May 11, 1998
THIS WEEK:
Sat. May 16 at Stanford Qualifier, Stanford
Sat.-Sun. May 16-17 at Pac-10 Decathlon, Stanford
CAL TRIO AT PAC-10 DECATHLON: All-American senior Ross Bomben (Brentwood/Liberty Union HS), junior Cameron Cleeton (Portland/Sunset HS) and sophomore Bevan Hart (Sacramento/Christian Brothers HS) will represent the Golden Bears at the Pac-10 Conference decathlon at Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field, Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17. Bomben, the NCAA decathlon runnerup in 1996, is the defending Pac-10 decathlon champion, after scoring 7,551 last year. Bomben finished third in the Pac-10 decathlon in 1996, and fifth in 1995 as a redshirt freshman. Hart, an NCAA provisional qualifier in each of the past two seasons, finished third at the Pac-10 Championships last season as a redshirt freshman (7,258), and Cleeton took fifth place (6,691).
BOMBEN BITS: Senior Ross Bomben earned All-America honors in the decathlon with a second place NCAA finish as a sophomore in 1996. His PR of 7,752 points, set at the 1996 NCAA meet, ranks third on Cal's all-time performers list. The three-time NCAA qualifier had to withdraw due to injury after five events at the 1997 NCAA meet and did not place at the 1995 NCAA Championships. At the Pac-10 Championships, Bomben won the 1997 title (7,551 pts), finished third in 1996 and fifth in 1995. This year's Pac-10 Championship will be Bomben's first decathlon of the 1998 season. Bomben is also a Pac-10 qualifier this season in the 110m hurdles (14.44) and the javelin (196-5).
HART HITS: Sophomore Bevan Hart is a two-time NCAA provisional qualifier in the decathlon, and finished third in the Pac-10 decathlon as a redshirt freshman last season (7,258 points). At the UC Multi-Event Meet April 3-4 at UC Davis, Hart finished third in the men's Group A decathlon, scoring a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying 7,351 points. That mark stands as the 13th-best mark in the country this season (through May 10) and ranks him seventh on Cal's all-time performers list. Hart is also a Pac-10 qualifier in the pole vault, with a 17-1.50 effort in February at the MPSF Indoor Championships.
CLEETON CLIPS: Junior Cameron Cleeton returns for his second Pac-10 decathlon, after finishing fifth as a sophomore in 1996 (PR 6,691 points). Earlier this season at the UC Multi-Event Meet April 3-4 at UC Davis, Cleeton took third place (6,253 points) in the men's Group B decathlon. Cleeton is also a Pac-10 qualifier this season in the 110m hurdles (PR 14.66).
PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS NEXT WEEK: The Golden Bears are back on The Farm next weekend, competing in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships at Stanford on Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24. Field events begin Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sunday, while running events start at 3:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:15 p.m. Sunday. The UCLA men have won eight of the last 11 Pac-10 titles, and the UCLA women have also won eight of the last 11 Pac-10 titles. The Cal women finished in seventh place at last year's Pac-10 Championships, held at Washington's Husky Stadium, while the Golden Bear men were eighth. As of May 11, 11 Cal women had posted 17 Pac-10 qualifying marks, while 15 Golden Bear men turned in 19 Pac-10 qualifying marks. In addition, Cal may enter one competitor in each event for which it has no qualifier, and also may use three wild card slots for each of the men's and women's teams.
GOLDMAN FIELD PROJECT: Special groundbreaking ceremonies were held during the Big Meet May 2 to kickoff the Goldman Field/Edwards Stadium renovation project. Actual construction is scheduled to begin in late May, with completion due in December, 1998. The $3.2 million renovation project includes a reconfigured 400-meter oval, installation of a top polyurethane all-weather surface, conversion of the infield into a regulation size soccer field, installation of lights and improved landscaping, concessions, ticketing and access/entry points. A leadership gift of $1.5 million was given by Richard Goldman (Cal '41) and his late wife Rhoda (Cal '46), and the new field will be named Goldman Field in honor of Richard's father, Richard Samuel Goldman (Cal '09). The current Edwards Stadium, which seats 22,000, opened in 1932 as the only stadium in the world built for track and field use only. The facility has hosted eight NCAA Championships meets (more than any other site) and has witnessed 11 world records, 16 American records and 18 collegiate records.
