May 15, 2009

Big West Conference Championships Site

Big West Conference Championships (live results)

IRVINE, Calif. - Russell Pfaff won the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday while Ugo Eke set a school-record and qualified for the NCAA Division I Region Championships in the 400 prelims as the UC Davis men's and women's track and field teams each ended the first day of the Big West Conference Track and Field Championships at UC Irvine in third place.

The Aggies, in just their second year in the league, have 35.5 points on the men's side and trail only Cal State Northridge (61.5 pts) and Cal Poly (54) after seven events. The women, led by a second-place finish from Lauren Radke in the pole vault, have 38 points after seven finals. Cal State Northridge (66) and Cal Poly (43.5) lead that competition as well.

Finals were held in four field events for each of the men and women along with steeplechase and 10,000-meter races. The decathlon and heptathlon competitions were conducted last week.

Pfaff, who nearly set a school record in the steeplechase at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in late April, captured the program's first-ever individual Big West track title by winning the event in a time of 9:00.59, helping him surpass the regional standard for the second consecutive race. His win delivered UC Davis 10 points while Kyle Suarez added another by finishing ninth.

Pfaff had a busy afternoon, coming back just a few minutes later to qualify for Saturday's final in the 1,500 along with Jonathan Peterson and Jonathan Sees.

The Aggie men scored 15 of their points in the field events with Ed Orgon earning six with his third-place finish in the shot put. His mark of 54-10.75 was a career-best and jumped him to No. 6 on the program's all-time list while falling just seven centimeters short of qualifying him for the regional meet.

Ben Nelson and Ross Tate brough 9.5 more points with their tie for third and fifth-place showings in the high jump. Both topped 6 feet, 8.25 inches but Nelson got the higher placing due to few misses. Patrick Parsel's time of 30:38.22 in the tough 10,000 nearly placed him on the program's all-time charts but delivered UC Davis five key team points in a race that men's coach Jon Vochatzer was especially pleased with.

"He just had a great race," he said.

Eke's outstanding run in the 400 came during the prelims but netted her a postseason berth along with a school record. Women's coach Deanne Vochatzer said Eke's performance on Friday, which also included a 24.60 in the 200, was noteworthy especially with Eke coming off recent injury.

"Ugo really stepped up," she said. "For her to run 54.60, I'm really pleased."

UC Davis tallied 19 of its points on Friday in field events while adding 14 in the steeplechase and 10,000 races, the latter which featured three Aggie freshmen - Sarah Sumpter, Krista Drechsler and Anna Smidebush - running the event for the first time.

Radke went 12-01.50 to finish second in the pole vault - good enough for eight points - while Tessa Fraser was fifth at 11-7.75 for four more. Ashley Hearn was fifth in the discus and Brittany Bickel was sixth in the javelin, combining for seven points.

On the track, Sumpter took fourth in her inaugural 10,000 in 36:35.03, debuting her at No. 10 on UC Davis' all-time chart. Drechsler took sixth while Smidebush was eighth. Cailtin Fitzgerald was sixth in the steeplechase 10:52.78 while Allison Stoakley finished seventh in 10:56.13 for five more points as the Aggie distance crew shined on the first day.

Prelims were held in most remaining running events with the Aggie men advancing 10 to finals and the women moving on four. Polly Gnepa qualified in the 100-meter dash while also advancing in the 110 high hurdles with the second-fastest time (14.14). School-record holder Jazz Trice had the fastest time in the hurdles (14.09) to also qualify.

Alex Wilright (52.73) had the best time in the 400 hurdles - Nolan Frazier also qualified - while hurdle specialist Thomas Phillips moved over to the open 400 for the conference meet and turned in the day's best time (47.71) in that event. Matt Council also qualified in the 400.

Besides Eke in the 400, other Aggie women to qualify included Jenna Gailey in the 800, Sirena Williams in the 100 hurdles and Katie Maltester in the 400 hurdles. The 1,500 did not have a prelim after it wsa instead changed to a final only.

Field events on Saturday begin at 11 a.m. while running finals will start at 4 p.m.

