5K 15:04.45
Jacob Tolbert, RFr., San Jose, Calif. - LJ 22-10, TJ 45-9 1/4
Scott Wall, Fr., Portland, Ore. - 3K 8:18.50, Steeple 9:26.89, 5K 14:30.18
Patrick Werhane, RFr., Beaverton, Ore. - 1,500 4:08, 3K 8:34.56, 5K 14:50.46, 10K 30:49.95
Chris Winter, Fr., North Vancouver, B.C. - 1,500 3:52.66, 3,000 8:31.17, Steeple 8:54.94
J.K. Withers, Fr., Santa Rosa, Calif. - 800 1:53.21, 1,600 4:10.7, Mile 4:13.15, 3,000 8:36.17
Brian Wuethrich, Fr., North Bend, Ore. - JT 202-0, SP 56-3 (HS)
TRACKWIRE NCAA PREDICTIONS
Available online since the 1997 season, the Trackwire 25 has established itself as the most widely respected and reported ranking of Division I collegiate track & field teams. During the collegiate track season, weekly updates are available via email, and free registration is available at www.trackwire.com. The Trackwire 25 is compiled by respected track & field statistician Gary Verigin.
Men’s Top 25 Teams
1. Arkansas, 67
2. Florida, 48
3. LSU, 47
4. Stanford, 37
5. Arizona, 36
=6. Florida State, 33
=6. USC, 33
8. Auburn, 31
9. Arizona State, 30
10. Indiana, 26
11. Oregon, 23
12. Michigan, 21
=13. Mississippi State, 20
=13. Texas, 20
=15. Nebraska, 19
=15. Wisconsin, 19
=17. UCLA, 18
=17. Boise State, 18
19. Virginia Tech, 16
20. Texas Tech, 14
=21. BYU, 13
=21. Mississippi, 13
=21. Baylor, 13
=21. Georgia, 13
25. Dartmouth, 12
UO Men’s Individuals
5K - 11th, Galen Rupp
5K - 12th, Eric Logsdon
110 Hurdles - 3rd, Eric Mitchum, UO
4x400 Relay - 11th
4x400 Relay - 10th
Pole Vault - 1st, Tommy Skipper, UO
Long Jump - 4th, Leonidas Watson, UO
Triple Jump - 7th, Leonidas Watson, UO
Women’s Top 25 Teams
1. Texas, 62
2. UCLA, 53
3. South Carolina, 48
4. Tennessee, 40
=5. Miami, 37
=5. Stanford, 37
7. Nebraska, 34
8. USC, 30
9. Florida, 26
=10. Washington State, 20
=10. Texas Southern, 20
=12. Alabama, 17
=12. Arizona State, 17
=12. Georgia, 17
=15. North Carolina, 16
=15. Auburn, 16
17. Duke, 15
18. Georgia Tech, 14
=19. BYU, 13
=19. Oklahoma State, 13
21. Columbia, 12
=22. Clemson, 11
=22. Kansas, 11
=22. Wake Forest, 11
=25. Arkansas, 10
=25. Kansas State, 10
=25. Wyoming, 10
=25. Air Force, 10
=25. Idaho, 10
=25. NC State, 10
UO Women’s Individuals
JT - 3rd, Sarah Malone, UO
LAST WEEK’S MEN’S RECAP: Rupp Breaks U.S. Junior 10K Record.
EUGENE (5/7/05) ? In the Oregon Twilight Saturday, freshman Galen Rupp broke the U.S. junior record en route to the win in the 10,000 (28:15.52) at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. The Portland native and Central Catholic High School product broke the mark formerly held by Duck alum Rudy Chapa who sped to a still-standing high school record of 28:32.7 at the Drake Relays in 1976. Rupp also moved to third all-time in school history behind former World Championships qualifiers Bill McChesney Jr. (first, 27:50.82) and his prep coach Alberto Salazar (second, 28:06.12). After a pair of rabbits wrapped up their duty in the opening 2/3 of the race, Rupp moved into the lead with more than two miles left thanks to a 65-second lap, and ran the final nine laps by himself in the 65-68-second range, including a 64-second final lap (and negative 5K splits of 14:18/13:58). On the 2005 season best lists, Rupp now stands third in the U.S. and second in the NCAA in his second-ever effort at the 25-lap distance. He made his event debut last summer in Europe (29:09.56). Also in the 5K, Duck freshmen Scott Wall and Patrick Werhane followed in sixth (14:53.58) and eighth (15:04.45), respectively, and redshirt and unattached Duck Pat Swick added eighth (15:04.45). Sophomore Kyle Alcorn kicked to the win in the final lap of the Bill McChesney Jr. Memorial Twilight Mile (4:03.98) over Willamette’s three-time NCAA Division III champion Nick Symmonds (second, 4:04.58) who won the race two years ago as a frosh. All-America junior Eric Mitchum won the 400 hurdles (52.17) over former teammate and Team XO’s Brandon Holliday (second, 52.62), and sophomore Sol Rexius claimed the 110 hurdles (first, 14.79w, w:2.1). With several absent Ducks resting up for the Pac-10 dogfight, several post-collegians took their turn winning events, including an all-star 5,000 that matched up a pair of former Colorado NCAA champions. Nike’s Dathan Ritzenhein notched a meet record (first, 13:22.23) and broke away in the last mile from runner-up Jorge Torres (second, 13:30.77). Ritzenhein bettered another Chapa-held mark of 13:25.6 from his sophomore 1978 season when he won the NCAA 5K several weeks later at Hayward Field to the chants of ?Rudy, Rudy’. In the 800, Nike Oregon Project’s Richard Smith won by almost three seconds (1:47.91), and a trio of former Duck Pac-10 champions and Team XO members ? Kyley Johnson, Adam Kriz and John Stiegeler ? won the high jump (7-2 1/2), hammer (220-9) and javelin (219-7).
