Ducks Shatter School Records & NCAA Marks at Husky Collegiate

Photo: goducks.com

SEATTLE - Sophomore Galen Rupp and redshirt senior Britney Henry scored indoor school records and were among nine Ducks (6M / 3W) that claimed NCAA track and field qualifying marks Saturday in the Husky Collegiate, hosted by the University of Washington in the Dempesy Indoor Center.

Rupp rewrote his school indoor record in the 5,000m thanks to a whopping 9.51-second personal best in what may prove to be the fastest collegiate contest of the year (second, 13:38.62).

The Portland, Ore., native comfortably ducked under the NCAA automatic qualifying standard (13:48.00) Saturday with five other collegians that included race winner and returning NCAA champion Chris Solinsky of Wisconsin (13:30.74).

The race unfolded with relative even and approximate mile splits between 4:20-4:22 as rabbits took the field through the opening half of the race.

In the final mile, Rupp moved to the lead and led much of two, 307m laps before Solinsky surged ahead the final 800 meters en route to the victory.

Coming into the weekend, the four-time All-American Rupp’s previous indoor season best and NCAA provisional time of 13:58.09 from December 1st in South Bend ranked second nationally among collegians, while the previous world and U.S. leading time by post-collegian Ryan Shay (13:48.66) also came in the same race.

Rupp’s indoor personal best and former school record of 13:48.51 came in Seattle in February ’06 in the Mountain Pacific Championships.

Outdoors, he ran slightly faster (13:37.91) in a race in Europe in 2004.

In the field, four-time NCAA pole vault champion and senior Tommy Skipper cleared 18 feet for the third time in as many meets to win with another NCAA automatic mark (18-1 (5.51m)).

The Sandy, Ore., native cleared a half-inch season best (18-1) on his second attempt of the competition, passed the ensuing bar (18-2 3/4 (5.56m)), then missed three attempts at 18-6 1/2 (5.65m).

Another All-America senior, first-year Duck Brian Richotte, was only a quarter-inch off his school weight throw record with his runner-up finish Saturday (second, 67-4 (20.52m)).

The NCAA provisional qualifier easily again topped the provisional standard (63-11 3/4 (19.50m)), and his series follows: 20.14m, 19.87m, 19.57m, foul, 20.52m, 20.37m.

Also in the distances Saturday, returning NCAA mile veteran Michael McGrath dipped below the NCAA provisional mark (4:04.00) for the first time this season (11th, 4:03.12), and was one of five Ducks that also ran season or personal bests – freshman Andrew Wheating (4:04.77), sophomores Duke Wasteney (4:06.15) and James Withers (4:08.38) and Chris Winter (4:09.43).

Also in the elite pole vault section, redshirt senior David Moore tied his indoor personal best (sixth-tie, 16-7 1/4), while freshman Colin Witter-Tilton added a 2 1/4-inch season best (eighth-tie, 16-1 1/4).

In the sprints, junior Phil Alexander sped to his first NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 400m (second, 47.18) and moved to third all-time for UO in the event behind former All-Americans Matt Scherer (first, 45.95, 2005) and Kedar Inico (second, 46.41, 2005).

Another sprint newcomer, junior Marcus Dillon, finished second overall in his indoor 200m debut for UO (21.46).

The New Orleans native was only .23 seconds off the provisional standard (21.23) and moved to fifth all-time for UO just ahead of teammate Phil Alexander who clocked 21.59 earlier this year.

Dillon came back to anchor UO to a come-from-behind victory over Washington in the 4x400m relay (3:09.95), and teamed with Alexander, and freshmen Chad Barlow and Ashton Eaton with all their splits between 47.2-47.5 seconds unofficially.

The Ducks’ time was a 4.99-second season best, their first NCAA provisional mark of the year and easily met the 3:10.40 standard, and not far off the all-time top-five list (fifth is 3:07.55).

A pair of two-sport football/track athletes took aim at UO all-time positions in the 60m and 60m hurdles and notched the team’s fastest indoor season marks in the 60m and 60m hurdles.

Sophomore hurdler and cornerback Walter Thurmond III ran a .07-second personal best (third, 8.06) and rejoined the UO all-time list at the fifth spot.

UO’s former fifth-ranked all-time performer – sophomore Jared Huske – also enjoyed a .01-second personal best Saturday (8.10).

Sophomore and starting running back Jonathan Stewart made his track debut for UO, and jumped to fifth all-time for UO in the 60m with his clocking from the final (11th, 6.92).

The Seattle area native and Timberline High School product opened his career earlier in the day with a 6.95 clocking in the event prelims.

On the women’s side, redshirt senior Britney Henry placed third in the weight throw (65-6 (19.96)) and improved her school record by 5 feet 4 3/4 inches over the previous mark (61-1 1/4) that she shared previously with former All-American Brittany Hinchcliffe last season.

Henry’s mark easily met the NCAA provisional mark of 62-4, and was slightly more than three feet shy of the NCAA automatic mark (68-10 3/4).

The Spokane, Wash., native threw her daily best on her second throw of the day, and had another mark (19.11m) that was more than 1 1/2 feet better than the previous UO record.

Also in the field, the Ducks added a pair of NCAA provisional marks from senior Emily Enders and freshman Eniko Eros who tied for eighth with final clearances of 12-11 3/4 and missed attempts at 13-3 3/4 (4.06m). Eros converted first attempts at 12-0 (3.66m) and 12-6 (3.81m) then cleared her final bar on her third attempt, while Enders made second attempts at both 12-0 and 12-6.

Enders bettered the NCAA provisional mark (12-11 1/4) for the first time in ’07, and had cleared13-3 1/2 in the Pole Vault Summit exhibition in January.

Eros jumped the same height Saturday in her last trip to Seattle at the end of January.

On the track, freshman Keara Sammons made her debut on the oval for UO, and won the second section of the 3,000m (9:44.70).

The Aurora, Colo., native led most of the race and was barely 10 seconds off the NCAA provisional mark (9:34.00).

Other notable women’s personal bests Saturday came from junior Ashley Bridenbeck (60m, 8.01), sophomores Kalindra McFadden (60m hurdles, 9.24) and Tara Rhein (pole vault, 11-6 1/4) and freshmen Nicole Blood (mile, 4:50.82).

In other action earlier Saturday in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., the UO women’s 4x400-meter relay added its second school record of the weekend, this time with an NCAA provisional mark in the 4x400m (3:38.92).

On Friday at the University of Arkansas event, redshirt senior Lauryn Jordan also claimed a school record in the long jump (third, 20-4 1/2) and again easily eclipsed the NCAA provisional mark of 20-0 1/4 (6.10m).

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