Oregon claims men’s and women’s Pac-12 track & field titles

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PULLMAN, Wash. -- The OREGON men’s and women’s track and field teams swept the Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships that were held at Mooberry Track & Field Complex on the campus of Washington State. The men’s squad claimed its eighth-consecutive title tallying 163.25 points, while the women collected 176 points for first place. Individual recognition also when to UO’s Jenna Prandini who accounted for 32 points and earned Women’s Athlete of the Meet. USC’s Aaron Brown was the Men’s Athlete of the Meet after collecting 22.50 points. The championships will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on the Pac-12 Networks on May 25 at 9 a.m. PT.

Prandini won three individual titles, claiming the long jump, 100-meter and 200-meter titles. She becomes only the fourth woman athlete in Conference history to win at least three titles in one meet and the first since Seilala Sue of UCLA achieved the feat in 1999. Brown claimed the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, also running the second leg of the 4x100-meter relay team to help the Trojans place first in the event.

On the men’s side, OREGON held a substantial lead by the end of the meet as USC placed second with 99 points. ARIZONA was third with 83 points and ARIZONA STATE was fourth with 80.75 points. WASHINGTON finished fifth (75.25), STANFORD was sixth (71), UCLA was seventh (68.25) and CALIFORNIA was eighth (67). In ninth place with 66.50 points was host-WASHINGTON STATE and COLORADO had 44 points.

On the women’s side, OREGON held the lead after the first day and never looked back, staying ahead of second-place USC, who scored 145 points. STANFORD and ARIZONA STATE tied for third with 75 points each, ARIZONA was just one point behind for fifth place and UCLA’s 68 points were good for sixth. WASHINGTON had 53 points for seventh, WASHINGTON STATE collected 46.50 points for eighth and CALIFORNIA had 44.50 points for ninth place. In 10th place with 33 points was COLORADO, followed by UTAH (23) and OREGON STATE (2).

The second day of action began with OREGON junior Jillian Weir throwing a 221-2/67.43m on her final attempt to overtake CALIFORNIA sophomore Shelby Ashe for first place in the women’s hammer throw. Weir’s throw ranks seventh-best all-time in Conference history. Ashe posted a 206-1/62.82m for second place, followed by USC senior Lauren Chambers who grabbed a podium spot on her final throw, launching a 205-0/62.49m.

The women’s 4x100-meter relay kicked off the running events for the day in exciting fashion. USC set a meet record and the third-fastest time in league history, beating OREGON for first place with a time of 43.21. The Ducks clocked a time of 43.77 and ARIZONA crossed the finish line in 44.79 for third place.

USC swept the 4x100-meter relays, winning the men’s event with a time of 39.43, finishing ahead of OREGON, who posted a time of 39.76. CALIFORNIA was third with a time of 40.13. It is the Trojans’ first 4x100-relay title since 2007.

ARIZONA STATE junior Shelby Houlihan successfully defended her 1,500-meter crown, pulling away in the final lap to win with a time of 4:15.67. STANFORD junior Aisling Cuffe came in second place with a time of 4:18.29, followed by freshman teammate Rebecca Mehra in third (4:21.62).

For the second-consecutive year, a Trojan claimed the women’s triple jump title as USC junior Melia Cox cleared a height of 42-8/13.00m to win her first-career title. She follows former Trojan Alitta Boyd who was the 2013 winner. WASHINGTON STATE junior Charlotte Muschamp, who already won the high jump on Saturday, was second with a height of 42-1.25/12.83m and UO freshman Sasha Wallace was third with a mark of 4106.5/12.66m.

As expected, UCLA senior Julian Wruck won his second-straight Pac-12 discus title with a throw of 210-9/64.25, more than 22 feet further than second-place thrower CALIFORNIA’s Derek White (188-8/57.51m). UCLA seniorMatthew Kosecki, the 2012 champion, was third with a throw of 188-8/57.50m.

ARIZONA’s Lawi Lalang and OREGON freshman Edward Cheserek pulled away from the pack early in the men’s 1,500-meter race. In the final lap, the duo went toe-to-toe, sprinting to the finish line in the final quarter lap but Lalang had the extra push to edge out Cheserek at the line, winning in a meet-record time of 3:36.34 with Cheserek crossing at 3:36.50. Lalang broke his own record that he set last year. STANFORD’s Michael Atchoowas third with a time of 3:42.53. Lalang and Cheserek’s times are currently the best times in the country in the 1,500 meter.

In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, USC senior Lauren Blackburn took first place with a time of 13.08, with OREGON freshman Sasha Wallace taking second in a time of 13.24. UCLA junior Brea Buchanan was third, recording a time of 13.35.