LAST WEEK’S MEN’S RECAP: Henry Lands Six-Foot Best in Hammer.
EUGENE (5/7/05) ? In the Oregon Twilight Saturday, women’s post-collegians also scored impressive wins as Olympian Shayne Culpepper won the 3,000 in a meet record (8:54.84) over former Stanford NCAA champion and Nike entrant Lauren Fleshman (9:00.80). The former meet record of 8:59.76 belonged to Oregon’s Kathy Hayes from 1983. On the pole vault runway, former Duck NCAA champion Becky Holliday tied her meet record from 2004 en route to the win (14-1 1/4). Among Duck efforts, redshirt senior Laura Harmon won the 1,500 (first, 4:35.78) over freshman teammate Sarah Pearson (second, 4:37.36), and Duck redshirt junior Sara Schaaf led UO in the 800 (second, 2:08.55). In the 3K, redshirt senior Magdalena Sandoval made her outdoor season debut (fifth, 9:46.87) and was only four seconds off to the team’s season best. In the field, Duck redshirt and unattached entrant Britney Henry boomed a six-foot personal best and USA Championships qualifier in the hammer (first, 217-10) to edge Team XO’s Cari Soong (second, 214-7). Only one collegian has thrown father this season although Henry’s mark will not be included on official NCAA lists since she is a redshirt after she transferred from LSU before last fall. Other Duck winners included freshman Julie Schmidt-Scherer (200, 25.67, w:1.8), redshirt junior Mandi Fitz-Gustafson (steeplechase, 11:18.28) and Clarice Hayward-Lee (triple jump, windy season best 40-0 1/2w, w:2.5).
COACHING UPDATE: Gray Assumes Interim Director Title.
Outdoors in 2005, the Ducks are under the temporary direction of associate athletic director Gary Gray, who stepped into the role of interim director of track and field after the resignation of former coach Martin Smith on Fri., March 18. Gray serves as the department’s compliance director and also held prior titles of assistant athletic director and director of student services since he joined the staff in 1984. The State Center, Iowa native already oversaw the program as part of his administrative duties, and serves in the same capacity for the cross country and wrestling teams.
TYSON ON BOARD: Former Duck Tabbed Interim Men’s Distance Coach.
After the departure of former head coach Martin Smith, former Duck Pat Tyson joined the team in late March as a men’s volunteer distance coach for the spring season. As a student-athlete, the former walk-on was a two-time NCAA competitor for the Ducks in cross country (33rd in 1971, 54th in ?72) as the squad placed first and third, respectively, those seasons for former coach Bill Dellinger. On the track, Tyson ended his collegiate career in ?73 with top-six rankings for the Ducks in the 3-mile (sixth, 13:37.0) and 6-mile (fourth, 28:34.0). After graduation, he quickly began a 31-year prep coaching career that included a pair of initial stops in Seattle. However, he is best known as the men’s distance mentor at Mead High School in Spokane, Wash, and guided the Panthers to 26 combined individual titles (track and cross country) and 12 state cross country team titles since his arrival in 1986. His harrier teams have ranked top-five nationally seven seasons, and last fall his squad took third in the inaugural Nike Team Nationals in Portland. His seven Footlocker National Championships qualifiers rank third-most of any boy’s program nationally, and include a pair of Mead alum ? Matthew and Micah Davis ? that combined for five All-America honors in track and cross country for UO.
HAYWARD FIELD PROFILE: Eugene Welcomed its Ninth NCAA Finale in ?01.
One of the most famous track facilities in the world, Hayward Field is named for Bill Hayward, who coached the Oregon’s men’s team from 1904-1947. Originally dedicated in 1919, the 10,205-seat stadium now boasts a standing room capacity of 10,505. In 2001, the venue welcomed the world’s fastest, strongest and most explosive to a Triple Crown of great meets ? the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Prefontaine Classic (www.preclassic.com) and USA Outdoor Championships. Altogether, nine NCAA Championships (1962-64-72-78-74-77-91-96-01) have visited Track City USA, along with three Olympic Trials (1972-76-80) and six U.S. Championships (AAU 1971-75, TAC 1986, USATF-1993-99-01). Since the NCAA started rotating outdoor championships sites in 1934, Oregon has welcomed more finals (9) than any other school. California follows with eight (although they haven’t hosted one since 1968), and no other school has hosted more than five. Looking ahead, the fabled facility will host the 2005 West Regional Championships (5/27-28/05) and 2006 Pacific-10 Conference Championships.
