Track Looks to Defend Pac-10 Title
THIS WEEK
Oregon readies for the Pacific-10 Championships Friday and Saturday May 16-17 at Joe Sellah Track at Sun Angel Stadium. This is the 78th annual men’s championships and the Ducks are the defending champions. For the women, the meet is the 22nd annual as Oregon looks to improve on its seventh-place finish from a season ago.
DELAYED TV -- Fox Sports Net Northwest: Fri., May 23, Noon; Sat., May 24, 3 a.m.; Sun., May 25, 2 p.m.
A HEAD START -- 19 POINTS FOR THE MEN, 9 FOR THE WOMEN
Oregon heads to Tempe with 19 points in the bank for the men and nine for the women, thanks to some standout performances at last weekend’s Pac-10 decathlon and heptathlon championships. Sophomore Ashton Eaton won the decathlon (7,604 total) to earn 10 points, while junior Alexey Shkuratov grabbed fourth (6,907) for five points and sophomore Marshall Ackley took fifth (6,866 -- a 500-point PR) for four points. On the women’s side freshman Brianne Theisen’s PR of 5,765 points and second-place finish gave the Ducks eight points, while junior Kalindra McFadden took eighth (5,022) for another team point.
SCORING
The top eight places in each event score. The points assigned as follows: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1.
A CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITION
Oregon has won three of the last five Pac-10 titles in men’s track and field. The Duck have conference men’s track and field titles in 1965, 1967, 1979, 1986, 1990, 2003, 2005 and 2007. On the women’s side, Oregon’s Pac-10 crowns came in 1991 and 1992.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Junior Rachel Yurkovich (Newberg, Ore.) is the two-time defending Pac-10 champion in the women’s javelin and earlier this season, reset the school and Pac-10 records with a throw of 191-01 April 25 at the Oregon Relays. Yurkovich was one of five Ducks to win an individual crown last season. Galen Rupp won both the men’s 5,000 meters (14:02.00) and 10,000 meters (29:07.84), while wins by Brian Richotte in the hammer (222-11) and Ryan Brandel in the javelin (235-4) were keys in the men’s Pac-10 championship. For the women, Britney Henry in the hammer (217-10) joined Yurkovich with an event victory. While Richotte, Brandel and Henry have all graduated, the Ducks actually have three Pac-10 individual champions on their roster in Yurkovich, Rupp and Rebekah Noble (2006 800 meters, 2:05.81). Rupp and Noble have taken time off this spring to prepare for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held June 27-July 6 at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene.
PAC-10 MEET SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Action an the 2008 Pac-10 championships will be primarily an evening affair, with the notable exception of the men’s and women’s hammer, which will take place at 10:30 a.m. each day -- the women’s final is Friday and the men’s Saturday. The evening sessions begin at 5 p.m each night For a complete schedule, and for live results, visit Arizona State’s web site: www.thesundevils.com.
OREGON’S ENTRIES
For the Pac-10 championships, each team is allowed to enter a maximum of 28 competitors for men and 28 women. Oregon has quite a pool of student-athletes among which to choose from. Consider on the men’s side, the Ducks have 28 individuals (25 regional, 4 championships; Ashton Eaton has both regional and championships marks) with NCAA standards for a combined 39 NCAA entries (35 regional, 4 championships). The women have 22 individuals (21 regional, 4 championships; Brianne Theisen, Sarah Pearson and Zoe Nelson have both regional and championships marks) with NCAA standards for 30 combined NCAA entries (26 regional, 4 championships). Here’s a look at the Oregon men and women who rank among the Pac-10’s top 12 this season:
MEN - Event Competitor Mark Pac-10 National
100 Meters Phil Alexander, Sr. 10.46 4
Marcus Dillon, Sr. 10.48 5
Ashton Eaton, Sr. 10.57 8
200 Meters Phil Alexander, Sr. 20.74 3 16
400 Meters Ashton Eaton, Sr. 46.74 10
