Walker's Pace: NCAA West Regional Live Blog - University of Oregon Athletics

Walker's Run - Oregon Cross Country, Track and Field Blog

Walker's Pace: NCAA West Regional Live Blog

Saturday, May 29, 2010, 2:00 p.m. CDT

The final day of the NCAA West Regional is underway and once again, we'll have live updates throughout the day. The most recent posts will be posted at the top of the page.

For live results, check out: http://www.texassports.com/livestats/m-track/index.htm.

For live video, go to: http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?SPSID=4367&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&code=ncaa&media=180903

9:50 p.m. CDT

Final update of the weekend!

Oregon won its heat of the women's 4x400 to automatically advance. The team of Brianne Theisen, Amber Purvis, Michele Williams and Keshia Baker won their heat in a school record 3:30.23.

Oregon was seventh in its heat of the men’s 4x400 meters in a season-best 3:08.34, but did not advance.

Brian Schaudt went 48-0 in the men's triple jump.

Here are Oregon's NCAA Championships Qualifiers. Get your tickets!

Men’s Entries (16)
800 Meters - Andrew Wheating, Elijah Greer, Travis Thompson
1.500 Meters - Matthew Centrowitz, Andrew Wheating, A.J. Acosta
5,000 Meters - Michael Maag, Jordan McNamara
10,000 Meters - Luke Puskedra
Long Jump - Ashton Eaton, Vernell Warren
Javelin - Cyrus Hostetler, Alex Wolff
Hammer - Jordan Stray
Decathlon - Eaton, Marshall Ackley

Women’s Entries (17)
100 Meters - Mandy White
400 Meters - Keshia Baker
800 Meters - Anne Kesselring, Becca Friday
1,500 Meters - Zoe Buckman, Alex Kosinski, Jordan Hasay
5,000 Meters - Nicole Blood, Kosinski
10,000 Meters - Blood, Mattie Bridgmon
4x100 Meter Relay
4x400 Meter Relay
Pole Vault - Melissa Gergel
Long Jump - Jamesha Youngblood
Triple Jump - Youngblood
Heptathlon - Brianne Theisen
9:40 p.m CDT

The Ducks were also successful in the 5,000 meters, advancing two men and two won along to the finals in Eugene. Jordan McNamara used a late kick to finish third in his heat in 14:07.14. In heat one, Michael Maag ran a tactical race, staying in the top five nearly the entire distance before a late kick sent the second through fifth place finishers scurrying to the line. The second four all finished within a second of each other as Maag took fifth in 14:02.63. Sophomore Luke Puskedra finished 17th in 14:41.61 and Acosta was 18th in 14:47.13. Though neither advanced in the 5,000, both will be moving on to Eugene in other events.

In heat one of the women’s 5,000, Nicole Blood and Kosinski settled in behind eventual winner Lisa Koll of Iowa State and advanced, though Blood had to hold off a late charge to grab an automatic spot. Kosinski, who advanced in the 1,500 meters earlier in the day, displayed an impressive late kick to take second in 16:34.95. Blood ran fourth in 16:38.90, and found an extra gear the last 50 meters to hold off a pair of challengers.

7:50 p.m. CDT

Tough break for the Ducks in heat one of the women's 200 meters. Sophomore Amber Purvis was charged with a false start. That eliminated her from the race.

Senior Jasmine Kelly cleared 5-6.5 in the women's high jump, but did not advance.

7:10 p.m. CDT

Oregon advanced three runners to the NCAA meet in both the women's and men's 1,500 meters. In the men's races, Andrew Wheating won he heat in a personal best 3:37.52. Moving behind early pace setter Luke Emanual early in the race. The senior from Norwich, Vt., tucked in behind the New Mexico runner until the final turn, where he gradually outkicked Emanual to win in a time that was the fourth-fastest in school history.