PICKS OF THE PAC-10: Five Current Ducks Have Claimed Weekly Honors.
Redshirt junior Andy Young was tabbed the Pacific-10 Conference Men’s Field Event Athlete of the Week after he won the Oregon Invitational decathlon with an NCAA provisional score of 7,329 points on Thu.-Fri., April 21-22. He notched a season best in eight of the 10 events, and only five collegians had scored higher decathlon totals before last weekend. Young was an NCAA decathlon competitor for the Ducks in 2004 (13th - 3 places higher than his seed), and is a two-time Pac-10 top-five finisher in (third in ’04, fifth in ’03). In 2004, Tommy Skipper took UO’s second honor in the fifth and final edition of the award that season (5/10). The then-freshman from Sandy, Ore., won the conference decathlon title in his collegiate event debut with an NCAA automatic score (7,589) that was 89 points above the NCAA automatic standard, and 105 points better than runner-up Arizona State senior Joshua Kinnaman (second, 7,484). Skipper gave Oregon its fourth straight Pac-10 decathlon title and 11th overall including Pac-8 history dating back to 1965. Among final day marks, he led the pole vault marks by almost a full foot with his clearance of 17-4 1/2, was also 18 feet better than the field in the javelin, and also topped the field the first day in the 100 (10.69) and shot put (44-6 3/4). In the award’s opening edition of 2004 (4/12), Sofie Abildtrup claimed similar honors for the women’s track category. The Saturday before (4/10/04), she helped Oregon to team wins over Colorado, Minnesota and Washington in the Pepsi Team Invite and claimed individual blue ribbons in the 200 (23.94) and 400 (54.49), and also ran a 54.40-second split on the victorious 4x400 relay. Looking back to 2003, the Duck men tied with USC for the most weekly Pac-10 Athlete of the Week honors with USC (4), among the five editions that honor both a track and field event performer. The Duck men claimed the most field event honors (2), USC held court for most track honors (3), and UCLA claimed the other field event honor (1). Among current Ducks tabbed in 2003, Brett Holts was selected in the men’s track category after he took the Pac-10 steeplechase lead with his four-second personal best in the Cardinal Invitational (8:48.81, Fri., 5/2). The week before (Mon., 4/28), Adam Jenkins was selected in the field event category after he leapfrogged teammate John Stiegeler to the top of the Pac-10 javelin rankings, thanks to his three-foot personal and six-foot, seven-inch season best in the Oregon Invitational (221-4). Another current Duck, Sarah Malone, won an honor in early May 2001 for her javelin school record and Oregon Twilight win (174-0).
Women’s Pacific-10 Conference Records
100 - 10.97, Gail Devers, UCLA (1988)
200 - 22.33, Inger Miller, USC (1987)
400 - 50.33, Maicel Malone, ASU (1991)
800 - 1:58.51, Brigita Langerholc, USC (2000)
1,500 - 4:07.69, Lena Nilsson, UCLA (2003)
3,000 - 8:59.15, Annette Hand, Oregon (1988)
Mile - 4:30.36, Leann Warren, Oregon (1981)
Steeplechase - 9:46.30, Lisa Aguilera, ASU (2003)
5,000 - 15:12.71, Lauren Fleshman, Stanford (2003)
10,000 - 32:29.97, Alicia Craig, Stanford (2004)
100M Hurdles - 12.61, Gail Devers, UCLA (1988)
400M Hurdles - 52.95, Sheena Johnson, UCLA (2004)
400 Relay - 43.14, USC (Williams, Young, Edmonson, Davis) (2000)
1,600 Relay - 3:27.57, UCLA (Roseby, Johnson, McKinnon, Henderson) (2004)
High Jump - 1.98m 6-6, Amy Acuff, UCLA (1995)
Pole Vault (ind) - 4.53m 14-101/4-i, Amy Linnen, Arizona (2002)
Pole Vault (out) - 4.57m, 15-0-o, Chelsea Johnson, UCLA (2004)
Long Jump - 6.77m 22-21/2, Gail Devers, UCLA (1988)
Triple Jump - 14.04m 46-03/4, Sheila Hudson, California (1990)
Shot Put - 18.85m 61-101/4, Valeyta Althouse, UCLA (1995)
Discus - 64.89m 215-3, Aretha Hill, Washington (1998)
Javelin - 61.60m 202-1, Paula Berry, Oregon (1991)
*Javelin - 56.95m 186-10, Inga Stasiulionyte, USC (2002)
