NCAA Berths on Line at West Preliminary Meet

NCAA Berths on Line at West Preliminary Meet

May 23, 2012

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Women's Heat Sheets
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THIS WEEK IN CAL TRACK & FIELD: Golden Bears will be vying for coveted spots at the NCAA Championships when 26 individuals and one relay travel to Austin, Texas, for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Thursday through Saturday.

The meet includes representatives from 25 states and features 48 entries in individual events and the top 24 relay teams. First-round, quarterfinal and semifinal heats will narrow the list of competitors to 12 in each event, with the finals held at the NCAA Championships set for June 6-9 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Boasting a Pac-12-record 32:12.47 in the 10,000 meters, junior Deborah Maier enters the weekend as the top seed in her specialty. Cal also features five others seeded among the top 12 in their respective events: Malaina Payton (5th, women's long jump), Chelsea Reilly (8th, women's 5000m), Brian Carmichael (8th, men's high jump), Collin Jarvis (9th, men's 3000m steeplechase) and Hammed Suleman (10th, men's long jump; 12th, men's triple jump).

The Bears lead the nation with 10 entries in the men's jumps - four in the triple jump and three each in the high jump and long jump - while Cal also has five jumpers on the women's side.

Of those participating at the preliminary meet this year, four have advanced to the national level previously, all in 2010 - Maier (9th, 5000m), Payton (18th, 4x100m relay), Alima Kamara (20th, 400m; 24th, 4x400m relay) and Angelica Weaver (24th, 4x400m relay).

NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Entries
Men
Name               Event                Mark       Seed
Chase Wheeler      100m                 10.46      35th
Collin Jarvis      3000m steeplechase   8:48.05    8th
Maxime Chevee      5000m                14:07.44   35th
Matt Miller        10,000m              29:30.92   30th
Brian Carmichael   High Jump            7-2.25     8th
Nick Ridge         High Jump            7-0.50     22nd
Harrison Steed     High Jump            7-0.25     28th
Hammed Suleman     Long Jump            25-5.50    10th
Jonte Grant        Long Jump            25-0.75    18th
Chase Wheeler      Long Jump            25-0.50    19th
Hammed Suleman     Triple Jump          52-1.25    12th
Taylor Kientzel    Triple Jump          51-1.00    19th
Jonte Grant        Triple Jump          50-8.25    28th
Chad Jones         Triple Jump          50-2.25    35th
Derek White        Discus               187-6      13th
Scott Esparza      Hammer               197-9      24th
Derek White        Hammer               192-4      43rd

Women Name Event Mark Seed Charnell Price 100m 11.51 17th Charnell Price 200m 23.74 25th Taylor Bryson 1500m 4:20.35 15th Chelsea Reilly 5000m 15:57.53 8th Deborah Maier 10,000m 32:12.47 1st Emani Truluck 100m hurdles 13.62 31st Angelica Weaver 400m hurdles 57.85 15th Team 4x100m relay 44.89 15th Gianna Fernandez High Jump 5-9.25 26th Kristin Rimbach High Jump 5-8.75 34th Malaina Payton Long Jump 21-6.25 5th Amanda Hunter Triple Jump 41-9.25 19th Aziza Baker Triple Jump 41-8.75 21st Linda Oseso Hammer 193-11 25th

Collin Jarvis = PAC-12 CHAMPION: Just over two years ago, no Golden Bear had ever captured a conference title in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase. Now, Cal can list a pair of champions. In 2010, Steve Sodaro won the Pac-10 race held at Edwards Stadium, and on May 12, Collin Jarvis prevailed in the first Pac-12 event. Jarvis finished in 8:48.05, a six-second improvement over his winning mark at the Big Meet. The time puts him No. 7 on Cal's all-time performer list and he becomes just the third Bear to run under 8:50 over the last 25 seasons (but third in the last five years).