RANKINGS: In the May 8 Division I team rankings released by the U.S. Track Coaches Association, the Cal men are ranked 12th nationally and the Golden Bear women are also ranked 12th. The rankings are done with consideration to total team depth (2 athletes per event in each event) and quality of performance. The performances are assigned point values and totaled like in a decathlon, with the teams ranked on the basis of point totals.
RIEDY'S ROLL ON: Junior twins Elissa Riedy and Lori Riedy continue to turn in impressive performances in the middle distance and distance events, owning a handful of NCAA provisional and Pac-10 qualifying mark between them. Elissa is an NCAA provisional qualifier in both the 800m and 1500m; her time in the 800m (2:05.37) currently stands as the fifth-fastest mark in the nation this season, and her best in the 1500m (4:20.55) ranks 12th nationally. Elissa set a meet record in winning the 800m (2:05.37) at the California/Nevada Championships April 26 and was named Pac-10 Track Athlete of the Week for that performance. Elissa now ranks second on the Cal all-time performers list in the 800m, just behind school record holder and five-time All-American Louise Romo (2:01.59 in 1984). Elissa owns a pair of victories this season in both the 800m (UCLA, Cal/Nevada) and 1500m (UCLA, Big Meet). Lori ran a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 16:44.92 to finish second in the 5000m at the Big Meet, shaving nearly 30 seconds off her previous PR. That time ranks 23rd in the nation this season, and her NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 3000m (9:36.45) ranks 34th nationally. Lori is also a Pac-10 qualifier at 1500m, 3000m and 5000m and has victories this season in the 3000m (UCLA) and the 5,000 (Cal Invite). On Cal's all-time performers lists, Lori ranks eighth in the 3000m (9:36.45) and ninth in the 5000m (16:44.92).
HAMMERING AWAY: Two-time All-American Travis Nutter improved his NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the hammer by throwing 225-5 to win the event at the Big Meet. That throw ranks second on Cal's all-time performers list, behind school record holder Jari Matinolli (229-0 in 1986), and ranks as the sixth-best collegiate mark this season. Nutter has four victories in the hammer this season and a total 11 victories in the event during his four years at Cal. Overall, in 27 regular-season meets, Nutter has never finished worse than fourth place in the hammer. Freshman John Badovinac qualified for the Pac-10 meet with a second place finish in the discus (career-best176-10) at the Big Meet, and also took second place in the shot put (career-best 51-11.25). Senior Mark Davis is also Pac-10 qualifier in the discus (174-9). Junior Nadia Lopez, the school record holder in the hammer, threw a Big Meet record 172-9 to win the event. She is an NCAA provisional and Pac-10 qualifier in the hammer (174-2) and Pac-10 qualifier in the discus (155-8). This season, Lopez has victories in the hammer (Cal Invite, Big Meet), discus (Cal Invite, Mathis Invite) and shot put (USC Invite).
FULL SPEED AHEAD: Freshman Jason Manly scored a sprint double in the Big Meet, winning the 100m (career-best 10.52) and 200m (21.33), and ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x100m relay team (41.94). Manly is a Pac-10 qualifier in the 100m and 200m. Senior Anders Lustgarten, a graduate student from Oxford University, is a Pac-10 qualifier in the 400m (47.52) and owns a pair of victories at the Cal Invite and UCLA Invite. Senior Donald Oliver qualified for the Pac-10 meet by winning the 400m at the Big Meet in a season-best 47.52, and also ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x400m relay team. Junior Latasha Gilliam ran a season-best 23.72 to win the 200m at the Big Meet, and ran the anchor leg of the winning 4x400m relay team. Gilliam is a Pac-10 qualifier in the 100m (11.84), 200m (23.78) and 400m (54.49) this season. Gilliam scored a sprint double in two meets this season, winning the 200m and the 400m at UCLA and the 100m and 200m at the Cal Invite. Freshman Zhauntel Holman won the 100m at the Hamilton Invite (11.94), improving her Pac-10 qualifying time.