Hammer - 66.88m 219-5, Jessica Cosby, UCLA (2004)
Heptathlon - 6,132, Gea Johnson, ASU (1990)
Women’s Pacific-10 Championships Records
100 - 11.05, Gail Devers, UCLA (1988)
200 - 22.71, Gail Devers, UCLA (1987)
400 - 50.90, Monique Henderson, UCLA (2004)
800 - 2:02.03, Brigita Langerholc, USC (2001)
1,500 - 4:13.21, Lena Nilsson, UCLA (2003)
3,000 - 9:10.84, Annette Hand, Oregon (1988)
Steeplechase, , 10:03.20, Kelly MacDonald, ASU (2001)
5,000 - 15:44.91, Amy Skieresz, Arizona (1997)
10,000 - 33:41.8, Carol Gray, Stanford (1988)
100M Hurdles - 12.61, Gail Devers, UCLA (1988)
400M Hurdles - 54.32, Sheena Johnson, UCLA (2004)
400M Relay - 43.43, UCLA (Roseby, Johnson, Harper, Henderson) (2004)
1,600M Relay - 3:31.28, ASU (1995) (T. Akinremi, Gayle, Morgan, Dailey)
High Jump - 1.98m 6-6, Amy Acuff, UCLA (1995)
Pole Vault - 4.42m 14-6, Becky Holliday, Oregon (2003)
Long Jump - 6.65m 21-10, Gail Devers, UCLA (1987)
Triple Jump - 13.61m 44-8, Sheila Hudson, California (1987)
Triple Jump - 13.61m 44-8, Candice Bauchman, UCLA (2004
Shot Put - 18.85m 61-101/2, Valeyta Althouse, UCLA (1995)
Discus, 63.68m 208-11, Aretha Hill, Washington (1998)
Javelin - 59.04m 193-8, Paula Berry, Oregon (1991)
*Javelin - 56.95m 186-10, Inga Stasiulionyte, USC (2002)
Hammer - 65.82m 215-11, Cari Soong, UCLA (2003)
Heptathlon - 5,989, Kelly Blair, Oregon (1993)
*new javelin implement introduced in 1999
Men’s Pacific-10 Conference Records
100 - 9.90, Ato Boldon, UCLA (1996)
200 - 19.80, Ato Boldon, UCLA (1996)
400 - 43.50, Quincy Watts, USC (1992)
800 - 1:41.77, Joaquim Cruz, Oregon (1984)
1,500 - 3:34.48, Bernard Lagat, WSU (1998)
3,000 - 7:32.1, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
Mile - 3:53.00, Joaquim Cruz, Oregon (1984)
Steeplechase - 8:05.4, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
5,000 - 13:08.4, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
10,000 - 27:22.4, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
110 Hurdles - 13.22, Greg Foster, UCLA (1978)
400 Hurdles - 47.72, Kevin Young, UCLA (1988)
400M Relay (tie) - 38.44, USC (McCullough, Kuller, Simpson, Miller) (1967))
400M Relay (tie) - 38.59, UCLA (Marsh, Everett, Lewis, Thomas) (1988))
1,600M Relay - 2:59.91, UCLA (Lewis, Young, Everett, Thomas) (1988))
High Jump - 2.32 7-71/2, Del Davis, UCLA (1982)
Pole Vault (ind)- 5.80 19-11/4, Brad Walker, Washington (2003)
Pole Vault (out) - 5.75 18-101/4, Tommy Skipper, Oregon (2004)
Long Jump - 8.34 27-41/2, Randy Williams, USC (1972)
Triple Jump (out) - 17.19 56-43/4, Joseph Taiwo, WSU (1984)
Triple Jump (ind) - 17.26 56-71/2, Allen Sims, USC (2003)
Shot Put - 21.92 72-21/4, John Godina, UCLA (1995)
Discus - 65.88 216-2, Dean Crouser, Oregon (1983)
Hammer - 81.94 270-10, Balazs Kiss, USC (1995)
Javelin - 81.86 268-7, Esko Mikkola, Arizona (1998)
Decathlon - 8,322 points, Mike Ramos, Washington (1986)
Men’s Pacific-10 Championships Records
100 - 10.03, Ato Boldon, UCLA (1996)
200 - 20.00, Ato Boldon, UCLA (1996)
400 - 44.34, Danny Everett, UCLA (1988)
800 - 1:45.12, Joaquim Cruz, Oregon (1984)
1,500 - 3:38.7, Rudy Chapa, Oregon (1979)
Mile - 3:57.9, Hailu Ebba, Oregon State (1973)
Steeplechase - 8:26.10, Julius Korir, WSU (1984)
5,000 - 13:20.23, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
10,000 - 27:46.55, Henry Rono, WSU (1978)
110 Hurdles - 13.43, Greg Foster, UCLA (1980)
400 Hurdles - 48.71, Kevin Young, UCLA (1988)
400M Relay - 38.59, UCLA (Marsh, Everett, Lewis, Thomas) (1988))
1,600M Relay - 3:01.26, ASU (Banda, Barton, Fitch, Peterson) (2004)
High Jump - 2.24 7-53/4, Brian Marshall, Stanford (1988)
Pole Vault - 5.72 18-91/4, Toby Stevenson, Stanford (2000)
Long Jump - 8.18 26-10, Dwight Phillips, ASU (1999)
Triple Jump - 16.91 55-53/4, Joseph Taiwo, WSU (1982)
Shot Put - 21.76 71-43/4, John Godina, UCLA (1995)
Discus - 64.54 211-9, John Godina, UCLA (1995)
Hammer - 81.94 268-10, Balazs Kiss, USC (1995)
Javelin - 76.84 252-1, Greg Johnson, UCLA (1995)
