May 27, 2011
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EUGENE, Ore. - UC Davis senior Thomas Phillips set a school record in the 400-meter hurdles on Friday and senior Alex Wilright matched his career-best as both advanced to next month's NCAA Championships with strong quarterfinal showings at the NCAA West Prelim Meet at Oregon.
They were the only Aggies in action on Friday to move on to next month's meet at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Senior Caitlin Fitzgerald made a valiant attempt in the steeplechase, finishing 19th but breaking her school record in the effort.
Phillips and Wilright have been dominant in the 400 hurdles throughout their careers. Phillips captured this year's Big West championship after winning his second career Cal-Nevada Championship. Wilright entered the postseason as the school-record holder and winner of three Cal-Nevada titles and the 2009 conference championship.
Both are adding to their oustanding careers after earning top-three finishes in their heats, automatically qualifying them for the national semifinals at Drake.
Wilright opened the event by placing third in his heat in 50.47, matching the school record he set last season. Phillips followed two heats later with a second-place finish in 50.22, shattering his previous best of 50.52 from this year's Cal-Nevada meet and grabbing the school record.
Phillips was sixth in the 24-competitor field overall while Wilright was eighth. Jeshua Anderson of Washington State had the quarterfinal's best time, crossing first in the second heat in 49.59 seconds.
Twelve competitors advanced to Drake and will race on June 8 at 6:30 p.m. (Pacific).
Fitzgerald went 10:26.16 in the steeplechase at this year's Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford, breaking Heather Gibson's 2002 school record (10:31.65) and earning Big West Track Athlete of the Week honors. She was in a fast heat on Friday at Oregon, finishing eighth but lowering her school standard to 10:22.69.
Colorado's Shalaya Kipp won the race in 10:00.03 while her teammate Emma Coburn had the event's fastest time in 9:55.03. Aggies senior Samantha Kearney was also in Coburn's heat, placing 11th in 10:37.62, a career-best mark that improved her No. 3 standing on the program's all-time list.
The top three finishers in each steeplechase heat and the next three best times advanced to Drake.
UC Davis had two other competitors in Friday's meet. Senior Chidinma Onyewuenyi was 29th in the hammer throw at 178 feet, 8 inches. The performance closed out her oustanding Aggie career in which she set outdoor school records in both the shot put and hammer, events she participated in at the regional meet.
Also, sophomore Melanise Chapman, who ran in the 100 prelims on Thursday, competed in the 200, placing 44th in 25.52 while racing into a headwind.
The Aggie men will have two athletes in action on Saturday. Ray Green, the Big West triple jump champion, will compete at 12:30 p.m. while senior Jonathan Sees will look to advance to Drake in the 1,500.
NCAA WEST PRELIM MEET
Eugene, Ore. (Hosted by Univ. of Oregon)
Day 2 of 3
UC Davis results only
MEN
400H - 1. Jeshua Anderson, 49.59... 6. Thomas Phillips, 50.22; 8. Alex Wilright, 50.47.
WOMEN
200 - 1. Jeneba Tarmoh, Texas A&M, 23.26... 44. Melanise Chapman, 25.52.
Steeple - 1. Emma Coburn, Colorado, 9:55.03... 19. Caitlin Fitzgerald, 10:22.69; 35. Samantha Kearney, 10:37.62.
HT - 1. Amanda Bingson, UNLV, 67.92 (222-10)... 29. Chidinma Onyewuenyi, 54.47 (178-8).