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS IN REVIEW: In addition to Jarvis' victory, several other Bears placed among the top 5 at the Pac-12 meet held May 12-13 in Eugene, Ore. Hammed Suleman was the runner-up in the men's long jump (25-5.50w), with teammate Jonte Grant taking fifth (25-0.75). Derek White placed second in the men's discus (187-6), and Taylor Kientzel finished fifth in the men's triple jump (51-1.00w). The women had a trio of fifth-place finishers: Charnell Price (100m, 11.51w), Angelica Weaver (400m hurdles, 57.85) and the 4x100m relay (Carisma Lyday, Charnell Price, Angelica Weaver, Alima Kamara, 44.89).

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2011 WEST PRELIMINARY MEET: Four Golden Bears qualified for the NCAA Championships out of the West Preliminary Rounds in 2011, with a fifth receiving an automatic berth in the decathlon. Kristen Meister tied for first in the women's high jump, while Ray Stewart was seventh in the men's 110-meter hurdles, Tracey Stewart placed fifth in the women's triple jump and Steve Sodaro took sixth in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase. Mike Morrison advanced based on an earlier mark in the decathlon, and he went on to capture the NCAA title with a school-record 8,118 points.

MAIER SETS PAC-12 RECORD IN 10,000: Junior Deborah Maier, an All-American in both cross country and indoor track this season, waited until the Payton Jordan Invitational April 29 to make her outdoor debut. And just over 30 minutes after stepping onto the surface at Stanford, she completed the 10,000 meters in record-setting fashion. Maier's time of 32:12.47 not only made her the No. 3 10K runner in NCAA history, but she broke both the Pac-12 mark and a 27-year-old Cal record in the event.

Competing in a field full of experienced national and international runners, Maier placed 12th overall, but was the top collegian in her first attempt at the distance. Kirsten O'Hara set the old Cal mark of 32:40.76 in 1985, while the previous conference record was 32:19.97 by Stanford's Alicia Craig in 2004. As a result, Maier was tabbed the Pac-12 Female Outdoor Athlete of the Week.

Top 10,000-meter Runners in NCAA History
1. Lisa Koll (Iowa State)       31:18.07   2010
2. Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech)   31:25.45   2008
3. Deborah Maier (California)   32:12.47   2012

BEARS IN THE TOP 25: The Bears have several individual ranked among the top 25 nationally in their specialties, including Deborah Maier, the top-ranked 10,000m runner (32:12.47). Others in the top 25 are: Malaina Payton (8th, women's long jump, 21-6.25), Hammed Suleman (18th, men's long jump, 25-5.25; 21st, men's triple jump, 52-1.25), Brian Carmichael (22nd, men's high jump, 7-2.25), Collin Jarvis (18th, men's 5000m, 13:42.31; 19th, men's 3000m steeple, 8:48.05), Chelsea Reilly (18th, women's 5000m, 15:57.53) and Derek White (18th, men's discus, 187-6).

TRACK & FIELD RECOGNIZED AT ACADEMIC HONORS LUNCHEON: Several members of the Cal track & field team were lauded at Cal's annual Student-Athlete Academic Honors Luncheon held May 3. Dan Davis (men's track & field), Chelsea Reilly (women's cross country) and Nicole Larson (women's track & field) all earned Golden Bear Achievement Awards for having the highest cumulative GPA on their respective teams.

GOLDEN BEAR NOTES: Six Golden Bears earned nine All-America certificates for their performances at the NCAA Indoor Championships - the most ever for the school at the national indoor meet - Deborah Maier (2nd, 3000m; 2nd, 5000m) gained first team honors, while the other Cal competitors earned second-team status - Chelsea Reilly (3000m, distance medley relay), Sofia Oberg (800m, DMR), Angelica Weaver (DMR), Taylor Bryson (DMR) and Malaina Payton (long jump) ... the Cal women are ranked 10th in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year rankings after taking 18th at the NCAA cross country meet and 15th at the NCAA indoor meet ... Cal graduate Alysia Montano, the three-time USA 800m champion who placed fourth at the World Championships last summer, cruised to a meet-record 52.16 at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley April 28.