Decathlon - 8,322 points, Mike Ramos, Washington (1986
2004 PAC-10 WOMEN’S RECAP: UO Upends Form Chart & Repeats Seventh.
TUCSON, Ariz. (5/14-15/04) - At the University of Arizona last year, the under-staffed Women of Oregon nearly replicated 2003’s seventh-place finish seventh with 58 points. UCLA won the women’s crown with 174 1/2 points, ahead of Stanford (second, 153), USC (third, 111), ASU (fourth, 97), Cal (fifth, 68), Washington (sixth, 66), Oregon (seventh, 58), WSU (eighth, 45 1/2) and Arizona (ninth, 45). In the sprints, Sofie Abildtrup shook off a tight hamstring muscle the second-day to take fifth in the 400 in her second-fastest career time (53.22) ? only .30 seconds off her personal best from the first-day prelims (52.92). The first-year Duck from Herning, Denmark entered the meet seeded 12th in the Pac-10 with her prior season best of 54.49 from the Pepsi Team Invitational, while her all-time prior best before this weekend stood at 54.16. Abildtrup then came back to anchor the 4x400 relay to a four-second season best and regional qualifier (seventh, 3:42.23) as the Ducks entered the meet seeded eighth with a prior best of 3:46.92. She also competed in the first day prelims in the 200 (24.09) and was only .18 seconds off her season and personal best. In the middle distances, Sara Schaaf ran a gutty effort in the 800’s front five the whole race and ended fifth (2:09.40) in her then-second-fastest clocking in her career, and one place better than her pre-meet seed. In the prelims, she claimed the last time qualifier and ninth and final invite (2:10.88) and ranked third in her heat ? only .03 seconds ahead of the first non-qualifier. Laura Harmon added her first league points in her third trip, but first at the 5,000-meter distance (eighth, 17:21.57). The Vancouver, Wash., native and Jesuit High School product led several of the opening laps and ran in the front pack of the nation’s deepest conference for much of race’s opening 2/3 of action. Haripurkh Khalsa followed in 14th in her league debut (18:18.79). In the 1,500 prelims, Taylor Bryant clocked her second-fastest time ever and missed the final by one place and .76 seconds in her Pac-10 debut (13th, 4:40.91). As expected, the 400 hurdles stood as the squad’s deepest event as redshirt senior Abby Andrus sped to third place (59.29, 60.37-p) and a .61-second personal best that moved her up to fifth all-time for the Ducks. The Peoria, Ariz., native entered the meet seeded fifth in the Pac-10 with her season best of 59.9-hand-timed from the Oregon Twilight, and her previous FAT best of 59.90 came in 2003. Kayla Mellott claimed her first league points in the event (seventh, 61.27, 60.72-p) with her best fully automatic time and was just off her best hand-timed mark from two weeks before at home (60.8-h). In the prelims, Amanda Santana was less than a quarter-second off her second-fastest time ever (12th, 62.46), and redshirt senior C’Rel McAllister ran a half-second personal best in her final individual race as a Duck (14th, 62.58) and was barely a second away from the all-time UO top-10 list (10th is 61.39). In the field, senior pole vaulter Kirsten Larwin claimed her highest ever Pac-10 placing and fourth top-10 effort with a three-inch personal best (fourth, 13-6 1/4). The Eugene native out of South High School had owned a prior best of 13-3 1/2 from the Texas Relays in early April and had cleared additional +13-foot marks in two of her other three outdoor appearances (13-1 3/4 in the Pepsi Team Invite and 13-1 1/2 in the Oregon Preview). Larwin had added personal bests in the Pac-10 Champs as a junior in 2003 (seventh, 12-11 1/2), sophomore in 2002 (sixth, 12-10) and freshman (10th, 12-7 1/2). Emily Enders added fifth in the event (13-2 1/4) with a four-inch personal best of her own. The Snoqualmie, Wash., native entered the meet seeded 12th with her prior best of 12-10 1/4 from the Oregon Twilight, and altogether her first season hiked her preseason best of 12-7 by more than seven inches. In the high jump, Rachael (Kriz) Wallace scored for the second time in Pac-10 duty in the high jump and ended in a three-way tie for fifth (5-6) with her second-highest mark of the season. She missed her three attempts at matching her season and personal best (5-8) which she cleared in the Pepsi Team Invite. Triple jumper Maegan Traver claimed seventh in her Pac-10 debut in the triple jump (39-7, w:0.7). Her 8 1/2-inch personal best moved her to 10th all-time for Oregon after she entered the meet seeded 11th with a prior season best of 38-10 1/2 from the Oregon Twilight two weeks ago. Javelin All-American Sarah Malone matched her pre-meet seed and claimed her third Pac-10 runner-up finish in the javelin (171-5) behind USC’s four-time champion Inge Stasliounyte (181-11). Malone threw her daily best on her first throw and led the opening two rounds, before Stasliounyte took the lead on her third try (54.06m), then improved on her sixth throw to 184-11. Malone’s other legal marks came on her second (50.16m) and fourth attempts (49.99m), and her daily best was her second-best in league competition, just behind her 171-9 heave as a sophomore in 2002, and ahead of her frosh mark of 167-1 from 2001. The UO discus throwers claimed a pair of top-eight finishes courtesy of Bree Fuqua (fifth, 162-2) and senior Jill Hoxmeier (seventh, 160-7). The duo improved on their seventh- and eighth-place seedings and were barely two feet off their season and personal bests. On the first day, Fuqua improved two places on her shot put pre-meet seeding thanks to a quarter-inch personal best (fourth, 52-5 1/2). Katie Kersh led a trio of hammer tossers (11th, 161-10), and was followed by fellow debuts by Megan Kriz (14th, 146-3) and Whitney Gum (15th, 136-1).
