Individual achievements highlighted the Oregon women’s effort Saturday at the Pacific-10 Conference Track and Field Championships in Tucson, Ariz.
Although seven women set new personal bests, the Ducks finished in seventh place — the same finish as the 2003 campaign — with 58 points in the nine-team competition. UCLA won its eighth consecutive conference championship with 174 1/2 points.
Oregon head coach Martin Smith said he was proud of his team’s performance during a rebuilding period.
“I thought our women had an outstanding meet,” Smith said. “Individually they all strived to maximize their potential and should be commended for doing the same thing all season.”
The best showing for the women came in the pole vault. Senior Kirsten Larwin took fourth place with a new personal best after clearing the bar at 13 feet, 6 1/4 inches on her third and final attempt. It was her best career showing at the Pac-10 Championships.
Larwin credited the sunny 96-degree weather at Roy P. Drachman Stadium for one of the best efforts in her four-year career at Oregon.
“What a way to go out,” Larwin said. “I got some key third attempts at the last two heights. It was a little nerve-racking, but I also knew that it was certainly doable and I just went after it.”
Fellow pole vaulter Emily Enders finished right behind Larwin in fifth place and also broke her personal best by four inches at 13-2 1/4. Enders surpassed expectations as she had entered the event seeded 12th with a prior best of 12-10 1/4, set at the Oregon Twilight two weeks ago.
Junior Sarah Malone did not meet her goal in the javelin throw, which she expected to win. Malone placed second, earning her best mark, 171-5, on her first throw. The Newberg native lost to her rival and 2001 NCAA Javelin Champion Inga Stasiulionyte from Southern California, who threw 181-11.
Malone hopes to improve on her marks during the NCAA West Regionals in two weeks.
“I was hoping to win it, but you have to give credit to Inga because she’s a great competitor, and you have to have your best day to beat her,” Malone said. “She also throws really well when there’s no wind, while I love headwinds. I’ll go back to the drawing board and be ready to give it another go at regionals.”
In the sprints, junior Sofie Abildtrup battled a hamstring injury to take fifth in the 400 meters with the second fastest time in her career at 53.22 seconds.
Abildtrup said the adrenaline from competing at the Pac-10 Championships kicked in and her injury ended up not being too much of a factor.
“I felt great (Friday), but (Saturday) my hamstring tightened up and I was a little worried,” Abildtrup said. “Once I got to the track, I got excited. It started feeling better and I knew I was ready to give it a go.”
Abildtrup returned to anchor the 4×400 relay unit that finished seventh overall in the event with a season-best time of 3:42.23.
The women will go to the NCAA West Regionals in Northridge, Calif., in two weeks with an opportunity to later compete at the NCAA Championships in June.
Smith said the women have a bright future ahead of them.
“I think this season has been a great foundation as we continue to build both (the women’s and men’s) programs,” Smith said.