May 14, 2006
Eugene, Or - Chauntae Bayne-Hackett continued her brilliant 2006 outdoor season with a victory and a school record in the 400 meters during Sunday's competition at the Pacific-10 Track & Field Championships at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.
Bayne-Hackett, a sophomore from Ft. Worth, Texas, ran the oval in 52.35 to break Nashonme Johnson's previous record of 52.40 set in 2004. Johnson, ironically, finished third in the race with a time of 53.20. Earlier this year at the Stanford Invitational, Bayne-Hackett ran a 52.95 which at the time was third-best in school history.
"I was a little nervous at the start," said Bayne-Hackett, "but I had faith. I wanted to coast off the running of Nicole Leach (UCLA), but I noticed that Nashonme (Johnson) was running pretty hard, so I coasted off her. I trusted my strength and I was able to win."
Bayne-Hackett finished her impressive weekend by anchoring the 1600 meter relay team to victory in a time of 3:32.69 (#3 all-time at Stanford). Nashonme Johnson ran the leadoff leg followed by Ashley Freeman, Janice Davis and Bayne-Hackett. This was Stanford's second Pac-10 title in the 1600 meter relay in the last four years.
At the end of the two day conference championship, the Arizona State women won the team title with 154 points compared to 151.50 points for the runnerup and defending champion Stanford. This was the closest team finish since the 2001 Pac-10 Championships when UCLA scored a 155-153 victory over USC at Berkeley.
Stanford began the day 42.5 points behind first place Arizona State. The Sun Devils led 82.5 points compared to Stanford in third place with 40 points. But the Cardinal gradually chipped away at the Sun Devil lead, and came within 8.5 points (ASU 118 points, Stanford 109.5 points) with five events to go, the 5000 meters, the triple jump, the discus, the pole vault and the 1600 meter relay. But in the crucial 5000 meters, Arizona State produced 23 points compared to Stanford's 13 to give the Sun Devils a sizable lead as the meet was drawing to a close. In a very competitive race on a warm, sunny afternoon in Eugene, ASU's Victoria Jackson, Amy Hastings and Jenna Kingman finished 1-3-5 while Katy Trotter and Amanda Trotter finished 2-4. Jackson was clocked in 16:09.73 while Katy Trotter was timed in 16:21.50. That gave ASU a 141-122.50 lead over the Cardinal.
Despite the narrow loss, Cardinal Director of Track & Field, Edrick Floreal, praised the team for its grit and determination.
"I am very impressed with the way we came back," said Floreal. "It says a lot about the championship caliber of our team. My hats off to Arizona State. They had a great meet."
Sophomore Erica McLain continued her remarkable Stanford career with a Sunday victory in the triple jump (44-2 1/2 (13.47m). Combined with her Saturday victory in the long jump, McLain has won both events two straight seasons. No other woman athlete in Pac-10 history can make that claim.
"It is definitely a great feeling to win both events in two years," said McLain. "Let's come back next year and do it again."
Not since Melanie Bloch in 1990 and Sally Glynn in 2001 had a Stanford woman won the Pac-10 title in the 1500 meters. But all that ended on Sunday as conference favorite Arianna Lambie cruised to a comfortable victory in a season-best time of 4:15.65.
The women's 400 meter relay saw the Pac-10's top two schools battle to the end. Stanford maintained a lead going into the final 100 meters, but USC's Carol Rodriguez was able to push the Trojans in front to win in a time of 43.81. The Stanford team of Janice Davis, Nashonme Johnson, Jakki Bailey and Alana Walker was timed in 44.39, the fourth-best time in school history.
Sarah Hopping simply crushed the school hammer throw record in finishing in second place. Hopping had the school record of 211-4 (64.42m) set earlier this year at California. On Sunday at the conference championship, Hopping smashed her school record by more than eight feet with a mark of 219-8 (66.96m).
Russell Brown, a sophomore from Hanover, New Hampshire. displayed a determined effort in the 1500 meters. Brown, who had the best time in the prelims the day before, led during the first three laps of the race, but Arizona's Robert Cheseret made his move on the final lap to take over the lead. Brown fought back and was able to stay close to Cheseret as both runners entered the final 200 meters. But Brown appeared to get bumped and Cheseret was able to win a record seventh Pac-10 distance title with a time of 3:41.88 with Brown coming in second place in a season-best time of 3:43.49. Cheseret later captured the 5000 meters to give him a Pac-10 record eight distance running titles.
Stanford will host the 2007 Pacific-10 Championships at Cobb Track & Angell Field.
Television Time
Fox Sports Net will air a two-hour tape delayed show in several parts of the country starting May 18 ... In the Bay Area, the Pac-10 Championships can be seen on May 18 (Noon, Pacific Time), May 20 (4:00 p.m., Pacific Time), and May 23 (Noon, Pacific Time).
