May 15, 2005
Los Angeles, Ca - UCLA's grip on the women's track & field Pac-10 championship has finally come to an end, thanks to Stanford University. For the last eight seasons, the Bruins won the Pac-10 title, and since the league began sponsoring women's track & field in 1987, UCLA captured 15 of the league's previous 18 championship meets.
That all came to an end on a hot, sunny Sunday at UCLA's Drake Stadium as Stanford captured its first women's Pacific-10 Track & Field Championship. For the past two seasons, Stanford finished second to the Bruins, but in 2005, the Cardinal chalked up a school record 173 points to easily score a 48-point victory over the second place Bruins. The 173 Stanford points was also fourth-most by a Pac-10 school in the 19-year existence of the conference championship meet.
The Stanford women were paced on Sunday by victories in the 5,000 meters by Sara Bei, the 400 meter hurdles by Undine Becker, and an American junior and school record performance by freshman sensation Erica McLain. McLain, who captured the Pac-10 title in the long jump on Saturday, added to her impressive resume with a victory in the triple jump with an American junior and school record jump of 45-2 1/2 (13.78m). McLain's effort was a Pac-10 meet record and the third-best mark in conference history. McLain also became the first Pac-10 athlete to win the long jump and triple jump conference titles in the same year. Bei led a 1-2 finish for Stanford in the 5,000 meters with a winning time of 16:47.57. Craig, who won the 10,000 meter title on Saturday, finished second (16:58.88). Becker ran a winning time of 58.59 in the 400 meter hurdles.
During the two days of competition, the Stanford women produced five Pac-10 champions and 24 Top-5 finishes. Of the 24 Stanford women who competed, 23 contributed points to the winning effort.
The Stanford men finished seventh with 66 points. Oregon won the Pac-10 title for the second time in the last three years with 152 points. Stanford produced one winner in men's competition on Sunday. Michael Robertson, the conference favorite, won the discus competition with a throw of 192-7 (58.70m). Robertson became Stanford's first conference discus champion in 40 years (Bob Stoecker, 1965, 183-10 1/2).
Several Stanford athletes on Sunday qualified for the upcoming NCAA West Regionals at Oregon. The listed included Justin Romaniuk and Joaquin Chapa in the 800 meters with respective times of 1:49.27 and 1:49.98, Ashley Freeman in the 800 meters (2:05.71), Sara Bei in the 1,500 meters (4:16.14), Undine Becker in the 400 meter hurdles (58.59), and Donald Sage in the 5,000 meters (14:08.99).
Record Review
Erica McLain broke her school record in the triple jump on Sunday ... McLain's winning Pac-10 mark of 45-2 1/2 (13.78m) easily broke her previous school record of 43-9 1/4 ((13.34m) set at the recent Penn Relays ... Sarah Hopping's mark of 196-2 (59.80m) was only two inches short of her school record set earlier this year ... The women's 400 meter relay team of Jakki Bailey, Janice Davis, Nashonme Johnson and Ashley Purnell ran a time of 44.49, third-best in school history ...Ashley Freeman's 800 meter time of 2:05.71 is fifth-best in school history ... Sara Bei's time of 4:16.14 is a career-best and sixth-best in school history ... Undine Becker's winning time of 58.59 in the 400 meter hurdles is #2 all-time in the Stanford record book.
Women's Team Results
1. Stanford, 173 points
2. UCLA, 125
3. Arizona State, 118
4. USC, 99
5. California 82
6. Washington State, 74.5
7. Oregon, 68
8. Washington, 42.5
9. Arizona, 36
Women's Results
100 Meters - 1. Virginia Powell (USC) 11.28; 5. Janice Davis (S) 11.61; 7. Ashley Purnell (S) 11.77
200 Meters - 1. Monique Henderson (UCLA) 23.06; 5. Janice Davis (S) 23.76; 6. Ashley Purnell (S) 23.90
400 Meters - 1. Monique Henderson (UCLA) 51.31; 3. Nashonme Johnson (S) 53.70; 5. Christine Moschella (S) 54.28
800 Meters - 1. Chloe Jarvis (C) 2:04.53; 2. Ashley Freeman (S) 2:05.71; 9. Laura Mottaz (S) 2:10.86
1,500 Meters - 1. Iryna Vaschuk (USC) 4:16.02; 2. Sara Bei (S) 4:16.14; 4. Arianna Lambie (S) 4:19.53
5,000 Meters - 1. Sara Bei (S) 16:47.57; 2. Alicia Craig (S) 16:58.88; 5. Katy Trotter (S) 17:05.50; 7. Amanda Trotter (S) 17:10.36
400 Meter Hurdles - 1. Undine Becker (S) 58.59
400 Meter Relay - 1. USC 43.66; 2. Stanford (Jakki Bailey, Janice Davis, Nashonme Johnson, Ashley Purnell) 44.49
1,600 Meter Relay - 1. Arizona State 3:35.68; 4. Stanford (Chinny Offor, Undine Beccker, Ashley Freeman, Laura Mottaz) 3:40.10
Hammer - 1. Jessica Cosby (UCLA) 216-10 (64.57m); 3. Sarah Hopping (S) 196-2 (59.80m)
Triple Jump - 1. Erica McLain (S) 45-2 1/2 (13.78m); 4. Deborah Akinniyi (S) 41-4 1/4 (12.60m)
Men's Team Results
1. Oregon, 152 points
2. UCLA, 134.5
3. Arizona State, 122
4. USC, 106
5. Washington 75.5
6. Stanford, 66
7. Arizona, 65
8. California, 60.5
9. Washington State, 36.5
Men's Results
100 Meters - 1. Wes Felix (USC) 10.24; 8. Wopamo Osaisai (S) 10.67
400 Meters - 1. Kedar Inico (O) 45.61; 9. Nick Sebes (S) 47.20
800 Meters - 1. Ryan Brown (W) 1:47.31; 8. Justin Romaniuk (S) 1:49.27; 9. Joaquin Chapa (S) 1:49.98
1,500 Meters - 1. Jon Rankin (UCLA) 3:44.61; 4. Donald Sage (S) 3:46.79; 6. Russell Brown (S) 3:46.90; 9. Evan Fox (S) 3:49.31
5,000 Meters - 1. Robert Cheseret (Arizona) 13:33.00; 2. Ryan Hall (S) 13:37.45; 3. Ian Dobson (S) 13:38.33; 7. Donald Sage (S) 14:08.99; 14. Chris Emme (S) 14:29.23
400 Meter Relay - 1. Arizona State 39.10; 7. Stanford (Solomon Welch, Nick Sebes, Curtis Goehring, Wopamo Osaisai) 41.09
1,600 Meter Relay - 1. Arizona State 3:02.85; 7. Stanford (Curtis Goehring, Nick Sebes, Wopamo Osaisai, Michael Garcia) 3:10.61
Discus - 1. Michael Robertson (S) 192-7 (58.70m); 8. Daniel Schaerer (S) 173-0 (52.74m)
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