Men's Track & Field Repeats at UAA Outdoor Champions

PHOTO GALLERY

St. Louis, Mo., April 25, 2010 –The Washington University in St. Louis men’s outdoor track and field team captured the 2010 University Athletic Association (UAA) championship on Sunday, April 25, at the Bushyhead Track in St. Louis, Mo. The WUSTL women’s team placed third in the field of seven schools.

It is a repeat performance for the Washington U. men’s team, who also won the UAA outdoor title in 2009. It also marks the first time since 2005 and 2006 that the WUSTL men’s outdoor squad won back-to-back outdoor conference championships.

The Washington University men’s team completed the 21-event conference championship meet with a team score of 192 points, while the University of Chicago placed second (163 points) and Emory University finished third (159 points).

The same three schools comprised the top-three spots on the women’s side, but in a different order. Emory University broke a tie with Chicago in the final event of the day, winning the 4x400 championship and the team title with a score of 201.50 points to 199.50 for the Maroons. The Bears tallied 134 points to take third; it was the first time since 1999 the Bears did not capture the UAA outdoor title, ending a remarkable stretch of 10-straight outdoor conference crowns for the Bears.

The WU men’s and women’s teams combined to win four individual conference championships on Sunday. On the men’s side, junior Ben Harmon won the high jump for the second time in his career and the first since 2008, clearing a height of 1.95 meters in the final.

The men’s other individual title came from sophomore Dan Davis in the 110-meter hurdles. Davis edged teammate Tyler Jackson with a first-place time of 14.63, just 0.02 shy of his season-best mark. Jackson’s second-place time of 14.67 eclipsed NCAA Division III outdoor championship provisional qualifying standards, and ranks sixth among all 110-hurdle times posted this season, giving him a strong chance to qualify for the NCAA outdoor meet.

For the Washington U. women, freshman Anne Diaz-Arrastia leapt 11.92 meters in the triple jump final, to take first overall and also bolster her chances of qualifying for nationals. Her NCAA provisional distance is tied for the third-best Division III mark of the year. Sophomore Liz Phillips also captured a first-place finish, winning the 800-meter with a time of 2:22.57.

The WUSTL men’s team had seven other all-UAA performances on the day, including All-UAA marks in all three relay races. Individually, senior Chris Malaya placed third in the 400-meter (50.67) and graduate student Pierre Hoppenot was the runner-up in the 100-meter (10.79) and finished third in the 200-meter (22.22).

Hoppenot’s time in the 400 was his best of the year and fell just 0.03 shy of being a NCAA provisional cut. Additionally, Davis finished second in the 400-hurdles (56.04).

In relay action, freshman Spencer Gordon, Davis, junior Tom Gulyas and Hoppenot placed second in the men’s 4x100 (42.27), sophomore Ben Cutting, junior Chris Brennan, freshman Mikael Boughdiri and sophomore Matt Rickard finished third in the 4x800 (7:52.62), and Hoppenot, Harmon, sophomore Matt Konigsberg and Malaya grabbed third in the 4x400 (3:25.12).

Other All-UAA performances for the Washington U. women included a second-place showing for junior Kelli Blake in the 800-meter (2:22.69), and a third-place finish for Phillips in the 1,500-meter with a provisional time of 4:38.23.
 

The Washington U. men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams will be back in action on Saturday, May 1, when they compete at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Ill.