BIG WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Irvine, Calif. (UC Irvine)
Day 1 of 2
Winners and UC Davis results
All finals unless noted

MEN
TEAM (7 events) - 1. Cal State Northridge, 61.5; 2. Cal Poly, 54; 3. UC DAVIS, 35.5; 4. Long Beach State, 30; 5. Cal State Fullerton, 28; 6. UC Santa Barbara, 25; 7. UC Irvine, 21.5; 8. UC Riverside, 17.5.
100 (prelim) - 1. Deshawn Waters, CSN, 10.59... 5. Polly Gnepa, 10.80.
200 (prelim) - 1. Jason Newland, UCSB, 21.58... 17. Micah Grant, 22.61.
400 (prelim) - 1. Thomas Phillips, UCD, 47.71... 8. Matt Council, 48.74; 12. Andre Gaston, 49.60.
800 (prelim) - 1. Charles Jock, UC, 1:51.90... 3. Jonathan Sees, 1:51.96.
110HH (prelim) - 1. Jazz Trice, UCD, 14.09... 2. Polly Gnepa, 14.14.
400H (prelim) - 1. Alex Wilright, UCD, 52.73... 6. Nolan Frazier, 54.11.
1,500 (prelim) - 1. Derek Thomas, CP, 3:51.32... 5. Jonathan Peterson, 3:51.91; 7. Russell Pfaff, 3:52.22; 8. Jonathan Sees, 3:56.45.
10,000 - 1. Ulices Pina, UCR, 30:31.27... 4. Patrick Parsel, 30:38.32; Scott Himmelberger, 31:23.92; 12. K.C. Cody, 31:38.99.
Steeple - 1. Russell Pfaff, UCD, 9:00.59... 8. Kyle Suarez, 9:14.85
HJ - 1. Laron Brown, CSF, 2.10 (6-10.75)... 3. Ben Nelson, 2.04 (6-08.25); 5. Ross Tate, 2.04 (6-08.25)
LJ - 1. Rolando Felizola, CSN, 7.47 (24-06.25)... 9. Ray Green, 6.89 (22-07.25); 11. Tolu Wusu, 6.77 (22-02.50); 12. Igor Seriba, 6.61 (21-08.25); 15. Will Guthrie, 6.58 (21-07.25); 17. Robert Neely, 6.27 (20-07.00).
SP - 1. Scott Anderson, UCSB, 18.09 (59-04.25)... 3. Eddie Orgon, 16.73 (54-10.75); Scott Pierro, foul.
HT - 1. Matt Lahti, UCI, 59.24 (194-04)... 9. Scott Pierro, 47.66 (156-04); 10. Eddie Orgon, 46.50 (152-07).

WOMEN
TEAM (7 events) - 1. Cal State Northridge 76; 2. Cal Poly, 43.5; 3. UC Davis, 37.5; 4. Cal State Fullerton, 35; 5. UC Santa Barbara, 27; 6. Long Beach State, 26.5; 7. UC Irvine, 15.5; 8. UC Riverside 12.
100 (prelim) - 1. Sherrina Lofton, CSN, 11.60... 13. Nicole Theus, 12.37; 17. Mina Mohamadi, 12.44; 20. Stephanie Eckels, 12.60.
200 (prelim) - 1. Ciara Short, CSF, 23.85... 9. Ugo Eke, 24.60; 17. Nicole Theus, 25.42.
400 (prelim ) - 1. Ciara Short, CSF, 54.11... 2. Ugo Eke, 54.60; 15. Lauren Wallace, 58.48; 17. Willa Porter, 59.08.
800 (prelim) - 1. Brenda Martinze, UCR, 2:03.05... 7. Jenna Gailey, 2:13.07.
10,000 - 1. Lilyanna Morejon, CSN, 35:00.32... 4. Sarah Sumpter, 36:35.03; 6. Krista Drechsler, 36:44.90; T8. Anna Smidebush, 36:50.57.
100H (prelim) - 1. Lauren Williams, CSF, 13.52... 3. Sirena Williams, 13.91; 9. Anikia Jackson, 14.83; 10. Ofunne Okwudiafor, 14.90; 12. Suzanne Howard, 15.17.
400H (prelim) - 1. Uchechi Egeonuigwe, UCR, 61.53... 5. Katie Maltester, 1:02.66.
Steeple - 1. Julianne Masciana, CSF, 10:23.36... 6. Caitlin Fitzgerald, 10:52.78; 7. Allison Stoakley, 10:56.13.
LJ - 1. Shelese Ruffin, CSN, 5.98 (19-07.50)... T11. Stephanie Eckels, 5.58 (18-03.75); 13. Kayla Green, 5.53 (18-01.75); 15. Anikia Jackson, 5.35 (17-06.75).
PV - 1. Jenna Homes, CP, 3.85 (12-07.50)... 2. Lauren Radke, 3.70 (12-01.50); 5. Tessa Fraser, 3.55 (11-07.75).
DT - 1. Julie Dufresne, CP, 49.14 (161-03)... 5. Ashley Hearn, 44.64 (146-05).
JT - 1. Katie Robbins, CP, 44.55 (146-02)... 6. Brittany Bickel, 39.41 (129-03); 9. Anikia Jackson, 36.95 (120-11).