May 26, 2011

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EUGENE, Ore. - Seniors Alex Wilright and Thomas Phillips qualified for Friday's 400-meter hurdle quarterfinals while senior Jonathan Sees moved on to the 1,500 quarterfinal round on Saturday as UC Davis opened up competition on Thursday at the NCAA Division I Track and Field West Prelim Meet at the University of Oregon.

Wilright, the UC Davis record-holder in the event, and Phillips, this year's Big West champion, both finished in the top three of their respective heats, automatically qualifying for the 24-competitor quarterfinal round on Friday. Wilright posted the eighth-fastest time overall at 51.04 seconds while Phillips was 10th at 51.17.

Sees finished eighth in his heat of the 1,500 in 3:47.08 but had the third-fastest time of those who did not automatically qualify with a top-five finish in their races.

All three Aggies are looking to finish among the top 12 finishers in their events which would advance them to the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Drake University beginning June 8.

Thirteen of the Aggies' 15 competitors at the regional meet were in action on Thursday but only Wilright, Phillips and Sees moved on to the next round.

For the men, sophomore Ethan Ostrom tied for 19th in the pole vault at 16 feet, 6.75 inches, Brock Bennett surpassed 200 feet again in the javelin but was 25th at 202-0, and Eddie Orgon finished 26th in the shot put at 55-0. Robert Neely placed 28th in the long jump at 23-6.25 while Ray Green - who will compete in the triple jump on Saturday - was 43rd at 21-9.5.

Senior Chidinma Onyewuenyi, who is in Friday's hammer throw, was 25th in the shot put at 49-2.75 for the Aggie women while Alycia Cridebring was 38th in the 1,500, senior Ugo Eke was 39th in the 400 and sophomore Melanise Chapman placed 41st overall in the 100 in 12.06.

Junior Krista Drechsler ran in the day's final event, placing 32nd in the 10,000 in 34:58.81, just five seconds off her career best.

Wilright punched his ticket first to Friday's national quarterfinal round of the 400 hurdles with a third-place finish in his heat won by Eric Bailey of Oklahoma (50.57). Running in the final heat, Phillips was also third while Amaechi Morton of Stanford crossed first in 50.42.

The Aggie pair will race at 5:35 p.m. on Friday afternoon. The top three placers in each of the three heats plus the next three best overall times will all advance to next month's national championship meet.

Sees' heat in the 1,500 turned out to be the fastest. The winner, Patrick Casey of Montana State, had Thursday's best time in 3:44.55 while all four competitors who moved on because of time also came from that heat. Sees will race on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. looking for either a top-five placing in his heat or one of the next two best times.

Three Aggies will be in action on Friday. Caitlin Fitzgerald and Samantha Kearney will compete in the steeplechase at 6:30 p.m. The top three finishers in each heat of three heats plus the next three best times will qualify for next month's meet.

Onyewuenyi will open the day for UC Davis, competing in the hammer throw at 10 a.m. A top-12 finish will also move her to the NCAA Finals for the first time.

NCAA WEST PRELIM MEET
Eugene, Ore. (Hosted by Univ. of Oregon)
Day 1 of 3
UC Davis results only

MEN
1500 - 1. Patrick Casey, Montana State, 3:44.55... 12. Jonathan Sees, 3:47.08.
400H - 1. Amaechi Morton, Stanford, 50.42... 8. Alex Wilright, 51.04; 10. Thomas Phillips, 51.17.
LJ - 1. Marquise Goodwin, Texas, 7.97 (26-1.75)... 28. Robert Neely, 7.17 (23-6.25); 43. Ray Green, 6.64 (21-9.5).
PV - T1. Chris Little, BYU, 5.20 (17-0.75), Victor Weirich, BYU, 5.20 (17-0.75)... T19. Ethan Ostrom, 5.05 (16-6.75).
SP - 1. Mason Finley, Kansas, 19.70 (64-7.75)... 26. Eddie Orgon, 16.76 (55-0).
JT - 1. Kyle Nielsen, Washington, 77.24 (253-5)... 25. Brock Bennett, 61.57 (202-0).

WOMEN
100 - 1. Jessica Young, TCU, 21.... 41. Melanise Chapman, 12.06.
400 - 1. Ciara Short, Cal State Fullerton, 53.11... 39. Ugo Eke, 56.06.
1500 - 1. Lea Wallace, 4:22.01... 38. Alycia Cridebring, 4:29.80.
10,000 - 1. Tonya Nero, Wichita State, 33:24.12... 32. Krista Drechsler, 34:58.81.
SP - 1. Julie Labonte, Arizona, 17.93 (58-10)... 25. Chidinma Onyewuenyi, 15.00 (49-2.75).