June 24, 2005
Carson, CA -
A slew of Cal athlete began competing at the USATF Junior and Senior Nationals at Carson, Ca where collegiate and professional athletes compete alongside and against each other for spots on various U.S. national teams. Athletes under 20 are eligible for the junior division where the top two finishers are eligible for national teams. The senior division athletes are competing for a chance to attend the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland where the top three athletes win berths.
THE JUNIOR NATIONALS
Freshman Chad Smith finished seventh in the shot put with a throw of 57-7.5. Smith had a rough series of throws in the prelims. After fouling twice, Smith managed a safety throw of 55-2.5 to make the finals. After another foul, Smith calmed down and threw his best mark of 57-7.5 to pass up Luke Johnson of Texas-San Antonio for seventh.
Freshman Ed Wright had a great start in the high jump clearing his first two heights without any misses, but ran into trouble at 6-10.75 where he kept catching the bar with his feet despite jumping high enough for the clearance. Wright finished fifth overall.
Freshman Yahya Abdul-Mateen was the first man out in the finals for the 110mH. Despite a lifetime best run into a headwind of -0.6 m/s and a third place finish, Abdul-Mateen was tenth overall in a field that took only nine athletes to the finals. The heat winners and top-seven times after that all advanced to the finals. The slowest qualifying time was 14.65 by Walter Thurmond.
Freshman Missy Faubus just missed making the junior national team in the discus. Faubus improved with each throw throw through the prelims and the finals, and then on her final throw produced a lifetime best, coming within 10 inches of second place. Her throw of 171-6 gives her the seventh best throw in Cal history.
On the track freshman Alysia Johnson won her preliminary heat of the 800m to qualify easily for Friday's final. Her time of 2:08.86 gives her the third fastest time going into the final round to determine who will be selected for the U.S. National team.
Redshirt freshman Tifani Grimes is in third place after the first day of the heptathlon, but overall standing cannot be compared since overall results of the multi-events have not been posted.
SENIOR NATIONALS
Senior Chloe Jarvis did not have to race today since meet management decided there were few enough entries to bypass the first round and go straight to the semi-finals to be raced Friday.
2003 Cal graduate Bubba Mclean finished ninth in the pole vault clearing 17-8.5 on his third attempt, but could not clear 18-2.5 which would have given him at least fifth. Mclean cleared 18-8.75 only last week in Arkansas.
Fellow alum Tim Bogdanof ran 13.94 into 0.9 m/s headwind and missed qualifying for Friday's semi-final by two spots.
For complete results go to www.usatf.org.
