May 25, 2007

Results

EUGENE, Ore. - California sophomore Inika McPherson took second place in the women's high jump final on Friday at the two-day NCAA West Regional Championships held at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. McPherson posted a season-best jump of 6.00-50 (1.84 meters) for Cal, which qualified nine Golden Bears for Saturday's finals. Among those nine was junior Alysia Johnson, this season's NCAA indoor champion in the women's 800-meter run who won today's 800 preliminary with a time of 2:06.65.

The Cal women currently stand in fifth place with 13 points, while the Cal men have yet to score. Arizona State (25) tops the women's standings; host Oregon (37) leads the men.

Cal's other top performances in Friday's finals included sophomore Emilee Strot's fifth-place finish in the women's shot put with a mark of 49-7.75 (15.13 meters). Bears senior Kelechi Anyanwu was eighth with a mark of 48-9 (14.86).

In the men's finals, Cal senior Giliat Ghebray took ninth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:15.78, while younger brother Yosef Ghebray was 11th in 14:19.66.

Sophomore teammate Mackenzie Pierce also reached the women's 800 final with a sixth-place time of 2:08.59. Also on the women's side, Cal junior Brook Turner ran a 54.43 to place seventh in the 400 prelim and qualify for tomorrow's final.

Six Bears on the men's side reached finals, including junior David Torrence, who was sixth in the 1,500 run in 3:51.39, junior Thomas Mack, who was second in a wind-aided 13.83 in the 110-meter hurdles, sophomore Francis Gadayan, who placed fifth in the 800 with a lifetime-best 1:49.78, and sophomore Jake Hanson, who was seventh in the 400-meter hurdles in a season-best 51.84.

Torrence was ranked sixth in the 1,500 prelim even though his time of 3:51.39 was slower than that of freshman teammate Michael Coe (lifetime-best 3:46.26, 11th) and of sophomore Mark Matusak (3:46.78, 12th) because Torrence finished in the top three of his heat. Coe and Matusak finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in their heat, though their times were good enough to qualify them for the final.

Evelyn Smith ran a 1:00.54 to take ninth place in the women's 400-meter hurdles prelim, missing out on the eighth and last spot in the final.

Teammate Kimyon Broom just missed out on the final in the women's 100-meter hurdles, running a 13.81 for ninth place. Only the top eight reached the final, and Broom was .17 seconds behind Utah State's eighth-place Amber Peterson (13.64).

Saturday's finals are slated to begin with the men's javelin at 11 a.m. and end with the women's 4x400-meter relay scheduled for 4:50 p.m.

NCAA West Regional Championships

Women's Standings (top 11 through 5 Events)

School Points

1) Arizona State	        25
2) UCLA	                 22
3) Stanford	        20
3) Oregon	                 20
5) California	        13
6) Washington	        11
6) Brigham Young	        11
8) Cal Poly	        10
9) Northern Arizona	9
9) UC Santa Barbara	9
11) Eastern Washington	8
11) Long Beach State	8

Men's Standings (top 11 through 5 Events)

School Points

1) Oregon	                 37
2) UCLA	                 29.50
3) Washington	        26
4) Stanford	        19.50
5) Brigham Young	        14.50
6) Arizona	        11.50
7) Boise State	        11
8) Washington State       10
9) Arizona State	         8
9) Cal State Northridge	8
11) Southern California	6

Cal Results

Track Events

Women's 100-Meter Hurdles Preliminary
9. Kimyon Broom 13.81.

Women's 400-Meter Dash Preliminary
7. Brook Turner 54.43*.

Women's 800-Meter Run Preliminary
1. Alysia Johnson 2:06.65*. 6. Mackenzie Pierce 2:08.59*.

Women's 400-Meter Hurdles Preliminary
9. Evelyn Smith 1:00.54.

Men's 1,500-Meter Run Preliminary
6. David Torrence 3:51.39*. 11. Michael Coe 3:46.26*. 12. Mark Matusak 3:46.78*.

Men's 110-Meter Hurdles Preliminary
2. Thomas Mack 13.83w*. 9. Jordan Paul 14.12w. 12. Craig Gallimore 14.30w.

Men's 800-Meter Run Preliminary
5. Francis Gadayan 1:49.78*.

Men's 400-Meter Hurdles Preliminary
7. Jake Hanson 51.84*.

Men's 5,000-Meter Run Final
9. Giliat Ghebray 14:15.78. 11. Yosef Ghebray 14:19.66.

Field Events

Women's High Jump Final
2. Inika McPherson 6.00.50 (1.84 meters).

Women's Shot Put Final
5. Emilee Strot 49-7.75 (15.13 meters). 8. Kelechi Anyanwu 48-9 (14.86). 12. Missy Faubus 48-2.75 (14.62).

Men's Hammer Throw Final
-- John Ludden (Foul)

Men's Pole Vault Final
13. Ryan Shuler 16-7.25 (5.06 meters).

Men's Discus Throw Final
15. Kurt Seefeld 175-2 (53.40 meters). 17. Craig Kent 174-6 (53.20). 21. John Ludden 168-2 (51.27).

* Qualified for Saturday's final