The men’s 110-hurdles saw another meet record go down as USC’s Aleec Harris posted a time of 13.35 for first place. Harris was ranked second in the country coming in the weekend. He broke former Trojan’s Brendan Ames’ record of 13.39 set in 2011. OREGON freshman Devon Allen was second (13.47) and CALIFORNIA senior Milan Ristic was third with a time of 13.97.

In the women’s 400-meter race, OREGON’s Phyllis Francis coasted to her third-consecutive Pac-12 title, turning in a time of 51.87. A Duck sprinter has claimed the event in six of the last seven years after Keshia Baker claimed the title from 2008-10. Senior teammate Chizoba Okodogbe was second with a time of 52.20 and USC juniorVanessa Jones was third (52.39).

OREGON’s Mike Berry won his second-career Pac-12 400-meter title and first since 2011, winning with a time of 45.05. STANFORD sophomore Steven Solomon was second, crossing the finish line with a time of 45.79 ahead of ARZONA freshman Miles Parish (46.45).

OREGON sophomore Jenna Prandini claimed her second win of the Championships winning the 100-meter dash for the second-straight year. She was unchallenged as she ran one of the top-10 times in the country at 11.21. USC posted second- and third-place finishes with senior Jessica Davis and junior Tynia Gaither placing in the top three, respectively.

USC’s Aaron Brown won his second 100-meter Pac-12 title in three years, recording a winning time of 10.31. ARIZONA STATE senior Ryan Milus was second, edging out USC’s and 2013 champion Beejay Lee but just one-tenth of a second. Milus crossed the finish line in a time of 10.44 ahead of Lee’s 10.45.

The women’s 800 meter was handily decided as OREGON’s Laura Roesler claimed the even by nearly two full seconds, clocking a time of 2:05.77, ahead of UTAH’s Rosalie Waller, who came across in a time of 2:07.20. OREGON sophomore Annie Leblanc was third with a time of 2:07.27.

WASHINGTON’s Derrick Daigre claimed the 800-meter men’s race with a time of 1:49.86. He becomes the first Husky to win the event since 2007. UCLA’s Nick Hartle, who made an attempt in the straight-away to catch him, could not overcome Daigre’s lead, placing second with a time of 1:50.50. OREGON’s Mac Fleet was third, crossing the finish line in a time of 1:50.67.

The top-two finishers in the women’s 400-meter hurdles recorded top-10 times in the country, with USC sophomore Jaide Stepter claiming the title in a time of 56.99. ARIZONA freshman Nnenya Hailey was second with a time of 57.40. WASHINGTON junior Gianna Woodruff came in third place in a time of 58.42.

An eight-man field that consisted of only freshmen and sophomores, the top three spots were taken by freshmen as the fan favorite WASHINGTON STATE’s CJ Allen claimed the 400-meter hurdles crown in a time of 51.14 becoming the first Cougar to win the title in three year, since former Coug Jeshua Anderson won the title from 2008-11. OREGON’s Devon Allen was second and was defeated at the finish line, posting a time of 51.19. COLORADO’s Jaron Thomas was third with a time of 51.24.

OREGON went 1-2 in the women’s 200 meter, with sophomore Jenna Prandini setting a new Pac-12 Championships meet record with a time of 22.60, also the fastest time in the country. She had a comfortable lead over senior teammate Phyllis Francis who ran in a time of 22.92. USC junior Tynia Gaither was third, turning in a time of 23.07.

USC placed first and second in the men’s 200-meter with Aaron Brown finishing first in a time of 20.26. Junior teammate Davonte Stewart recorded a time of 20.83 to place just ahead of OREGON’s Arthur Delaney, who crossed the finish line in a time of 20.87.

WASHINGTON swept the men’s and women’s pole vault after junior Diamara Planell Cruz claimed the women’s title with a height of 14.05/4.28m. It was the Huskies’ first win in the event since 2004. UW’s Jax Thoirs won the men’s title on Saturday. Placing second was Natasha Kolbo of UCLA, who cleared 13-10.5/4.23m. Planell Cruz’s teammate, freshman Elizabeth Quick, was third (13-4.5/4.08m).

The top-ranked men’s high jumper in the country, ARIZONA’s Nick Ross came away with his third-career Pac-12 title in the event and UA’s fourth-straight after clearing a height of 7-5.75/2.28m. He becomes only the second high jumper in league history, along with former OREGON STATE high jumper Dick Fosbury, to win the league crown three times.

Sophomore Darian Brooks’ used his last attempt to vault himself into first place, winning STANFORD’s second men’s triple jump title ever and first since 1970. He leapt a distance of 52-6.75/16.02m to stay ahead of ARIZONA STATE sophomore Josh Dixon, who posted a mark of 51-1.75/16.02m. ARIZONA’s Nick Ross was third recording a mark of 50-10.25/15.50m.

