News13 May 2007


Watkins’ leaps, Garza and Bryant’s throws highlight Pacific-10 Champs – Day 1

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Rhonda Watkins (TRI) long jumping at the PAC-10 (© Kirby Lee)

Stanford, California, USAJumpers and throwers dominated the first day of the Pacific-10 Conference Championships on a breezy afternoon at Stanford University’s Cobb Track & Angell Field on Saturday, 12 May.

UCLA junior Greg Garza and USC senior Noah Bryant defended their titles in the Shot Put and Discus Throw, respectively, while World Junior champion Rhonda Watkins took an impressive jumps double.

Garza saves best for last

Garza won on his sixth and final throw with a collegiate leading 63.69m to surprise 2005 NCAA champion Michael Robertson of Stanford (62.71m) and 2006 NCAA runner-up Adam Kuehl of Arizona (62.31m).

The winning mark, which smashed Garza’s career-best of 60.62 set three weeks ago, moved him into sixth on the all-time UCLA list behind John Godina. “The competition was intense and it demoralized me a little bit,” Garza said. “I had to keep my rhythm up and keep my confidence up on the last throw.’’

Bryant translates indoor success outdoors

Bryant won the Shot Put at 20.29m to continue a memorable senior season in which he won the NCAA indoor title in March to become the Trojans’ first national champion in the event since 1962.

Last Saturday, Bryant set a school record of 20.56m at the UCLA-USC dual meet to eclipse a standard that had stood for 35 years at a school that has produced world record holders Parry O’Brien, Dallas Long, Wilbur Thompson and Bud Houser.

Bryant missed most of the 2005 season after shattering bones in his face beneath his right eye when he was struck by a hammer when it ricocheted off the steel chain link fencing straight down on Bryant’s face.

“I am in so much better shape than I was last year,” Bryant said. “Indoors was the first time that it showed how really good my fall and summer was. I think it’s all happening now because I worked so hard.’’

Bryant led a 1-2 finish in the shot put with Trojan teammate Will Denbo, who finished second at 19.39m in a competition that featured five of the nation’s top seven throws in the country.

Watkins wins Long Jump and High Jump

Trinidad & Tobago's Rhonda Watkins, a UCLA sophomore, became the first woman in Pac-10 history to win the Long Jump and the High Jump in the same season.

The 2006 World Junior Long Jump champion won the Long Jump with a wind-aided 6.62m and the High Jump with a career-best 1.84m. And Watkins did so competing in both events simultaneously. Watkins was in such a rush that she didn’t get a chance to change from her High Jump spikes for her final attempt in the Long Jump.

Arizona State sophomore Sarah Stevens was also a double women’s winner in the two-day meeting that concludes 13 May in the Shot Put (17.61m) and Discus (57.37m)

Rupp, Aguayo distance winners

Returning to the site of his American collegiate 10,000m record of 27.33.48 at Stanford on 29 April, Oregon junior Galen Rupp won a tactical 10,000m in 29:07.84. Rupp, who will run in the 5000m today (13), ran the last 1600m in 4:27 after passing through the halfway mark in 14:40.

In the 3000m Steeplechase, Aaron Aguayo of Arizona State became the first athlete in conference history to win the event for four years in a row. Aguayo shook of a surprising challenge from Kevin Davis of Cal, 8:36.42 to 8:40.52.

Other highlights

Four-time NCAA Pole Vault champion Tommy Skipper of Oregon fought off crosswinds to win at 5.35m on misses over Washington freshman Scott Roth.

USC junior Carol Rodriguez was the top qualifier in the women’s 100m (wind-aided 11.59) and 200m (23.49). California junior David Torrence, who ran 3:58.62 in the mile last month to break a 50-year school record, was the top qualifier in the 800m (1:49.87) and advanced in the 1,500m (3:50.13).

Kirby Lee for the IAAF

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