A.J. Acosta broke Steve Prefontaine’s 35-year-old school indoor mile record Saturday, running three minutes, 58.52 seconds at the UW Last Chance Qualifier in Seattle.
The sophomore, whose previous best was 4:00.37 at the same meet last year, passed teammates Matt Centrowitz (4:00.26) and Michael McGrath (3:59.25) and Pre (3:59.2) in the Oregon record book.
Acosta’s time moved him to No. 2 on the NCAA season list. McGrath, who finished third in the race, also improved his season-best time to 4:00.16. Kenny Klotz was seventh overall in 4:04.82 and Chad Hall was 12th in 4:07.71.
Also competing in Seattle were Centrowitz and A.J. Casteel in the 800m. Centrowitz was fourth in 1:51.57 and Casteel was eighth in 1:53.10.
The Ducks also sent a contingent of women to Fayetteville, Ark., for Arkansas’ Last Chance Qualifier. Keshia Baker dropped her time in the 400m by more than half a second, winning in 53.52. Her time is the 17th-best in the country this year, placing her on the bubble for the NCAA meet. The NCAA took 16 runners in the event last year.
Jamesha Youngblood was unable to improve on her season-best in the long jump, though she won with a leap of 20 feet, 4.25 inches. Her best is 20-6.25.
Also unable to improve their mark was the women’s 4x400m relay team. Their time of 3:45.68 was more than seven seconds off their best.
The NCAA will make its selections today for the March 14-15 championship meet.
Acosta, Ashton Eaton (men’s heptathlon), Alex Kosinski (women’s mile) and Nicole Blood (women’s 3,000m) have all clinched automatic berths.
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Acosta breaks Prefontaine’s indoor mile record at Washington meet
Daily Emerald
March 9, 2008
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