Track & Field Enjoys 18 NCAA Invites
EUGENE - The University of Oregon men’s and women’s track and field teams welcomed18 invitations (11M / 7W) Tuesday to the upcoming NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday-Saturday, June 6-9.
The 86th men’s edition and the 26th women’s edition will be hosted at Hornet Stadium on the Sacramento State campus, and will feature live television on both Friday (CSTV) and Saturday (CBS).
The UO men will send 13 different men to compete in nine different events (including both relays), and the list of individual event entries includes four distance runners (1,500m-2, 10,000m-2), and one sprinter (400m), long jumper, pole vaulter, javelin and hammer thrower.
The Duck women earned invitations by seven athletes in five different events, including four distance runners (800m-2, 5,000m, 10,000m), two javelin throwers and one hammer thrower.
Among the Duck qualifiers, three lead their collegiate event lists - senior Tommy Skipper (pole vault, 19-0 1/4), junior Galen Rupp (10,000m, 27:33.48) and sophomore Rachel Yurkovich (javelin, 189-11).
Skipper and Yurkovich own Pac-10 records thanks to their season bests and rank seventh and fourth all-time among collegians, respectively, while Yurkovich also stands fourth all-time in the U.S. with the newer implement introduced in 1999. Rupp’s mark stands seventh all-time in the U.S., third all-time among all collegians and is an American collegiate record.
Two other UO senior hammer throwers - Britney Henry (221-7) and Brian Richotte (eighth, 222-11) ? are ranked top eight as well as senior javelin thrower Ryan Brandel (fifth, 238-0) and sophomore middle distance runner Rebekah Noble (800m, fifth, 2:03.22).
Two Duck 10,000m runners? redshirt sophomore Shadrack Kiptoo Biwott and freshman Keara Sammons ? received invitations based on their national rankings and NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the Stanford Invitational at the end of March in Stanford.
On Tuesday, one Duck male ? freshman Andrew (A.J.) Acosta ? was added as an at-large selection by the NCAA championship committee since he finished top 12 in his event in last weekend’s NCAA West Regional, Fri.-Sat., May 25-26 in Eugene, Ore., and ranked among the top 26-28 athletes on the event’s national qualifying list.
Altogether in the regional’s second visit to Hayward Field in Eugene last weekend, the Men of Oregon scored nine top-five finishes, including wins by Rupp (5,000m, 14:08.03), Skipper (pole vault, Pac-10 record 19-0 1/4) and Richotte (hammer, 221-6). The Oregon women added six top-five finishes themselves and celebrated a repeat title by Rachel Yurkovich (javelin, 178-9).
2007 OREGON NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS
Event - Duck Men, Yr., Hometown - ?07 NCAA Meet Seed, Season Best (PR if better, UO All-Time Rank)
400m ? Marcus Dillon, Jr., New Orleans, La. ? 24th, 46.31 (UO #4), 5/26/07
1,500m ? A.J. Acosta, Fr., Oceanside, Calif. ? 15th, 3:42.40, 4/20/07
1,500m ? Michael McGrath, RJr., Portland, Ore. ? 26th, 3:44.25, 3/17/07 (PR 3:42.44)
10,000m - Galen Rupp, Jr, Portland, Ore. ? 1st, 27:33.48 (UO#1/Pac-10 #3), 4/29/07
10,000m ? Shadrack Kiptoo Biwott, RSo., Albuquerque, N.M. ? 23rd, 29:00.32, 3/31/07
4x100m ? Dillon, Ashton Eaton, Phil Alexander, Jared Huske,18th, 40.26, 5/26/07
4x400m ? Dillon, Ashton Eaton, Phil Alexander, Chad Barlow, 18th, 3:08.79, 5/26/07
Pole Vault ? Tommy Skipper, Sr., Sandy, Ore. ? 1st, 5.80m (19-0.25), (UO/Pac-10 #1), 5/25/07
Long Jump ? Ashton Eaton, Fr., Bend, Ore. ? 26th, 7.47m (24-6.25), w:1.3, 5/26/07
Hammer ? Brian Richotte, RSr., Berkeley, Mich. ? 8th, 67.96m (222-11), (UO #5), 5/13/07
Javelin ? Ryan Brandel, Sr., Milwaukie, Ore. ? 5th, 72.54m (238-0), (UO #3), 4/15/07
Event - Duck Women, Yr., Hometown - ?07 NCAA Meet Seed, Season Best (PR if better, UO All-Time Rank)
800m ? Rebekah Noble, So., Spokane, Wash. ? 5th, 2:03.22, 4/21/07 (PR 2:02.07 UO #4)
800m ? Zoe Buckman, Fr., Canberra, Australia ? 27th, 2:06.82, 5/26/07
5,000m ? Nicole Blood, Fr., Simi Valley, Calif. ? 18th, 16:19.15, 5/25/07
10,000m ? Keara Sammons, Fr., Centennial, Colo. ? 15th, 33:54.55, 3/30/07 (UO #6)
Hammer ? Britney Henry, RSr., Spokane, Wash. ? 3rd, 67.54m (221-7), (UO #1/Pac-10 #2), 5/5/07 (Non-UO PR 223-8)
Javelin ? Rachel Yurkovich, So., Newberg, Ore. ? 1st, 57.90m (189-11), (UO/Pac-10 #1), 3/24/07
Javelin ? Ashley McCrea, So., North Bend, Ore. ? 17th, 50.81m (166-8), (UO #6), 3/24/07
NCAA Automatic Qualifier
10,000m ? Galen Rupp, 27:33.48
NCAA Provisional Qualifiers
10,000m ? Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, 29:00.32
10,000m ? Keara Sammons, 33:54.55
Top-Five West Regional Women’s Placers
800m ? Rebekah Noble, 2nd, 2:04.95
800m ? Zoe Buckman, 4th, 2:06.82 (PR)
5,000m ? Nicole Blood, 3rd, 16:19.15 (PR)
Hammer ? Britney Henry, 3rd, 65.62m (215-3)
Javelin ? Rachel Yurkovich, 1st, 54.49m (178-9)
Javelin ? Ashley McCrea, 5th, 48.50m (159-1)
Top-Five West Regional Men’s Placers
400m ? Marcus Dillon, 2nd, 46.31
1,500m ? Michael McGrath, 5th, 3:46.31
5,000m ? Galen Rupp, 1st, 14:08.03 (*declined invite)
4x100m ? Dillon, Eaton, Alexander, Huske, 3rd, 40.26
4x400m ? Dillon, Eaton, Alexander, Barlow, 3rd, 3:08.73
Pole Vault ? Tommy Skipper, 1st, 5.80m (19-0.25)
Long Jump ? Ashton Eaton, 5th, 7.47m (24-6.25), w:1.3
Hammer ? Brian Richotte, 1st, 67.52m (221-6)
Javelin ? Ryan Brandel, 2nd, 66.52m (218-3)
