UC DAVIS TRACK AND FIELD JUNE 2011

UC  DAVIS  TRACK  AND  FIELD  NEWSLETTER  

Men  2nd,  Women  3rd  at  Big  West    

 CONTENTS  Conference  Championships  Aggie  men  finish  second  and  the  women  third  at  the  Big  West  Conference  Championship    P1    NCAA  West  Region  Seniors  Thomas  Phillips  and  Alex  Wilright  advance  out  of  the  first  round  to  Des  Moines.  P2    NCAA  Championships  Phillips  and  Wilright  each  earn  second  team  All-­‐American  honors  P2    USATF  Championships  Three  Aggies  to  compete  at  USATF  Championships  P2            

Men  capture  four  individual  titles  to  help  secure  second  

place  finish      

Senior  Ray  Green   scored  twenty   points   for   the  Aggies   as  he  captured  both  the  men’s  long  jump   and   triple   jump   titles   at  the   2011   Big   West   Conference  Championships.   Those   points  kept  the  Aggies  in  a  close  battle  with   eventual   winner   Long  Beach   State.   Green’s   efforts  were   supported   by   two   other  titles   by   Aggie   men.   On   Friday,  senior  Calvin  Thigpen  ended  his  collegiate  career  with  a  bang  as  he   outkicked   three   other  contenders   in   the   final  400m  of  the   men’s   10k   to   win   his   first  individual  conference  title.  Only  two   seconds   separated   him  from   teammate  Axel   Stanovsky,  who   finished   in   fourth.   On  Saturday,   senior   Thomas  Phillips   narrowly   captured   the  400m   hurdles   title   ahead   of  teammate   and   defending  champion,  Alex  Wilright.  On  the  

women’s  side,  senior  Chidinma  Onyewueni  was  the  only  Aggie  to  win  a  conference  title  as  she  won   the   shot   put.   Several  teammates   had   runner   up  finishes,   including   Lauren  Radke   in   the   pole   vault,   Ugo  Eke  in  the  400m,  and  Melanise  Chapman   in   the   100m.  On   the  men’s  side   Jon  Sees  was  2nd   in  both   the   1500m   and   5000m,  Robert  Neely    in  the  long  jump,  Eddie   Orgon   in   the   shot   put,  freshman   Karl   Moran   in   the  400m,   and   Brock   Bennett   in  the  javelin.    

Senior  Ray  Green  won  the  long  jump  and  triple  jump  at  the  Big  West  Conference  Championships.  

Go, Ags! 1

 

 

Phillips  and  Wilright  advance  to  NCAA  Championships  

 The   Aggies   sent   fourteen   individuals   to   the  first   round  of   the  NCAA  Championships,  held  in   Eugene,   Oregon   at   the   end   of   May.   In  addition   to   events   contested   as   a   final,   three  advanced  to  the  final  heats  of  competition:  Jon  Sees   in   the   1500m,   and   Thomas   Phillips   and  Alex  Wilright  in  the  400m  hurdles.    In  the  end,  Jon   Sees   finished   23rd   in   the   West   Region,  while  Phillips  and  Wilright  finished  6th  and  8th  respectively.   The   top   twelve   moved   on   to  the   NCAA   Championship   final   rounds,   held  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa  two  weeks  later.    In  the  process,   Phillips   broke   the   400m   hurdles  school   record,   previously   held   by   Wilright,  as  he  ran  50.22  to  Wilright’s  50.47.       Two  other  Aggies    finished  in  the  top  twenty  in  the  West.  Senior  Catilin  Fitzgerald  finished  19th  in  the  3000m  steeplechase  and  broke   her   own   school   record,   clocking  10:22.69.   In   addition   junior   Ethan   Ostrom  finished  19th  in  the  pole  vault  with  his  vault  of  16-­‐6.75.    Phillips  and  Wilright  each  earn  2nd  team  All-­‐American  honors  