800 Meters Andrew Wheating, So. 1:47.82 2 6
Mike McGrath, Sr. 1:49.28 5
1,500 Meters Andrew Wheating, So. 3:38.60 1 1
A.J. Acosta, So. 3:40.32 2 4
Mike McGrath, Sr. 3:41.96 8 32
Joaquin Chapa, Sr. 3:44.24 11 38
5,000 Meters A.J. Acosta, So. 13:50.20 1 16
Carlos Trujillo, Sr. 13:57.73 3 40
Kenny Klotz, So. 13:58.15 4
Scott Wall, Jr. 13:58.22 5
Chad Hall, Fr. 14:11.12 12
10,000 Meters Danny Mercado, Fr. 29:04.24 3 27
Diego Mercado, Fr. 29:14.58 4 29
110 Hurdles Ashton Eaton, So. 14.14 10
Jared Huske, Jr. 14.31 12
3,000 Steeple Isaac Stoutenburgh, Fr. 8:52.66 4 23
Chris Winter, Jr 8:56.24 5 33
High Jump A.J. O’Connell, Jr. 6-9 11
Ashton Eaton, So. 6-8.75 12
Pole Vault Colin Witter-Tilton, So. 17-0.25 7
Long Jump Ashton Eaton, So. 25-3.25 4
Vernell Warren, Fr. 24-4.5 11
Hammer Colin Veldman, Sr. 219-6 2 10
Jordan Stray, Fr. 215-8 3 16
Steven Johnson, Jr. 198-10 8
Javelin Mike Simmons, Jr. 226-8 4 13
Alex Wolff, So. 214-5 8
4x100 Relay Oregon 40.20 6 33
4x400 Relay Oregon 3:07.13 2
Decathlon Ashton Eaton 7,792 1 4
Alexey Shkuratov, Jr. 6,907 4
Marshall Ackley, So. 6,866 5
WOMEN - Event Competitor Mark Pac-10 National
400 Meters Keisha Baker, So. 53.52 4 28
800 Meters Zoe Buckman, So. 2:06.76 6 26
Alex Kosinski, Fr. 2:09.41 12
1,500 Meters Nicole Blood, So. 4:14.73 1 3
Alex Kosinski, Fr. 4:19.48 4 17
Sarah Pearson, Sr. 4:26.56 11
5,000 Meters Nicole Blood, So. 15:43.82 1 3
Sarah Pearson, Sr. 16:34.73 7
Zoe Nelson, Jr. 16:35.18 8
10,000 Meters Sarah Pearson, Sr. 34:29.72 3 27
Zoe Nelson, Jr. 34:50.59 4 38
400 Hurdles Kasey Harwood, Sr. 1:00.06 6
Jamesha Youngblood, Fr. 1:00.94 10
3,000 Steeple Claire Michel, Fr. 10:36.68 6
Emily Mathis, Sr. 10:43.21 11
Brooke Giuffre, So. 10:47.15 12
High Jump Brianne Theisen, Fr. 5-8.75 8 27
Pole Vault Melissa Gergel, Fr. 13-7 5
Long Jump Jamesha Youngblood, Fr. 20-6.25 9
Triple Jump Jamesha Youngblood, Fr. 41-11.25 5 33
Discus Lucy Cridland, Jr. 159-10 8
Hammer Megan Maloney, Jr. 180-7 9
Javelin Rachel Yurkovich, Jr. 191-1 1 1
Ashley McCrea, Jr. 155-10 7 33
Kara Meeusen, Jr. 152-10 8
Brianne Theisen, Fr. 144-8 12
4x100 Relay Oregon 46.39 8
4x400 Relay Oregon 3:38.56 4
Heptahlon Brianne Theisen, Fr. 5,675 2 2
Kalindra McFadden, Jr. 5,420 5 15
NCAA LEADERS IN THE MEN’S 1,500, WOMEN’S JAVELIN
Oregon brings the current NCAA leaders in the men’s and 1,500 meters and the women’s javelin, into the 2008 Pac-10 meet. Sophomore Andrew Wheating paces the men’s 1,500 with an Olympic Trials "A" standard of 3:38.60 that came May 9 at the Oregon Twilight Meet. Two-time defending Pac-10 champion Rachel Yurkovich owns the nation’s best mark in the women’s javelin, 191-01 that she threw April 25 at the Oregon Relays.
BLOOD A DOUBLE THREAT
Sophomore Nicole Blood holds the Pac-10’s top mark in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. Her time in the 1,500, 4:14.73 that she clocked May 9 at the Oregon Twilight Meet is also an Olympic Trials "A" standard. Blood ran her fastest 5,000, 15:43.82, April 19 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Both marks rank third nationally. Sophomore A.J. Acosta also has the conference’s best mark in the 5,000 at 13:50.20, which he clocked April 25 at the Oregon Relays.
TEAM RANKINGS
The UO men and women are both ranked in this week’s USTFCCCA top 25. The men held steady at No. 13, while the women moved up one place to No. 15.
DUCKS REACH 50 NCAA QUALIFIERS
The Ducks now have a total of 50 individuals who have met either the NCAA regional or national championships qualifying standard. That breaks down to 46 different athletes (25 men, 21 women) and 61 entries (35 men, 26 women) for the NCAA West Region Championships (May 30-31 at Northridge, Calif.). The regional championships remain as the primary avenue for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field national meet in most events -- the exceptions being the men’s and women’s 10,000 meters, as well as the decathlon and heptathlon. See the boxes on pages 2-3 for Oregon’s NCAA Regional and NCAA National qualifiers.
