2010 Indoor Track & Field Conference Weekend Wrap Up

Saturday, February 28, 2010 — New conference champs in the collegiate track and field. The champions were crowned in the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Conference USA, MPSF, SEC, WAC, conference championship meets held over the weekend.

The NCAA meet is set up

With so many noteworthy performances it is difficult to know where start. Up until this point in the season not a lot matters, however the conference weekend is where it all begins.

Is this a dynasty in the making? The Lady Aggies of Texas A&M made some serious noise that will echo at the 2010 NCAA Track & Field Championships in two weeks. For the second year in a row, Gabby Mayo went about her business carving up the track, winning the 60m (7.30) and 60m hurdles (8.05) earning high point honors while helping her team to its fourth consecutive team title.

Jessica Beard wrapped up the 400m, while Porscha Lucas continued her dominance in the 200m and both claim titles in their respective events for the third straight year.  It has to be noted that Lucas lead Texas A&M’s 1-2-3 sweep of the top three spots in the women’s 200m.

Then the women’s 4 x 400 relay finished off the meet by winning for a fourth consecutive year.

“Across the board if you look at everything the team did, they really got after it today,” Aggie head coach Pat Henry said. “It’s a tough meet for us to win.  “You can have a really good team and come in here and be third or fourth, but still have a good track team at the next meet. I’m extremely pleased with the overall effort of our team.”

Already the 2009 NCAA champion in the 60-meter hurdles, Ronnie Ash added another title with his win in the 60-meter hurdles, recording a personal best 7.59. The time is the best among collegians this year and ranks fifth this year by an American on any level.  Ash helped the University of Oklahoma men’s track and field team nab the program’s 18th conference title Saturday when it won the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship

His silence is broken. Charles Clark burst onto the scene, opening up his indoor season with 20.67 winning the ACC 200 meters and registering the top NCAA time as Florida State recorded its’ eighth consecutive, ninth overall, ACC Indoor Championships title. Teammate Kimberly Williams is still on fire, leaping 46-8 1/4 inch winning the triple jump.

On his home court, Lee Emanuel was victorious in the 800, miles and DMR leading New Mexico to a fourth place finish.

Is she college track’s best all-around athlete? Queen Harrison’s record setting day gives her a strong look in the conversation. The Virginia Tech senior ran 7.94, setting a conference meet record and lowering her own school record. But the day was not over as she lowered her own school record in the 400 meters, placing second in 53.06.

The next great Oregon distance runner set the tone in Seattle.  Freshmen Jordan Hasay continues to make her mark, running 4:35.01 a three second personal record to win the women’s mile. That is a new conference meet record and of course an automatic qualifier.

The Oregon women won the MPSF title for the first time in school history with 133 points. Stanford was second with 113 points, followed by Arizona (109) and Arizona State (75).

How the west was won. Lacy Cramer lead BYU’s 1-2-3 sweep in the 800 meter running 2:05.55, ahead of teammates Nachelle Stewart 2:07.06 and Angela Wagner 2:08.90. The BYU men and women emerged victorious at the Mountain West Conference meet in Albuque, N.M.

Not to be overlooked senior Jason Colwick of Rice vaulted a crazy 5.18 meters or 17 feet, setting a Conference USA meet record in Houston and establishing himself as an NCAA title contender.

USTFCCCA: Washington Women Sit On top of College Cross Country Poll

Courtesy, Keith Nunez, USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS (September 15, 2009) – The Washington Huskies are perched at the top of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s Cross Country Top 30 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday. The Huskies received all 12 first-place votes and earned 360 total points in the preseason poll.

Washington, last year’s NCAA Division I Cross Country National Champions, return five of their top seven runners from last year’s championship team, four of which were USTFCCCA Cross Country All-Americans. The Huskies open their 2009 season at home this weekend in the Sundodger Invitational.

Oregon comes in at No. 2 in the women’s preseason poll having earned 344 total points. The Ducks, last year’s runner-up at the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships, return two USTFCCCA All-Americans in Nicole Blood and Alex Kosinski. The Ducks will be in action on October 2 at the Bill Dellinger Invitational.

