April 15, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 27th Sun Angel Track Classic presented by Coca-Cola got underway Friday night with the men's and women's hammer throw as three members of the Arizona State University program gained regional berths in the event with their marks at Sun Angel Stadium. The throwers and spectators had to deal with strong wind gusts throughout the competition.
Sarah Stevens won the women's event with a toss of 60.16m (197-04), nearly 14 feet further than runner-up Jessica Pressley, who turned in a regional mark of 55.90m (183-05). Sara Shisslak also competed in the event and placed seventh with a toss of 50.19m (164-08).
On the men's side, Tomas Navarro placed fourth overall while qualifying for the regional meet with a personal best toss of 55.74m (182-10). His mark also ranks as the eighth-best in school history. Andrew Smith finished fifth with a throw of 54.05m (177-04) while Jerry Blanco placed 10th at 50.90m (167-00) and Andy Haas finished 12th with a toss of 50.16m (164-07).
Out in California at the Mt. SAC Relays, Casey Burchill competed in the 10,000m run and finished the race in ninth place with a time of 29:07.09 to earn provisional status in the NCAA Championships. There is no regional race for the 10,000m event.
The bulk of the 27th Sun Angel Track Classic gets going Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with the discus. The running gets underway at 3 p.m. with the hurdles.