2004 PAC-10 MEN’S RECAP: Ducks Score Third Straight Top-Two Finish.
TUCSON, Ariz. (5/14-15/04) ? At the University of Arizona’s Roy Drachman Stadium last year, the Men of Oregon virtually matched their pre-meet scoring forecast and took second with 130 points, behind meet favorite UCLA (143). ASU followed in third (120), ahead of USC (fourth, 95), Arizona (fifth, 93), Stanford (sixth, 76), Cal (seventh, 75), Washington (eighth, 45) and WSU (ninth, 41). UO’s top-two finish was its third straight after the Ducks won the 2003 title (131) and took second in 2002 (125). The Ducks have claimed five team titles since the meet’s inception in 1979 (1979, 1986, 1990, 1991, 2003) and have scored eight other runner-up finishes including this weekend’s in the meet’s 26 editions. Individually, All-American Eric Mitchum (13.62, 13.76p) claimed the tape in the 110 hurdles with his then-second-fastest wind-legal effort for Oregon’s first victory in the event after three straight runner-up nods ? and not far from a fourth thanks to A.K. Ikwuakor’s third-place surprise (14.16). Tommy Skipper added a pair of victories in the decathlon and pole vault (18-3 1/4). The Duck sprinters kept UO in contention as Matt Scherer ran personal bests in both 400 races (fifth, 45.95-f, 46.27-p), and Kedar Inico improved three places from his pre-meet seed in the 200 (sixth, PR 21.19). The 4x400 relay (second, 3:03.49) chopped 2.51 seconds off their former school record from the indoor regular season (3:06.54), and passed the Bruins in the final 50 meters thanks to Scherer, with earlier passing by Travis Anderson, Brandon Holliday and Inico. Holliday added a .17-second personal best in the 400 hurdles (50.52) and led a UO 4-5-8 finish that included Mitchum (PR, 51.27) and Ikwuakor (eighth, 54.46). In the distances, steeplechaser Brett Holts claimed UO’s highest finish from the 800 on up (third, 8:58.28) and held off Arizona’s Joshua Ludwig on the final straightaway (fourth, 8:59.47). Kyle Alcorn made his second event appearance and ran virtually the whole race near his final position (ninth, 9:13.91) and solo the final five laps. Holts’ placing was his third, top-four effort in the event after he took second in 2003 (8:55.0) and fourth as a freshman (9:03.32). In the 5,000, Eric Logsdon went top six for the third straight year (fourth, 14:14.86), and redshirt senior Ryan Andrus came back for another 12 1/2 laps of racing and added a best-ever sixth (14:22.52). The night before, Andrus posted his second-straight top-six finish in the 10,000 (fourth, 30:30.17) in a tactical race that featured a lead pack of 8-10 runners until the final six laps. In the field, Skipper continued to wow the Duck faithful with simultaneous duty in the first day pole vault and javelin. He opened in the pole vault with a first attempt clearance of 17-3 1/2, then ran across the infield and uncorked a personal best on both of his javelin throws ? 208-9 on the first, and 215-2 on his second. He ranked second in the javelin at that point (and eventually ended fifth), and content that he would contribute multiple points to the Duck cause in the spear-chuck, he then went back to focus solely on the pole vault. Going into the event, Skipper ranked second on the league outdoor qualifying list, 3 1/4 inches behind UCLA All-American Yoo Kim, but Skipper eventually captured the back-and-forth dual with a first-attempt make at 18-3 1/4 as Kim ended second (17-7 1/4). Skipper then took three solid tries at a Pac-10 record (18-10 1/4), but to no avail. The Ducks added another three points in the event courtesy of senior Trevor Woods, who scored his fourth straight, top-five finish (fifth, 16-11 1/2) after he entered the meet seeded seventh with an outdoor season best of 17-1 1/4. Andy Young raised his then-personal best 3/4 inches (12th, 16-5 1/2) and ended one clearance away from the final scorer (eighth, 16-11 1/2) and had several close attempts. The Newberg, Ore., native ranked 14th on the conference qualifying list with his prior season beset of 16-4 3/4 from the Pac-10 Champs decathlon seven days before. High jumper Jeff Lindsey skied to another near-seven-foot mark (fourth, 6-11 3/4) in his Pac-10 debut, and decathlete Ryan Voge added points in a three-way tie for sixth with his opening height clearance (6-6 3/4). On the horizontal runway, Leonidas Watson climbed several positions to fourth in the long jump’s late rounds with a daily best of 24-8 1/4 (w:0.0) on the first day, then added fifth in the triple jump (50-8 3/4) with his third-best mark of the outdoor campaign ? and less than nine inches off his other two better marks. Voge added double duty himself in the long jump (10th, 22-7 3/4 (w:0.0)) ? only 8 1/4 inches from scoring. The Hillsboro, Ore., product ended three positions better than his pre-meet seeding (11th) based on his season best from the Pac-10 decathlon the week before (23-8). In the throws, senior javelin thrower Adam Jenkins stepped up with a critical effort on a half-approach third prelim throw just to advance to the finals after two sub- 200-foot earlier efforts. The returning Pac-10 champ then surged in the finals to a runner-up finish and five-foot personal best (second, 227-4). In the hammer, Paul Etter took fifth (191-8) with his sixth meet past 190 feet this year. The first-year Duck entered the meet seeded fourth with a season best of 199-0 from the Oregon Invitational. Brandon Tower launched his second-best ever throw in the discus and missed scoring by barely two feet (ninth, 159-6). The Beaverton, Ore., native entered the meet seeded 11th in the conference with his season and collegiate personal best of 166-6
THE ROAD TO SACTO: Explaining the Outdoor Regional System.
