May 1, 2009
Complete Results
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Jonathan Sees won two events for the UC Davis men on Friday night while the Aggies captured six events on the women's side, but host Sacramento State was able to sweep a pair of victories during the rain-soaked Causeway Classic Track and Field Dual at Hornet Stadium.
The Hornet women posted a 103.5-81.5 win while the Sacramento State men were 99-94 victors. The men's competition was tied 94-94 entering the meet-ending 4x400-meter relay but UC Davis scratched its entry from the race to avoid injury in the inclement weather with the Big West Conference Championships just two weeks away.
Despite the loss, men's coach Jon Vochatzer was pleased with how his team performed. Besides winning, he said one of the Aggies' primary goals going into the rivalry meet was to build team chemistry for the upcoming conference championships..
"I really felt we accomplished exactly what we were after," he said. "and that's we're unified, we're a group, we're solid, we're a team and we're ready to go to the conference meet. That was the most important thing."
Sees was the lone double-winner for the Aggie men who captured nine events overall. Sees opened his night by scoring five points with a close win in the 1,500, crossing in 3:58.40, and then came back later in the meet to finish first in the 800 in 1:53.55, scoring 10 team points with the victories.
Other winners for UC Davis came from school-record holder Alex Wilright in the 400 hurdles, Thomas Phillips in the open 400, Jazz Trice in the 110 high hurdles, Jonathan Peterson in the 3,000, Ben Nelson in the high jump, Jamie Feaster in the pole vault, and Ed Orgon in the shot put.
Conditions, which detoriated at times to heavy rain, negated nearly every attempt at strong marks and times but the Aggie women still managed to post notable achievements. Caitlin Fitzgerald moved up to No. 2 on the all-time list in the steeplechase, finishing second in a hand-timed 10:51.10.
Teammate Allison Stoakley, who occupied the No. 2 all-time spot before Friday, also posted a career-best time in the event, finishing a close third in 10:52.80.
Kim Conley, a double-qualifier for the upcoming NCAA Division I Region Championships, won the 3,000 in a hand-timed 9:51.6 while also improving her No. 8 all-time position in the 800 with a third-place finish of 2:10.73. Conley was in a close race with the Hornets' Renisha Robinson and Lea Wallace for first with Robinson winning. Barely more than a half-second separated the three at the finish line.
Ugo Eke took home first place in the 400 in 55.66, her second-fastest time of the season, Lorin Scott was victorious in the 1,500, Ashley Hearn won the discus and Brittany Bickel was first in the javelin. UC Davis also won the 4x100 relay.
UC Davis also scratched out of the women's 4x400, both triple jump events and the men's 200.
The competition brought to a close the all-sports Causeway Cup competition for 2009-10. Sacramento State clinched the award last week but picked up five points for each of Friday's wins, providing a final score of 66.67-43.33.
UC Davis will send a limited group to compete at next week's Sacramento State Open before turning its attention to the Big West Conference Championships at UC Irvine in two weeks.