Florida State is ranked third followed by West Virginia at No. 4. Florida State returns five of their top seven runners from last year’s squad that finished third overall in the team standings at the national meet. The Seminoles are led by senior standout Susan Kuijken who finished second in the individual standings at the national meet in 2008.

West Virginia finished fourth in the team standings at the national meet in 2008 but return all seven runners from last year’s team including USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American Keri Bland who finished tenth overall in the individual standings at the ’08 national meet.

Rounding out the women’s preseason top 30 at No. 5 is Villanova, the 2008 Big East Conference Cross Country Champions. Villanova loses only one senior from last year’s team (Francis Koons) that finished sixth overall at the NCAA cross country championships.

To view the complete 2009 USTFCCCA Division I Women’s Cross Country Preseason Top 30, click here.

USTFCCCA: Oregon Voted Clear-Cut Number 1

Courtesy Keith Nunez, USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS (September 15, 2009) – Oregon, last year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country National Champions, begins the 2009 season as the No. 1 team in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s Cross Country Top 30 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday. The Ducks received nine first-place votes and earned 357 total points in the preseason poll.

Oregon will have plenty of ground to make up if they are to repeat as the men’s champions in 2009 as they lose two USTFCCCA All-Americans in Galen Rupp (last year’s NCAA Individual Champion) and Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott. The Ducks do return sophomore Luke Puskedra who finished fifth overall as a freshman. Oregon opened their season with the Pre’s Trail Run and will next be in action on October 2 in the Bill Dellinger Invite hosted by the Ducks.

Coming in at No. 2 this week is Oklahoma State. Last year the Cowboys finished eighth in the men’s team standings at the NCAA cross country championships but return all seven runners from last year’s squad. The Cowboys host the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree on October 3.

Stanford follows the Cowboys at No. 3 in the men’s preseason rankings with Wisconsin coming in at No. 4. Stanford, third at the NCAA meet a year ago, opened its season at the Nevada Twilight on September 4 and will next be in action in two weeks as the Cardinal hosts the Stanford Invitational on September 26.

Wisconsin was fourth overall in the team standings in ’08 and returns four of their top seven runners from that NCAA team. The Badgers will be looking for their eighth straight Great Lakes Region title as well.

Completing the men’s top five is Northern Arizona. NAU is led by two-time USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American David McNeill who will be looking to improve upon his individual finish a year ago (15^th) at the NCAA meet. NAU will be back in action this weekend as the Lumberjacks travel West to San Diego for the San Diego State Aztec Invitational.

To view the complete 2009 USTFCCCA Division I Men’s Cross Country Preseason Top 30, click here.

Records highlight day 2 of USA Junior Champs

Press release by USA Track & Field.

EUGENE, Ore. - National high school record-holder Curtis Beach dominated the junior men’s decathlon Friday at the 2009 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Duke-bound Beach finished the two-day, ten-event competition with 7,599 points, the best score ever by an American using the junior implements. In the final event of the competition, Beach pulled away from the pack to win the 1,500m in a world junior decathlon best 4:07.85. Florida’s Gray Horn held on for second with 7,114 points and Neamen Wise was third with 6,854.

2008 World Junior silver medalist Conor McCullough is finally out of the reigning world junior champions shadow. McCullough won the men’s hammer throw with a meet-record heave of 75.30 meters/247 feet. His nearest competitor, runner-up Justin Welch, was over nine meters back with a best mark of 66.04m/216-8.

American junior record-holder Natalie Willer of Nebraska added a meet record to her resume in the women’s pole vault with her winning clearance of 4.25 meters/13 feet 11.25 inches. Shade Weygandt was second at the same height.