In contrast to the indoor season where athletes qualify based on season bests that meet NCAA automatic and provisional qualifying standards, the outdoor season relies on a head-to-head regional system that features four, two-day regionals, drawn in a vertical fashion geographically. This year, Eugene is one of four sites that will host a regional Fri.-Sat., May 27-28, and regional qualifying standards are based on the 100th best performance nationally from 2004 (while all conference champions are also automatically invited to their respective regional). Except for the 10K and heptathlon/decathlon (which still operate on an automatic/provisional standard system), the top-five finishers from each individual regional event and top three relay placers automatically advance to the NCAA Championships, nearly two weeks later (June 8-11 in Sacramento, Calif.). Besides the automatic advancers from each regional, an additional 6-8 athletes nationally per event are invited by the NCAA Championships selection committee based on a season performance list (in case of injury, illness, false-start/DQ, etc.) as long as that athlete placed top eight in the regional. Coaches hope that the easier regional qualifying standards (compared to previous national automatic/provisional standards) enable athletes to obtain marks during the regular season and avoid 'chasing marks', especially in mid- to late-May, while the regional competition encouraged head-to-head competition at the end of the season and increase fan and media interest. The switch to the regional method was made prior to the 2003 season, the same year the championships field sizes were increased approximately 40 percent. Most individual events were previously 18-21 deep with relays inviting 11-12 entries, and grew to 27-29 and 15-16, respectively. Previous men's and women's fields were set at 388 athletes among the 21 individual and relay events, and in 2003, the number expanded to 544 each.
ALL-AMERICA EQUATION: Breaking down the NCAA Honor.
Based on their NCAA Championships performances, individuals are awarded All-America honors by the U.S. Track Coaches Association. The top-eight finishers from each event are honored regardless of citizenship, and any additional U.S. finishers that are among the top eight American finishers are also rewarded. If necessary, the U.S.-based honors can even extend to the top performances in the preceding qualifying round if there are not eight Americans in the event’s final.
2005 NCAA INDOOR M RECAP: Ducks Claim Sixth with Eight All-Americans.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (3/11-12/05) ? In the 41st edition of the NCAA Indoor Men’s Track and Field Championships, the University of Oregon men’s team posted a best-ever sixth-place finish and 29 points, thanks to six top-eight efforts in the Randal Tyson Track Center. Individually, the Duck men claimed eight All-America honors among their nine entries, including their first-ever NCAA indoor crown courtesy of sophomore Tommy Skipper (pole vault, 18-4 1/2). Other men’s All-Americans included senior Leonidas Watson (long jump, fourth, 25-11), junior Eric Mitchum (60 hurdles, fourth, 7.73), the men’s 4x400 relay (fifth, 3:05.26), seniors Kedar Inico (400, sixth, 46.62) and Eric Logsdon (3,000, seventh, 8:04.27), and juniors Matt Scherer (400, ninth, 47.15) and Ryan Voge (heptathlon, 10th, 5,209). The only Duck not to place top-10 was redshirt junior pole vaulter Jon Derby who no-heighted. Their sixth-place team finish was the third top-20 NCAA indoor effort in three years as Oregon took ninth in 2002 and 18th in 2004 with 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Ducks also paced the Pacific-10 Conference in the team results, and were followed by Arizona (10th, 20 points), Arizona State and Stanford (13th-tie, 15 points), USC (22nd, 10), UCLA (25th, 9) and Washington (28th, 7), while California and Washington State did not score. The UO men also led the league in NCAA indoor qualifiers (9), ahead of Arizona State (7), Stanford (5), Arizona (4 entries, 3 athletes), UCLA (3), Washington (2), Washington State (2), California (1) and USC (1). Looking ahead to 2006, the Duck men graduate only three scorers and nine points from 2005’s NCAA indoor meet. Overall in the team race, meet host and favorite Arkansas tallied 56 points to edge Florida (second, 46), Wisconsin (third, 43) and Auburn (fourth, 37).