PAC-10 HONORS
May 12
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Andrew Wheating
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, Nicole Blood
April 28
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Andrew Wheating
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, Nicole Blood
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, Rachel Yurkovich
THE SENIORS
The University of Oregon has 18 senior track and field student-athletes on the 2007-08 roster, most of whom will be in action at the 2008 Pac-10 championships. The 10 seniors on the men’s side have won a pair of Pac-10 titles and own a couple of top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships (2005, 2007). Half the group are native Oregonians.
The list includes All-American Phil Alexander (Keizer), A.J. Casteel (Wilsonville), Joaquin Chapa (Portland), Vincent D’Onofrio (Castro Valley, Calif.), two-time All-American Marcus Dillon (New Orleans, La.), Mike McGrath (Portland), Carlos Trujillo (Middleton, Idaho), Esteban Trujillo (Middleton, Idaho), Scott Wall (Ft. Collins, Colo.) and Patrick Werhane (Beaverton).
The eight senior women helped Oregon take fifth in the Pac-10 at the 2006 meet. It was the Ducks’ best showing in seven years. They also led Oregon to an 11th-place at the 2006 NCAA Championships, which was the Ducks’ highest finish in 14 years.
The eight are Ashley Bridenbeck (Lake Oswego), All-American Dana Buchanan (Beachburg, Ontario), Kavina Hall (Fairfield, Calif.), Kasey Harwood (Polson, Mont.), Emily Mathis (Klamath Falls), Sarah Pearson (Eugene), All-American Irie Searcy (Portland) and Liddell Steele (Bend).
2007 PAC-10 RECAP
STANFORD, Calif. ? The Duck men held on for their third team victory the past five years thanks to their 114 points ? albeit the lowest winning tally in the 29 years of the Pac-10 Conference ? to beat meet favorites Arizona State (second, 111) and USC (third, 110). UCLA followed in fourth place (92), ahead of Arizona (fifth, 91), Washington (sixth, 89), Washington State (seventh, 84), Stanford (eighth, 72) and California (ninth, 56).
In the women’s team race, Arizona State racked up 158 points to easily defend its title by 33 2/3 points over Stanford (second, 134 1/3). UCLA followed in third place (118 1/2), ahead of USC (fourth, 113), Washington State (fifth, 67 5/6), Arizona (sixth, 62), Oregon (seventh, 61), California (eighth 54 1/3) and Washington (ninth, 49).
On the individual front, Oregon counted three men’s and two women’s individual wins.
The Duck men opened the day with a javelin victory by senior Ryan Brandel (235-4) who won Oregon’s ninth league javelin title, and the school’s fourth since ’01. UO added another throws victory late in the afternoon from Brian Richotte (222-11). Soon after Richotte’s win, junior Galen Rupp added his second win of the weekend in a tactical 5,000 meters (14:02.00). The Portland, Ore., native bided his time with the leaders until 800 meters to go, then surged ahead.
Rupp’s double wins in the 5,000 and 10,000 barely 20 hours apart made him only the second Duck ever to accomplish the feat in the same meet as he joined Alberto Salazar who did it in 1981. Oregon also added two more points to its total from redshirt sophomore Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott (seventh, 14:17.02) who had also placed third in the 10,000 the night before.
With only the 4x400m remaining, the meet still wasn’t decided with the top three teams separated by only nine points ? Oregon (109), Arizona State (105) and USC (100) ? while Arizona (90) and UCLA (88) were close behind. Oregon’s fifth-seeded 4x400m relay was charged with the directive to finish in the top four.
Junior Marcus Dillon (anchor) anchored the team home with a mid-46 split that was punctuated by a dive at the finish line as the Ducks just barely placed fourth (3:09.93). The latter’s leg was particularly dramatic since he was passed by the Washington State anchor on the backstretch and was still in sixth place with 200 meters to go. However, on the far turn, Dillon started a long drive to the finish and lunged ahead of his UCLA counterpart by .01 seconds, behind the roar of the crowd.
On the women’s side, UO’s top seeded throwers Britney Henry and Rachel Yurkovich won the hammer (217-10) and javelin (174-11), respectively, to give UO 60 all-time conference titles in Pac-10 and NorPac league competition since 1983.
The top seed, Henry claimed the Ducks’ first-ever hammer crown and edged an all-star field that featured four of the top seven throwers on this year’s collegiate list. Henry had her daily best on her second try (216-8).
Yurkovich’s win ? UO’s ninth all-time and third straight ? was less dramatic as the returning Pac-10 champion took the lead on her first throw 169-2, then improved to her daily best on her third throw 174-11.
OFF-TRACK ACTIVITIES
For the third year in a row, the Starting Block will take place and is geared to get kids moving and staying active. The concept features a high-energy, dynamic space for youth designed for fun and interactive activities that offers youth a chance to practice their athletic skills and learn more about the sport. I’m a Track Fan will introduce youth to the world of track & field and encourage them to support athletes competing in the Olympic Trials.