GOING THE DISTANCE: Sophomore Ally Lombardi recorded a PR and an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 2:07.39 to win the 800m at the Big Meet, and also ran the second leg of the winning 4x400m relay team that ran a season-best 3:42.30. Lombardi's time ranks her fourth on the Cal all-time performers list in the 800m. Junior Simon Mudd ran a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 14:00.27 to finish fifth in the 5000m at the Mt. SAC Relays April 19, and his time ranks fourth on the Cal all-time performers list in the event. Mudd has victories in the 5000m (UCLA Invite) and the 1500m (3:56.95, Cal Invite) this season. Freshman Bolota Asmerom ran a PR and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 14:02.27 to finish fifth in the 5000m at the Stanford Invitational May 8, taking nearly 13 seconds off his previous best time. Through May 10, Mudd's time ranked as the 19th-fastest time in the nation this season, while Asmerom's time ranks 24th.
HURDLERS HEAT UP: Senior Ross Bomben ran the 110m hurdles for just the second time this season at the Big Meet, winning the event in a season-best and Pac-10 qualifying time of 14.44. He also won the javelin and finished second in the long jump at the Big Meet. Senior Cameron Cleeton is also a Pac-10 qualifier in the 110m hurdles (14.66). Junior Coke Edmon won the 400m hurdles at the Big Meet (52.50), with freshman Shannon Maas capturing second place (53.85). Edmon also ran the leadoff leg on the winning 4x400m relay team in the Big Meet. Edmon (52.49) and Maas (53.09) are both Pac-10 qualifiers in the 400m hurdles.
LEAPS AND BOUNDS: Senior Tuan Tran turned in a pair of career-best marks to win both the long jump (23-0.75w) and triple jump (46-11.75) in the Big Meet. The Cal men swept the triple jump in the Big Meet, the event that clinched the victory for Cal, with senior Sal Grewal taking second (44-6.25), freshman Josiah Larkin third (44-2.75) and junior Tarn Grewal fourth (43-8). Sophomore Chris Ferreira, the 1996 Pac-10 long jump champion, won the men's long jump at the UCLA Invitational (23-9). Freshman Reynda King finished second in the triple jump (38-5.5) and third in the long jump (season-best18-7.25w) at the Big Meet. She is a Pac-10 qualifier in the triple jump (39-1.75), including a victory in the event at the Mathis Invite.
UP, UP AND AWAY: In what has become a weekly event, sophomore Maria Lopez broke her own school record in the pole vault, going 11-5.75 to finish second at the Big Meet. That is an NCAA provisional and Pac-10 qualifying mark for Lopez. On the men's side, sophomore Bevan Hart is a Pac-10 qualifier with a 17-1.50 season best set at the MPSF Indoor meet. In the men's high jump, Pac-10 qualifier Pat Leonard has a pair of victories in the event this season (USC Invite, Hamilton Invite), and owns a season-best of 6-11.75 (MPSF indoors). Sophomore Greg Wright is also a Pac-10 qualifier in the high jump (6-8.75).
PAC-10 DECATHLON - May 16-17
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Cal performers(career bests)
SATURDAY, MAY 16
12:30 100m
Cameron Cleeton (10.97)
Bevan Hart (11.16)
Ross Bomben (11.23)
1:15 Long Jump
Ross Bomben (24-1.75)
Bevan Hart (23-1.25)
Cameron Cleeton (22-7)
3:00 Shot Put
Ross Bomben (44-11.75)
Bevan Hart (42-0.50)
Cameron Cleeton (38-8.25)
4:30 High Jump
Ross Bomben (6-4)
Bevan Hart (6-2.75)
Cameron Cleeton (5-11.25)
6:00 400m
Bevan Hart (49.36)
Cameron Cleeton (49.79)
Ross Bomben (49.98)
SUNDAY, MAY 17
10:00 110m Hurdles
Ross Bomben (14.44)
Cameron Cleeton (14.66)
Bevan Hart (14.84)
11:00 Discus
Ross Bomben (142-1)
Bevan Hart (135-9)
Cameron Cleeton (126-10)
12:30 Pole Vault
Bevan Hart (17-1.50i)
Ross Bomben (16-8.75)
Cameron Cleeton (9-11.75)
3:00 Javelin
Ross Bomben (200-5)
Bevan Hart (170-10)
Cameron Cleeton (159-3)
4:30 1500m
Bevan Hart (4:35.27)
Cameron Cleeton (4:46.11)
Ross Bomben (4:52.04)