It was a two-woman race in the 5,000 meter with ARIZONA STATE junior Shelby Houlihan and STANFORD juniorAisling Cuffe battling for the title. But Houlihan was able to pull out the win at the finish line for her first-career title in the event with a time of 16:11.63. Cuffe ended with a time of 16:11.97 for second place. ARIZON’s Elvin Kibet  placed third with a time of 16:19.14.

In the men’s 5,000 meter, ARIZONA’s Lawi Lalang won his second-career title in the event and the first since 2011. He made a decisive move in the final lap to finish by a nearly four-second margin, crossing the finish line with a time of 13:41.44. OREGON’s Trevor Dunbar (13:45.26) was second by just .01 second, beating out teammate Eric Jenkins (13:45.27), who placed third.

USC junior Alexandra Collatz’s final throw in the discus was enough to give the Trojans their first-ever title in the event, recording a distance of 184-3/56.17m. STANFORD’s Valarie Allman was second with a throw of 181-5/55.31m, which also came on her final attempt of the day. ARIZONA STATE’s Alex Hartig placed third with a mark of 179-11/54.84m, which came on her first throw of the day.

In the final women’s event of the day, USC defended its 4x400-meter relay title with a time of 3:34.72, easily defeating the field. ARIZONA placed second with a time of 3:36.51, followed by ARIZONA STATE (3:36.99) to round out the top three.

Closing out the championships was the men’s 4x400-meter relay where ARIZONA STATE and OREGON were close down the stretch, each team trying to get in front of the other. But the Sun Devils came out victorious, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:07.10, while the Ducks trailed, 3:07.21. WASHINGTON STATE placed third in a time of 3:10.48.

For full results, exclusive video content and photos from the entire Pac-12 Track & Field Championships, visit http://pac-12.com/2014-pac-12-track-field-championships. The tape-delayed broadcast is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25 at 9 a.m. PT on the Pac-12 Networks.

Pac-12 Championships Individual Champions

Sunday’s Champions:

Women’s Hammer Throw - Jillian Weir, Oregon, 67.43m/221-2

Women’s Triple Jump - Melia Cox, USC, 13.00m/42-8

Men’s Discus Throw - Julian Wruck, UCLA, 64.25m/210-9

Women’s Pole Vault - Diamara Planell Cruz, Washington, 4.28m/14-0.5

Men’s High Jump - Nick Ross, Arizona, 2.28m/7-5.75

Women’s Discus Throw - Alexandra Collatz, USC, 56.17m/184-3

Women’s 4x100 Meters - USC, 43.21

Men’s 4x100 Meters - USC, 39.43

Women’s 1,500 Meters - Shelby Houlihan, Arizona State, 4:15.67

Men’s 1,500 Meters - Lawi Lalang, Arizona, 3:36.34

Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles - Lauren Blackburn, USC, 13.08

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles - Aleec Harris, USC, 13.35

Women’s 400 Meters - Phyllis Francis, Oregon, 51.87

Men’s 400 Meters - Mike Berry, Oregon, 45.05

Women’s 100 Meters - Jenna Prandini, Oregon, 11.21

Men’s 100 Meters - Aaron Brown, USC, 10.31

Women’s 800 Meters - Laura Roesler, Oregon, 2:05.77

Men’s 800 Meters - Derrick Daigre, Washington, 1:49.86

Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles - Jaide Stepter, USC, 56.99

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles - CJ Allen, Washington State, 51.14

Women’s 200 Meter - Jenna Prandini, Oregon, 22.60

Men’s 200 Meter - Aaron Brown, USC, 20.26

Women’s 5,000 Meter - Shelby Houlihan, Arizona State, 16:11.63

Men’s 5,000 Meter - Lawi Lalang, Arizona, 13:41.44

Women’s 4x400-Meter Relay - USC, 3:34.72

Men’s 4x400-Meter Relay - Arizona State, 3:07.10

Saturday’s Champions:

Men’s Hammer - Remington Conaster, USC, 70.92m/232-8

Women’s Long Jump - Jenna Prandini, Oregon, 6.29m/20-7.75

Men’s Pole Vault - Jax Thoirs, Washington, 5.50m/18-0.5

Women’s Javelin - Brianna Bain, Stanford, 53.00m/173-11

Women’s Shot Put - Julie Labonté, Arizona, 17.42m/57-2

Women’s High Jump - Charlotte Muschamp, Washington State, 1.82m/5-11.5

Men’s Long Jump - Hammed Suleman, California, 7.93m/26-0.25

Men’s Javelin - Sam Crouser, Oregon, 74.24m/243-7

Men’s Shot Put - Nicholas Scarvelis, UCLA, 19.46m/63-10.25

Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - Shalaya Kipp, Colorado, 10:04.19

Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - Aaron Nelson, Washington, 8:49.09

Women’s 10,000 Meter - Jessica Tonn, Stanford, 34:09.13

Men’s 10,000 Meter - Joe Rosa, Stanford, 29:16.71