Matthew Centrowitz also won his heat in 3:46.09. He and teammate A.J. Acosta stayed with the lead pack of five throughout the race before taking the top two spots down the final 100 meters. Acosta finished in 3:46.27. Freshman Mac Fleet was 10th in his heat in 3;44.13 and did not advance.

In the women's 1,500, all three Ducks moved on to Eugene. Zoe Buckman and Alex Kosinski took second and fourth in the heat two, respectively, to advance. Buckman ran 4:18.93, while Kosinski finished in 4:19.99. In heat one, Hasay went out to an early lead, but had to hang on for a fifth-place finish in 4:19.95 to automatically advance to Eugene. Hasay edged Lauren Hardesty of Iowa by half a second for the final automatic spot, though Hardesty also advanced on time.

Oregon's women's 4x100 meter relay team cruised to a win in its heat in 43.50 to easily advance. The most challenging part may have been getting Jamesha Youngblood from the triple jump on time to start the race. After the 90 minute weather delay Youngblood had to stay around long enough to see if her triple jump mark of 42-6.25 would hold up. It was just enough for the 12th and final qualifying spot for Eugene.

5:59 p.m. CDT

Youngblood passed on all three rounds in the finals of the women's triple jump and it appears that she was able to hang on for a top-12 finish and a trip to nationals. She's off to the women's 4x100 relay with 16 minutes to spare.

5:20 p.m. CDT

Competition is about to resume following a weather delay of approximately 90 minutes. No rain fell as we just had lightning in the area, so the surface of the track is unaffected. The cloud cover is keeping things a little cooler this evening.

The weather delay has led to an interesting development for the Ducks. Jamesha Youngblood enters the finals standing ninth in the women's triple jump with a pretty good leap leap of 42-6.25, as a handful of competitors from the lower flight blew up the form chart. The top 12 will advance to Eugene, so Youngblood will need to stay ahead of at least four of the competitors currently below her. The interesting part is that Youngblood is also scheduled to be on the 4x100 relay team. Those heats start at 6:15 p.m. Oregon is in heat 2.

The women's high jump (Jasmine Kelly) has also gotten underway. The men's triple jump, which was to get underway at 6 p.m., will be delayed. Time still TBA.

4:00 p.m. CDT

We've gone into a weather delay. Lightning is with in seven miles of the stadium, so all the competitors and spectators have been cleared from Mike A. Myers Stadium. It doesn't look like a lengthy delay is in store, but stay tuned.

On the positive side, the fourth flight of the women's triple jump just wrapped up and Jamesha Youngblood was roughly sixth with a best leap of 42-6. The top 16 advanced to the finals and the top 12 after that will move on to Eugene. The finals will resume once the weather clears. Obviously, this will impact the women's high jump (Jasmine Kelly), which was scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

So far, no delays in the running events.

2:00 p.m. CDT

The women's triple jump is underway and Pac-10 champion Jamesha Youngblood is among the field. She is in the fourth flight, so she won't begin jumping until around 3 p.m. locally.

Here's the rest of Oregon's competitors today (all times Central):

4 p.m. - Women's High Jump. Jasmine Kelly

6 p.m. - Men's Triple Jump. Brian Schaudt

6:15 p.m. - Women's 4x100 Relay

6:30 p.m. - Men's 1,500 Meter Quarterfinals. Andrew Wheating, Matthew Centrowitz, A.J. Acosta, Mac Fleet

6:45 p.m. - Women's 1,500 Meter Quarterfinals. Zoe Buckman, Alex Kosinski, Jordan Hasay

7:50 p.m. - Women's 200 Meter Quarterfinals. Amber Purvis

8:05 p.m. - Men's 5,000 Meter Semifinals. A.J. Acosta, Michael Maag, Jordan McNamara, Luke Puskedra

8:45 p.m. - Women's 5,000 Meter Semifinals. Nicole Blood, Alex Kosinski

9:25 p.m. - Men's 4x400 Relay

9:45 p.m. - Women's 4x400 Relay

Click here for a link for a link to accepted entries and start lists for the NCAA West Regional.