May 8, 2003

Results

MODESTO, Calif. - Jeff Billing won the men's long jump with a leap of 24-8.25 while Chloe Glare captured the women's 10,000 with a time of 37:07.91 to highlight the first day of action of the California Collegiate Athletic Association championships, held at Modesto Junior College Stadium.

Billing's winning mark came on his second attempt in the preliminaries. He passed his third jump in the prelims and all three opportunities in the final to claim the win. Teammate Kyle Auclair, who won last year's CCAA long jump title, finished second at 23-6.25.

In all, 10 Aggies captured All-CCAA honors. Besides Auclair, UC Davis had runner-up finishes from Matt Chisam's 15-9 leap in the men's pole vault, Sopagna Eap's 9:56.07 time in the women's 3,000 meters; and Samantha Rogers and Stephanie Marks, who both cleared 5-3 in the women's high jump.

Justin Hurd finished third in the pole vault with a 14-9, an eight-inch improvement to his season-best. Chris Chisam led a 3-4-5-6 finish in the men's javelin, firing off a 190-1 effort. Sarah Chan took third in the long jump with an 18-4.5 mark, coming on her second attempt in the prelims.

The Aggie men scored 18 team points in the javelin throw. Mike Savage launched a throw of 183-11 -- more than 11 feet farther than his previous PR -- to place fourth in the event.

Ryan Frank enjoyed a breakthrough meet in the hammer throw, firing a career-best 177-8 in his sixth and final attempt. John Cunnie finished fourth in the hammer at 189-10, Frank took fifth and Robert Rubio was sixth as the UC Davis men claimed 12 points in the event.

The trio of Rogers, Marks and fourth-place Chelsey Mauck gave the Aggie women 19 team points in the high jump, while Amy Tran's fifth-place 17-4.75 and Marikka Mehserle's sixth-place 17-2.25 combined with Chan's finish for 13 points. Laura Cherdack placed fourth in the 3,000 meters as she and Eap added 13 team points to the women's total.

Caroline Sheldon enjoyed a career-best first day in the heptathlon to open Thursday's action. Her 3,001 points exceeds her previous four-event best by 82 points. Sheldon, the defending conference champion in the hepthatlon, should challenge Stefanie Hanf's 1995 school record of 4,893.

Eleven Aggies won their respective prelimary heats to advance to Friday finals. Jak Kuehn had the day's fastest time in the men's 1,500 with a 4:06.13 in the second heat. Matt Chisam leads the field in the men's 110 hurdles at 14.45 while Billing enjoyed the top 200 mark with a 22.14 clocking. Amber Taylor and Katie Nash were heat-winners in the women's 400, Billing and Josh Flexman won their heats in the 100. Nash also ran a winning 25.05 in the first heat of the 200.

In middle distance action, Marlene Avitia was the first to cross in the third heat of the women's 800 while Justin Cary led a 1-2 Aggie finish in his heat of the men's race. Additionally, Rachelle Carter and Amy Purtle crossed 1-2 in the second race of the 400 hurdles.

The UC Davis women lead the team scoring with 75 points, 23 ahead of second-place UC San Diego. The Aggie men's team leads with 71 points, 26 in front of Chico State.

The CCAA championships concludes Friday.