Meet Memo
Compete results are available on several websites (www.goducks.com, www.pac-10.org or direcathletics.com) ... A daily Stanford story is available at www.gostanford.com
2006 Pacific-10 Track & Field Championships
Sunday, May 14, 2006, Hayward Field, University of Oregon
Men's Final Team Results
1. USC 140; 2. Oregon 133.5; 3. Arizona 122; 4. Washington 99; 5. UCLA 97.5; 6. Arizona State 76; 7. Stanford 60; 8. California 53; 9. Washington State 37
Women's Final Team Results
1. Arizona State 154; 2. Stanford 151.5; 3. USC 112; 4. UCLA 103; 5. Oregon 97; 6. California 76.5; 7. Washington 41; 8. Washington State 40; 9. Arizona 37; 10. Oregon State 4
Men's Results
1500 Meters: 1. Robert Cheseret (Az) 3:41.88; 2. Russell Brown (S) 3:43.49; 3. Jonah Maiyo (Az) 3:43.84
5000 Meters: 1. Robert Cheseret (Az) 13:47.50; 2. Obed Mutanya (Az) 13:51.32; 3. Galen Rupp (O) 14:00.94; 4. Jonathan Pierce (S) 14:09.92; 7. Jacob Gomez (S) 14:18.51; 8. Hari Mix (S) 14:23.21; 9. Neftalem Araia (S) 14:25.82; 10. Brett Gotcher (S) 14:32.37; 17. Hakon DeVries (S) 14:44.42; Russell Brown dnf
Discus: 1. Greg Garza (UCLA) 194-1 (59.17m); 2. Adam Kuehl (Az) 190-3 (58.00m); 3. Matt Lamb (WSU) 189-9 (189-9); 5. Daniel Schaerer (S) 184-4 (56.20m)
High Jump: 1. Jesse Williams (USC) 7-4 1/2 (2.25m); 2. Norris Frederick (W) 7-1 (2.16m); 3. Ed Wright (C) 6-10 3/4 (2.10m); -- Josh Hustedt (S) nh
Triple Jump: 1. Ryan Zimmerman (ASU) 53-3 (16.23m); 2. Domonique Easterling (UCLA) 52-1 1/4 (15.88m); 3. Michael Johnson (UCLA) 51-7 3/4 (15.74m); 4. Solomon Welch (S) 51-6 1/2 (15.71m); 12. Feranmi Okanlami (S) 47-5 1/4 (14.46m)
Women's Results
100 Meters: 1. Virginia Powell (USC) 11.10; 2. Janice Davis (S) 11.29; 3. Carol Rodriguez (USC) 11.40; 8. Jakki Bailey (S) 11.68
200 Meters: 1. Carol Rodriguez (USC) 22.81wa; 2. Janice Davis (S) 23.03wa; 3. Antonette Carter (C) 23.39wa; 8. Jakki Bailey (S) 24.34wa
400 Meters: 1. Chauntae Bayne-Hackett (S) 52.35; 2. Nicole Leach (UCLA) 52.61; 3. Nashonme Johnson (S) 53.20
800 Meters: 1. Rebekah Noble (O) 2:05.81; 2. Alysia Johnson (C) 2:06.85; 3. Sara Schaaf (O) 2:07.88; 4. Ashley Freeman (S) 2:08.57; 7. Alicia Follmar (S) 2:10.95
1500 Meters: 1. Arianna Lambie (S) 4:15.65; 2. Amy Lia (W) 4:18.88; 3. Amber McGown (O) 4:19.00; 6. Amanda Trotter (S) 4:23.42
5000 Meters: 1. Victoria Jackson (ASU) 16:09.73; 2. Katy Trotter (S) 16:21.50; 3. Amy Hastings (ASU) 16:32.82; 4. Amanda Trotter (S) 16:38.87; 13. Lindsay Allen (S) 17:30.43
400 Meter Relay: 1. USC 43.81; 2. Stanford (Janice Davis, Nashonme Johnson, Jakki Bailey, Alana Walker ) 44.393. California 44.90
1600 Meter Relay: 1. Stanford (Idara Otu, Nashonme Johnson, Janice Davis, Chauntae Bayne-Hackett), 3:32.69; 2. Arizona State 3:33.23; 3. USC 3:38.16
Discus: 1. Rachel Varner (Az) 181-3 (55.25m); 2. Kate Hutchinson (USC) 175-9 (53.57m); 3. Emilee Strot (C) 170-2 (51.87m); 9. Sally Mills (S) 145-11 (44.49m)
Hammer: 1. Eva Orban (USC) 221-6 (67.53m); 2. Sarah Hopping (S) 219-8 (66.96m); 3. Sarah Stevens (ASU) 215-6 (65.69m); 11. Katy Elsbury (S) 179-6 (54.72m)
Pole Vault: 1. Chelsea Johnson (UCLA) 15-1 (4.60m); 2. Tamara Diles (WSU) 13-7 1/4 (4.15m); 3. Carly Dockendorf (W) 13-7 1/4 (4.15m); 11. Anna McFarlane (S) 12-5 1/2 (3.80m)
Triple Jump: 1. Erica McLain (S) 44-2 1/2 (13.47m); 2. Michelle Sanford (USC) 42-8 3/4 (13.02m); 3. Renee Williams (UCLA) 42-2 3/4 (12.87m); 4. Lauren Stewart (S) 41-8 3/4 (12.72m); 5. Deboraqh Akinniyi (S) 41-7 3/4 (12.69m)