Lauryn Jordan and Kalindra McFadden viewed the end of the Pacific-10 Conference heptathlon with mixed feelings. Both came away happy with certain events and unhappy about others.
Jordan closed the second day of competition Sunday at Hayward Field in third place with 5,378 points.
McFadden jumped from 10th to sixth with 5,036 points based on her first-place, personal-best time in the 800 meters (2 minutes, 14.22 seconds).
Afterward, Jordan lamented her results in the jump events, but focused on the rest of the Pac-10 Track and Field Championships next week.
“There’s a lot of shoulda, coulda, wouldas but I’m not going to use them,” Jordan said. “I’ll take the third and run with it.”
McFadden needed to play catch-up after falling to start the 100-meter hurdles Saturday and a 10th-place finish in the javelin.
“The 800 has always been my money-getter,” McFadden said.
The winner, Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson, took her second Pac-10 crown in three years with 5,987 points. Last year, Johnson redshirted in track and field to be a part of the Arizona State women’s basketball team, which made a run to the Sweet 16.
“I love being back,” Johnson said.
The Sun Devils lead the team race with 10 points, one ahead of Oregon and Washington State, heading into next weekend’s events.
The Oregon Twilight was the Ducks’ last chance to tune up for the Pac-10 Championships. Friday night, before a crowd of 4,776, the Oregon women’s track and field team focused on improving and creating momentum.
Consider the goals accomplished.
“Everything we needed to get out of the meet, we got out of it,” Oregon coach Vin Lananna said. “We escaped with no disasters and that is what you’re trying to do when you go through the championship portion of the season. Not sit around and do nothing. You want to be making progress.”
There was no better example than Rebekah Noble, who continued to move closer to the two-minute mark in the 800 with a personal best of 2:02.85. Having grasped the spotlight all season, Noble ran behind pacesetter Dana Buchanan and sliced 26 hundredths off her previous personal record of 2:03.11 set in the Pepsi Invitational.
“I looked at (the time) coming down the home stretch, but I didn’t see it when I finished,” Noble said. “Coach told me to sit behind the rabbit – we knew what pace she was going to go out – and she did it perfect and it was so nice to run a fast first 400 like that.”
Only two previous Oregon runners, Claudette Groenendaal (1:58.33) and Leann Warren (1:59.63), have broken the two-minute barrier – both back in the 1980s.
Noble can look to Pac-10s, where a sub-two minute mark appears possible.
“We know when is the right time to do that and run those paces,” Noble said. “We’re getting there.”
Strong winds earlier this week lessened to a small breeze, making it ideal running conditions for Noble and teammates Amber McGown and Kasey Harwood, who ran to personal bests of 2:07.80 (five seconds better than her previous best) and 2:07.81 (four seconds), respectively. Both are regional qualifying marks.
Amanda Santana moved closer in the 400-meter hurdles to an NCAA regional time of 60.82 by taking an early lead and winning at 61.54.
“I’m not satisfied yet until I get there, but it’s good to stay in the low 61s,” she said.
Duck heptathletes score third, sixth place finishes
Daily Emerald
May 10, 2006
Freshman Kalindra McFadden, center, won the 800-meter portion of the heptathlon Sunday to propel her from 10th to sixth place in the event at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships.
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