By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
She attempted to break her own record ““ again.
At the MPSF Championship meet at Northern Arizona University,
junior pole vaulter Tracy O’Hara attempted to surpass the top
collegiate mark of 14-feet-6, which she set at the 2000 Indoor
Championships, but didn’t clear the bar. Despite not setting
a new record, O’Hara won her event and now leads the country
with her 14-2 mark.
“It went really well,” O’Hara said. “As
the bar got higher, I put my jumps together. Everything came
together really well.”
Other top finishes in the women’s track and field squad,
which took second in the meet, came from seniors Bridie Hatch (800
meters), Christina Tolson (shot put and weight throw), Michelle
Perry (60m high hurdles), Deanna Simmons (triple jump) and the
4-by-400m relay team. All won their events.
“It was a good weekend for us,” women’s head
coach Jeanette Bolden said. “With not everyone competing in
their main events, it was great to get second.”
The women’s 4-by-400m relay team of junior Bumni Ogunleye
and freshmen Sheena Johnson, Ysanne Williams and Adia McKinnon,
took their event in a time of 3:35.82. Even though Williams is the
only one with experience at the national level in this event, the
group finished just two-hundreths of a second over the NCAA
Championships automatic qualifying mark.
“It was a tremendous performance given the fact they ran
unchallenged,” distance coach Eric Peterson said. “Our
purpose right now is to get people qualified in events we can score
in, so we can go to nationals feeling prepared to defend the
title.”
Despite her double-event sweep of the shot put (54-1 3/4) and
the weight throw (64-7 1/4), Tolson knows she can throw
further.
“I did all right, but not great,” Tolson said.
“I know I can do a lot better. It’s all mental,
basically.”
Atop the standings in the women’s throws were freshman
Jessica Cosby, who placed second in the shot (51-1), and junior
Chaniqua Ross, who came in fourth (50-08 3/4). In the weight,
sophomore Caroline Soong came in fourth (60-10).
Leading the men’s throwers was sophomore Dan Ames, who won
the shot put and provisionally qualified for nationals with his
lifetime best throw of 60-10.
“He threw solidly and under control,” said Art
Venegas, men’s head coach. “He was the best thrower
there that day.”
Following him was sophomore Scott Wiegand, who also
provisionally qualified with an LTB of 58-11 1/2. Junior Scott
Moser and Ames provisionally qualified as well in the weight throw
with their respective second (63-8 1/4) and third (62-7 3/4) place
finishes.
The men’s squad also had notable performances in the pole
vault and long jump. Senior vaulter Steve Michaels broke 17 feet
with his mark of 17-5, a provisional qualifying mark. Freshman
Oliver Jackson took second in the long jump with his mark of 24-4
1/2, while freshman Juane Armon took fourth at 23-6 3/4.