at  NCAA  Championships          Seniors   Thomas   Phillips   and   Alex   Wilright  finished   13th   and   15th   respectively   in   the  400m  hurdles   at   the  NCAA  Championships,  held   in   Des   Moines,   Iowa,   June   8th-­‐11th.  Those   finishes   earned   both   athletes   second  team  All-­‐American  honors.  They  are  the  first  track   and   field   athletes   in  UC  Davis   history  to  come  away  which  such  honors.  In  the  fall,  junior   Jon   Peterson   earned   All-­‐American  status  with  his  14th  place  finish  at  the  NCAA  Cross  Country  Championships.    

3  Athletes  set  to  compete  at  USATF  Championships  

 Three   Aggies   are   heading   to   Eugene,   Oregon  at   the   end   of   the   month   to   compete   in   the  USATF  Championships  June  23rd  through  26th.  Junior   Jon   Peterson   qualified   for   the   5000m  after   he   ran   13:41.93   at   the   Payton   Jordan  invitational  in  May.  Accompanying  Jon  will  be  junior   Ashley   Hearn,   who   qualified   in   the  discus   when   she   threw   184’3”   at   the   Brutus  Hamilton   invite   in   April.   Both   athletes  redshirted   the   2011   track   season   and   are  looking   forward   to   putting   the   UC   Davis  singlet  back  on  and  representing  the  Aggies  at  a   national   championship.   In   addition   to   Jon  and   Ashley,   freshman   Nathan   Strum   will  compete  in  the  800m  in  the  junior  division  of  the   meet.   Strum   has   enjoyed   an   exceptional  freshman  season  with  the  Aggies,  in  which  he  has  posted  himself  at  #3  All-­‐Time  at  UC  Davis  in   the   800m   and   and   #6   All-­‐Time   in   the  1500m   with   times   of   1:50.42   and   3:48.41  respectively.      

Senior  Thomas  Phillips  concluded  his  collegiate  career  with  the  400m  school  record,  the  400m  hurdles  school  record,  and  second  team  All-­‐American  honors.      

Go, Ags! 2

UC DAVIS TRACK AND FIELD JUNE 2011

 

     

UC DAVIS TRACK AND FIELD JUNE 2011

Go, Ags! 3

 Women’s  Freshman  of  the  Year  

Alycia  Cridebring    

Women’s  Most  Improved  Athlete  of  the  Year  

Samantha  Kearney    

Women’s  Field  Athelte  of  the  Year  Chidinma  Onyewuenyi  

 Women’s  Track  Athlete  of  the  Year  

Ugo  Eke    

Aggie  Nation,    After  a  long  winter  that  tried  at  times  to  resemble  the  spring,  summer  has  arrived  here  in  Davis.  While  the  competitive    road  comes  to  an  end  late  this  month  at  USA  Championships,  preparations  for  fall  2011  will  go  on  all  summer  as  athletes  get  and  keep  themselves  fit  at  home  and  in  Davis.    We  want  to  thank  all  those  that  supported  the  program  in  any,  and  many,  ways    throughout  the  2010-­‐2011  year.  There  are  numerous  highlights  that  we  can  look  back  on  from  the  seasons  now  on  the  books,  and  even  with  those  moments  fresh  in  our  minds  the  staff  and  teams  now  turn  their  sights  to  the  next  chapter.    We  hope  that  everyone  has  a  pleasant  summer  and  anxiously  awaits  the  2011-­‐2012  Aggie  Cross  Country  and  Track  &  Field  seasons.  Thanks  again  and  Go,  Ags!  

2011  End  of  Season  Awards    

Men’s  Freshman  of  the  Year  Nathan  Strum  

 Men’s  Most  Improved  Athlete  of  the  

Year  Robert  Neely    

 Men’s  Field  Athlete  of  the  Year  

Ray  Green    

Men’s  Track  Athlete  of  the  Year  Thomas  Phillips