2005 NCAA INDOOR W RECAP: Harmon Debuts on NCAA Indoor Oval.
Oregon’s lone women’s NCAA indoor representative, redshirt senior Laura Harmon placed 15th in the 16-woman 5,000 meters (17:24.21) in her third race of the season at the distance. The Vancouver, Wash., native matched her pre-meet seed the first day which was based on her season best and NCAA provisional mark of 16:18.56 which she ran in mid-February in the Husky Classic in Seattle. Harmon also bettered the NCAA provisional mark of 16:45.00 in the UW Invitational at January’s end (16:29.17). Harmon followed the lead of teammate Magdalena Sandoval who made UO’s first-ever NCAA women’s indoor 5,000 appearance in 2004, and NCAA automatic qualifier with her school record (16:04.40) and a contender for All-America honors until the final kilometer when she faded from seventh to 17th because of a pre-race injury. In the 23rd edition of the NCAA women’s team race, Tennessee won its first NCAA crown with 46 points and became the seventh different school to win the indoor team title. Florida followed in second place (36), ahead of Miami (third, 32), Nebraska (fourth, 29) and South Carolina (fifth, 28).
2004 OLYMPIC TRIALS REVIEW: Malone Takes Second in Javelin.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (7/9-18/04) ? In the 2004 U.S. finale last July at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium, Sarah Malone claimed UO’s highest placing of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. The Newberg, Ore., native Malone took second in the 12-woman javelin final (Sun., 7/12) with a daily best of 177-11 (54.22m) on her final throw, and was edged only by American record holder and Nike entrant Kim Kreiner (first, 182-7). Her top-three Olympic Trials finish was the first step towards qualifying for the U.S. team for the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece (8/20-29). However, she fell short in subsequent attempts to meet the Olympic ?A’ qualifying standard of 198-5 (60.50 meters) by August 8. At the end of the season, she ranked sixth in the U.S. and 95th in the world with her Texas Relays school record (179-7) from April. Malone made her second Olympic Trials trip after she competed as a prep for Newberg High School in Sacramento in 2000 (eighth-flight, 156-11, 47.84m) ? the same year she ranked third among preps and 38th in the U.S. (Prep implement 172-0). On the men’s side, Eric Mitchum placed seventh in the first of two 110 hurdles semifinals and ranked 14th among the 16 finishers with his clocking of 13.53 (w:0.6) ? his second fastest-ever wind-legal time and third best overall (13.38-NCAA, 13.50w-Texas Relays). Former Duck Micah Harris also competed in the same race on the meet’s final day and ranked eighth in the section and 15th overall among the two races (13.55). Among collegians, Mitchum ranked third in the semifinal results behind Ohio State’s Joel Brown (ninth, 13.39, w:1.6) and Ole Miss’s Antwon Hicks (11th, 13.45, w:0.6). Mitchum ran two rounds the day prior on Saturday (7/17), and clocked times of 13.67 in both the prelims (third-fourth heat, ninth overall, w:-0.8) and quarterfinals (fourth-third heat, 14th overall, w:-1.1). Going into the meet, Mitchum tied for 11th with Harris on the 2004 U.S. season best list in the 110 hurdles with his NCAA runner-up time and school record from mid-June in Austin, Texas (13.38, w:1.2). Looking back over ?04, Mitchum ran 15 sub-14.00 clockings in 16 races overall, including 10 efforts that were faster than his preseason best of 13.73 that ranked him second in school history heading into ?04 behind former UO record holder Harris (13.67, 2002). On the opening event of the opening day of the meet, freshman Tommy Skipper just missed advancing to the pole vault final (Fri., 7/9). The Sandy, Ore., native needed three attempts to clear the opening height of 17-8 1/2, then missed his three tries at 18-0 1/2. The event’s youngest competitor, Skipper tied for 14th overall, and if he would have cleared 17-8 1/2 on one of his first two tries he would have qualified for the 12-man final. The prelims marks were all noticeably hampered by a steady to strong crosswind from right-to-left that caused havoc to many approaches in the short, one-minute window for each attempt. One victim was American record holder Jeff Hartwig who no-heighted at his opening bars at 18-0 1/2. Skipper entered the meet ranked 10th in the U.S. on the 2004 best list that included seven Americans that had cleared 19 feet indoors and outdoors.
ONLINE TRACK RESOURCES
UO Athletics: www.GoDucks.com
Pacific-10 Conference: www.pac-10.org
NCAA Champs: www.ncaasports.com
NCAA Outdoor Host: www.HornetSports.com
NCAA: www.ncaa.org
College Track Results: www.TrackShark.com
USATF Oregon: www.usatf-oregon.org
USA Track and Field: www.usatf.org
USOC: www.olympic-usa.org
IAAF: www.iaaf.org
High School T&F Info: www.dyestat.com
Oregon Track Club: www.oregontrackclub.org
Prefontaine Classic: www.preclassic.com
World Championships: www.helsinki2005.fi
World Rankings: www.tilastopaja.net
Runner’s World: www.runnersworld.com
Trackwire: www.trackwire.com
T&F News: www.trackandfieldnews.com
- www.GoDucks.com -