The fastest qualifier out of the first rounds at 11.17 (+6.0mps), three-time Nike Outdoor National champion Chalonda Goodman decimated the field in the women’s 100m final, crossing the finish line in a windy 11.19 (+2.8mps). Hometown favorite Amber Purvis, a freshman at the University of Oregon, was the runner-up in 11.42. SEC freshman of the year Marcus Rowland, who took third at the 2009 NCAA Championships, won the men’s 100m in 10.02 (+2.4mps). Mississippi State freshman Dangelo Cherry, who had the fastest times out of the morning rounds at 10.02 (+2.8mps), took second in 10.07.

2007 World Youth champion Wayne Davis set the meet record in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in winning his first-round heat in 13.31 seconds, with the wind at a just-allowable +2.0mps. Davis came back four hours later to win the final in 13.16 (+3.8mps), the second-fastest junior time ever under any conditions. 2008 World Junior silver medalist Booker Nunley was second in 13.36.

Arizona State’s Jordan Clarke won the men’s shot put with a meet record heave of 20.46m/67-1.5. Reigning Nike Outdoor National shot put champion Mason Finley took the runner-up position with his throw of 20.15m/66-1.5. On the women’s side, Anastasia Jelmini won her first national junior title, after last year’s fourth-place finish, with a throw of 16.15m/53-0. Iowa State’s Laishema Hampton was second with 15.32m/50-3.25 and teammate Danielle Frere was third with 15.06m/49-5.

Also at the track, Villanova’s Shericka Ward won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.47 (+2.6mps). Mississippi high school state champion Ricky Robertson won the men’s high jump with a clearance of 2.18m/7-1.25. Twentynine Palms High School junior Casey Kraychir stole the show in the women’s hammer throw, winning the competition with a heave of 57.22m/187-9 and Elizabeth Rohl took runner-up honors with 56.05m/183-11.

For more information, live video coverage and complete results, visit www.usatf.org.

2009 National Champions - Eugene, Oregon

About the meet

PreRaceJitters will provide Live coverage from the 2009 National Championships hosted at the University of Oregon in Eugne. The final two days will be aired on television. Check out the meet’s official website.

Live television coverage:
• ESPN, June 26, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET
• ESPN, June 27, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. ET
• NBC, June 28, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. ET

Meet Review and Results:

Instant Analysis The daily wrap up upon conclusion of meet.

Live Results Check out the complete results from the 2009 Track & Field Championships.

Pre-Race Coverage:

Preview Show Click here for the PRJ Track & Field Radio Show, Nationals Preview Show.

Live Updates:

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Day 1 NCAA Champs, Andrew Wheating - Oregon

Day 1 NCAA Champs, Andrew Wheating of Oregon from PreRaceJitters on Vimeo.

Track Town, USA

There is a revitalized American track and field mecca. And it’s not in Texas or Philadelphia.

Our hats are off to the Oregon Track Club, the University of Oregon, local and state governments, and the businesses and citizens who are making this track and field dream a reality.

After a 28-year hiatus, the U.S. track and field Olympic Trials will return to Eugene, Oregon. The world will be watching June 27 to July 6 as these important trials determine the Americans who will be our U.S. track and field team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Who says track doesn’t pay? The Trials alone are expected to attract 17,000 people each day while injecting $18 million in direct spending related to the competition in Eugene.

Local business leaders and track enthusiasts have built the nation’s new “track capital.” Nearly $8 million in improvements are underway at Hayward Field, including a new infield, track surface and television-quality scoreboard– ultimately establishing Hayward as a premier international track and field venue.

Not to be outdone by spectacles familiar to fans at Texas or Penn Relays, Eugene will pull out all the stops, including The Eugene ’08 Festival. This will be an event-long exposition and entertainment experience with local food, beer, wine and performers. The festival, which will be free to the public, will also have video boards showing the competition in real time.

Eugene has also been awarded four other elite track meets that will make the city another $22 million in direct spending.

This development is a huge opportunity for track and field. It’s a chance to attract families, engage children and meet the high expectations of the experienced track fan. The world will be watching – but will your neighbors?

Future Track Meets Scheduled for Hayward Field

• 2009 USA Outdoor Championships
• 2010 NCAA Championship
• 2011 USA Outdoor Championships
• 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials