University of California Athletics

May 15, 2000

THIS WEEK:
Sat.-Sun. May 20-21 at Pac-10 Championships Eugene, OR (Hayward Field) All Day

CAL COMPETES AT PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
California travels to the Pac-10 Championships Sat.-Sun., May 20-21, at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. Coming off victories by Bevan Hart and Missy Vanek in the multi-event competitions last weekend, the Cal men are in a tie for first place with Oregon with 13 points, while the Cal women are in second with 10 points. Saturday's competition begins at 1 p.m. with the finals of the men's and women's long jump and concludes at 7:55 p.m., with the finals of the men's 10,000m. Sunday, which is devoted exclusively to event finals, kicks off at 2 p.m., with the men's discus and women's triple jump. The conference meet concludes at 7:52 p.m., with the men's 4x400m relay.

HART, VANEK NAMED PAC-10 FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Cal senior Bevan Hart and junior Missy Vanek became the first teammates to sweep the Pac-10 decathlon and heptathlon titles Sunday and were named Pac-10 Men's and Women's Field Athletes of the Week today. Hart successfully defended his 1999 decathlon title with a career-best 7890 points, giving the Bears four-straight league titles and their fifth since 1993. Vanek became only the second Bear to win the league heptathlon crown, blowing away the field with 5505 points. Hart improved on his previous career best 7773-point total (1999 NCAA meet) by logging three first-place finishes, four thirds and three fourths during the two-day event. Hart, a native of U.S. Olympic Trials host city Sacramento, fell 10-points shy of the trials standard but moved to second all-time at Cal in the decathlon. A two time bronze medalist at the Big West Championships at Boise State, Vanek won the Pac-10 gold medal in her first year at Cal by posting two first-place finishes, two seconds, one third, one fourth and one sixth.

BLAIR TAKES SIXTH IN PAC-10 DECATHLON
Sophomore Matt Blair finished sixth in the decathlon at Pac-10s with a career-best 7008 points, which ranks 10th all-time among Cal performers. He scored three points for his performance, allowing Cal to continue its tradition of leading the conference meet heading into the second week of competition. Cal and Oregon are tied for first with 13 points.

CARDINAL QUALIFIER, MODESTO RELAYS IN REVIEW
Cal athletes competed at Stanford's Cardinal Qualifer and the Modesto Relays last weekend as a final tuneup for the Pac-10 Championships. Three Bears ran PRs at Modesto -- April Holliverse in the 110mH (13.82), Zhauntel Holman in the 100m (11.74) and Jelani Hogg in the 400m (48.23).

FOUR CAL ATHLETES NAMED PAC-10 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Four members of the Cal track and field team have been named Pac-10 Field Athletes of the Week this season. Senior Bevan Hart and junior Missy Vanek earned their honors today after sweeping the Pac-10 multi-event championships. Hart's honor comes on the heels of sophomore Jerriod Mack (May 8), who earned his honor for his accomplishments at the Big Meet. The Richmond, Calif., native returned to competition less than three weeks after having an emergency appendectomy and scored a critical eight points in Cal's narrow 84-79 victory over Stanford. Meanwhile, sophomore Jennifer Joyce was recognized April 10, after winning the hammer throw at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational with a then-PR of 199-00, which was also a new Edward Stadium record at the time.

CAL'S NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS

Automatic
Bolota Asmerom  5000m   13:32.48
Bevan Hart  Decathlon   7890 pts.
Jennifer Joyce  Hammer  203-2
Missy Vanek Heptathlon 5554 pts.

Provisional
Garrett Collier Hammer  203-6
Peter Gilmore 10,000m   29:37.24
Bevan Hart Pole Vault   17-8.5
Robert Kennedy  Long Jump 25-1.25
Dana Lawson Shot Put    49-10.5
Maria Lopez Pole Vault  13-0.25
Reynda King Triple Jump  42-0.75

Cal's Pac-10 Qualifiers

Note: Each institutiion may enter as many qualifiers as there
are scoring places, or at least one competitor in each event
for which it has no qualifier. In addition, each institution
may have 3 additional wild card slots for each of its men's
and women's squads. Squad limits are 24 for both men and women.

Men (- top eight Pac-10 Ranking)
Bolota Asmerom  (1500m, 5000m ?2nd)
Chuck Berkeley (400m)
Matt Blair (Decathlon)
Tim Bogdanof (110mH-4th)
Garrett Collier (Hammer-5th, Discus)
John Collin (1500m)
Nate DeSomber (SP)
Ki Evans (TJ-6th)
Chris Ferreira (HJ)
Peter Gilmore (5000m, 10,000m-8th)
Bruce Giron (400mH)
Bevan Hart (Decath. ?1st, PV-6th, 110mH)
Vincent Ibia (LJ-8th, TJ)
Steve Immel (1500m)
Robert Kennedy (100m, LJ-2nd)
Pat Leonard (HJ-5th)
Jerriod Mack (LJ-5th, TJ-5th)
Allan Manning (100m)
Phillip Pipersburg (100m)
LaShaun Ward (100m)
Ahmad Wright (100m, 400mH-5th)

Women (- top eight Pac-10 Ranking)
Shawna Adkins (TJ)
Tiffany Barnett (HJ-5th)
Erin Belger (800m-5th, 1500m)
Kenya Corley (LJ)
Lauren Dudugjian (HJ-4th)
April Holliverse (100mH-8th, 400mH-6th)
Zhauntel Holman (100m, 200m)
Jennifer Joyce (Hammer-2nd, Discus)
Reynda King (LJ, TJ-2nd)
Dana Lawson (SP-6th, Discus-6th, Hammer)
Maria Lopez (PV-5th)
Missy Vanek (Hept. ?1st, 100mH, HJ- 8th)

BEARS CLIMB SCHOOL RECORD CHARTS IN 2000
Numerous current Bears joined or moved up Cal's all-time top 10 performers' chart this season. On the men's side this includes: Bolota Asmerom set the school record in the 5000m (13:32.48), Peter Gilmore ran the second-fastest 10,000m (29:37.24), Bevan Hart cleared the third-highest pole vault (17-8.5), Garrett Collier recorded the fourth-best mark in the hammer (203-6), and Hart turned in the second-best decathlon (7890 points). On the women's side this includes: Zhauntel Holman ran the third-fastest 100m (11.74), April Holliverse ranks second in the 100mH (13.82), Maria Lopez leads all pole vaulters (13-0.25), Reynda King is third in the triple jump (42-0.75), Dana Lawson is third in the shot put (49-10.5), Jennifer Joyce leads the hammer (203-2), and Missy Vanek is second in the heptathlon (5554 points).

THREE SCHOOL RECORDS FALL IN 2000
Three Cal records have fallen so far this season. The year began with junior Maria Lopez holding the Cal record in the pole vault at 11-11.25. The Newark, Calif., native has set a new standard several times this year, with a current best mark of 13-0.25, which is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and a U.S. Olympic Trials B standard. Likewise, sophomore Jennifer Joyce entered the season holding the Cal record in the hammer (193-0). She now owns the record of 203-2. On the men's side, junior Bolota Asmerom shattered Tom Downs 1982 5000m record (13:40.39), clocking in with an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 13:32.48 at the Mount SAC Relays.

CAL TEAM HISTORY AT THE PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Since the first Pac-10 Track and Field Championship for men in 1979, Cal's best finish was second place (94 points) in 1985 at Arizona, behind Washington State's 149.5. For the last three years, the Bear men have placed eighth, including last year at Arizona State with 59.5 points. Since the inception of the women's Pac-10 meet in 1987, Cal's best finish was third in 1995. Cal finished ninth for the second-straight year in 1999 (41 points) but almost doubled the 21 points it scored in 1998. USC is the defending men's champion, while UCLA is the defending women's champion.

BEARS INDIVIDUAL HISTORY AT PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Cal women have won nine Pac-10 individual titles, while the men have claimed 33. Cal individual winners from 1990 to the present follow: