Student Athlete of the Week - May 26 - June 1
Rachel Yurkovich has been named the GoDucks.com Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of May 26 - June 1.
Yurkovich, a junior from Newberg, Ore., defended her NCAA West Regional women’s javelin title and advanced to the NCAA Championships during Saturday’s action at Matador Track and Field Complex. Yurkovich threw 180-11 on her second attempt to win the javelin. The three-time Pac-10 champion was 20 feet better than her nearest competitor, Stephanie Ralls of Cal State Northridge, who was second at 160-11. Oregon’s Ashley McCray was 12th at 145-11.
Yurkovich entered 2007-08 ranked first among collegiate javelin returnees after a record-breaking sophomore campaign in 2007. Ranked first on season best lists among collegians and third in the U.S. with her school and Pac-10 record (189-11) that also put her fourth all-time among collegians and Americans. Is a two-time All-American and three-time USA Championships qualifier. Was also a Pac-10 and Regional All-Academic choice as a sophomore in 2007. Continues UO’s rich tradition in the women’s javelin that features 25 All-America honors, 11 Pac-10 titles, four collegiate national titles and three Olympic invitations. As a prep, set the national junior and high school record (176-5) with her winning mark from the 2005 Team XO Invitational at Hayward Field. The prep All-American and junior national champion also was a two-time 4A state javelin champion and three-time top-two finisher.
The Yurkovich File
2006-07: All-American (Javelin). Notched highest NCAA Championships finish (fifth, 170-0) of her career then added second, top-six finish in the USA Championships (sixth, 170-5). Added second Pac-10 and Regional titles the weeks before with marks of 174-11 and 178-9, respectively. Was undefeated vs. collegians during the season leading up to the collegiate finale and posted five wins. Entered season with previous best of 179-10 and topped that mark in three of the first six meets of the season, including personal bests and school records in the Oregon Preview (first, 174-9) and Clif Bar ASU Invitational (first, 189-11). In her third home meet of the season, added a meet record in her Pepsi Team Invitational win (174-4). Altogether, competed in the javelin in 10 meets and posted six of the top seven marks of her career, with the other her freshman season best (179-10). Personal / Season Bests: Outdoors � Javelin � 57.90m (189-11) (PR), Clif Bar ASU Invitational, Tempe, Ariz. (3/24/07).
2005-06: All-American (Javelin). Matched her pre-meet seed in
the NCAA Championships javelin (seventh, 165-2; prelims 160-3) after
she won West Regional (165-7) and Pac-10 (166-3) titles the previous
month. Opened career with 3 foot, five inch personal best to win the
Oregon Preview in mid-March at home (176-5). In following meet, logged
second best mark of the season in the Trojan Invitational in Los
Angeles (174-0). Altogether, eclipsed the 160-foot line in all nine of
her outdoor contests and won seven of them. Ranked first in the Pac-10
and West Region, fifth in the U.S., seventh in the NCAA, and 98th in
the world based on season bests. On UO's all-time list, ranked second
all-time (179-7) behind former NCAA runner-up Sarah Malone (then-school
and track record 186-10, 2005). Did not compete indoors. In fall,
played volleyball for Ducks and appeared in seven games over five
matches and posted three kills among her 22 attempts. Personal/Seasonal Bests: Outdoors - Javelin - 54.82m (179-10) (then-PR), Oregon Preview, Eugene, Ore. (3/18/06).
| Week 1 | August 26 - September 1 | Football | Dennis Dixon |
| Week 2 | September 2 - 8 | Football | Dennis Dixon |
| Week 3 | September 9-16 | Football | Jonathan Stewart |
| Week 4 | September 17-23 | Football | Cameron Colvin |
| Week 5 | September 24-30 | Volleyball | Heather Meyers |
| Week 6 | October 1-7 | Soccer | |
| Week 7 | October 8-14 | Football | Nick Reed |
| Week 8 | October 15-21 | Football | Jonathan Stewart |
| Week 9 | October 22-28 | Cross Country | Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott |
| Week 10 | October 29 - November 4 | Football | Nick Reed |
| Week 11 | November 5-11 | Volleyball | Gorana Maricic |
| Week 12 | November 12-18 | Basketball | Malik Hairston |
Week 13 | November 19-25 | Cross Country | |
| Week 14 | November 26 - December 2 | Volleyball | Sonja Newcombe |
| Week 15 | December 3-9 | Wrestling | Ryan Dunn |
| Week 16 | December 10-16 | Wrestling | |
| Week 17 | December 24-30 | Basketball | Maarty Leunen |
| Week 18 | December 31- January 6 | Football | Jonathan Stewart |
| Week 19 | January 7-13 | Basketball | Malik Hairston |
| Week 20 | January 14-20 | Basketball | Tamika Nurse |
| Week 21 | January 21-27 | Tennis | |
| Week 22 | January 28 - February 3 | Track & Field | Ashton Eaton |
| Week 23 | February 4-10 | Wrestling | Ryan Dunn |
| Week 24 | February 11-17 | Softball | Neena Bryant |
| Week 25 | February 18-24 | Lacrosse | Ilsa van den Berg |
| Week 26 | February 25 -March 2 | Track & Field | Alexandra Kosinski |
| Week 27 | March 3-9 | Basketball | Maarty Leunen |
| Week 28 | March 10-16 | Softball | Neena Bryant |
| Week 29 | March 17-23 | Track & Field | Jamesha Youngblood |
| Week 30 | March 24-30 | Lacrosse | Lindsay Killian |
| Week 31 | March 31 - April 6 | Track & Field | Phil Alexander |
| Week 32 | April 7-13 | Golf | Cathryn Bristow |
| Week 33 | April 14-20 | Track & Field | Marcus Dillon |
| Week 34 | April 21-27 | Track & Field | Andrew Wheating |
| Week 35 | April 28 - May 4 | Track & Field | A.J. Acosta |
| Week 36 | May 5-11 | Track & Field | Ashton Eaton |
| Week 37 | May 12-18 | Golf | Joey Benedetti |
| Week 38 | May 19-25 | Lacrosse | Jen May |
| Week 39 | May 26 - June 1 | Track & Field | Rachel Yurkovich |
