April 18, 2001
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This Week --
Arizona State track and field heads west this weekend for the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif. and the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, Calif. ASU will compete in the Mt. Sac Relays held Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22, while a split contingent will see action at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational all day Friday, April 20. ASU has qualified for nationals in 20 events going into competition this weekend and will look to add to the list, as well as improve their current season-best times and marks.
National Rankings --
According to the latest Trackwire.com national poll released April 17, neither ASU's men or women appear in the national rankings this week. The men have been ranked as high as 18th -- tying with George Mason and Texas A&M -- in the March 27 poll. The women have yet to be ranked during the outdoor season.
Last Time Out --
Hosting the 22nd Annual Sun Angel Track Classic, the Sun Devils came away with six event titles and 11 NCAA provisional qualifying marks Saturday, April 14 at Sun Angel Stadium. ASU was led by the one-two punch of Lisa Aguilera and Kelly MacDonald in the 1500m, taking first and second with personal-best times of 4:19.90 and 4:22.72, respectively. Both posted NCAA provisional qualifying marks with the second and fourth fastest times in ASU history. Tiffany Greer won the women's long jump with a PQ of 20 feet, 11.75 inches and took runner-up in the women's 100m with a PR of 11.63. Also qualifying for nationals, Candida Coulson clocked a PR of 58.31 in the 400m and Adrienne Judie notched a PR in the hammer, improving her previous school record to 190 feet, seven inches. Winning events for the men were Tony Galaviz (110 hurdles) and Ebon Glenn (high jump). At the Mesa Classic, Friday, April 13, Adrienne Judie won both the hammer (188-11) and the shot put (48-8.25), while Elizabeth Arollo placed second in the javelin (127-7). David Wood (61-3.5)and Vince Mosca (55-0.75) took first and second, respectively, in the men's shot put.
ASU Sweeps Men's Pac-10 Athlete of the Week Honors (4/16) --
Arizona State swept the Men's Pac-10 Track and Field Athlete of the Week Awards, as Michael Campbell and David Wood each were honored by the conference for their efforts during the week of April 9-15. Campbell, a senior from Kingston, Jamaica, earned the men's track honor after clocking a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 45.74 to finish second in the 400 meters at the 22nd Annual Sun Angel Classic in Tempe Saturday. Campbell, who finished second only to Auburn's Avard Moncur with a meet record time of 44.88, turned in the fastest 400 meter time by a Pac-10 competitor this season. Taking home the men's field conference honor for this week was Wood, a junior from Pendleton, Ore. Wood won the shot put with a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 61 feet, 3.5 inches at the Mesa Classic Friday, April 13. He followed that performance with his second consecutive qualifying mark, a throw of 60 feet, 9.25 inches to place second at the Sun Angel Classic.
Garrett Jensen Named Academic All-American --
Arizona State cross country runner Garrett Jensen was named to the 2000-01 Verizon Academic All-America second-team, announced April 17 by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Jensen, who culminated his ASU career this past fall, graduated with a 4.0 GPA and a masters degree in education. The men's cross country team MVP this past season, Jensen was ASU's top finisher in three races for the Sun Devils and earned all-region honors with a 21st-place finish at the West Regionals. Jensen was ASU's leading finisher at the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, placing 15th. The Fullerton, Calif. native was also named a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection and a first-team District VIII Academic All-America honoree earlier this season. During the 2000 track season, Jensen was a member of ASU's All-American indoor distance medley relay team.
NCAA Qualifiers --
Entering this weekend's meets in Southern California, the Sun Devils have qualified for nationals in 20 events, including both the men's and women's 1600m relays. Double qualifiers for ASU include Lisa Aguilera, who ranks first in the nation in the women's 3000m steeplechase (10:08.85) and third in the women's 1500m (4:19.90). Kelly MacDonald has also qualifed in two events, ranking seventh in the 1500m (4:22.72) and fifth in the 5000m (16:14.81). Michael Campbell and Tony Berrian rank seventh (45.74) and ninth (45.88), respectively, in the men's 400m, while also making up half of the men's 1600m relay team which ranks fourth nationally. Candida Coulson ranks seventh in the women's 400m hurdles and also runs on the women's 1600m relay team, ranked ninth nationally. To date, ASU has posted three automatic qualifying times: Aguilera (3K steeplechase), Fasil Bizuneh (10K, 28:58.61) and the men's 1600m relay team (3:03.20).
Pac-10 Leaderboard --
ASU athletes currently sit atop the Pac-10 leaderboard in five events, while many hold high rankings among conference competitors. Senior Marcus Brunson leads the Pac-10 with his season-best time of 10.21 in the 100m. ASU also has three of the top six spots in the men's 400m, led by senior Michael Campbell (45.74), followed by senior Tony Berrian with the third fastest time (45.88) and finally freshman Jason Barton in the sixth spot (46.67). The four aforementioned Sun Devils make up ASU's Pac-10 leading 1600m relay team which clocked the second-best time in school history (3:03.20) at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. On the women's side, sophomore distance standout Lisa Aguilera leads the conference in both the 1500m (4:19.90) and 3000m steeplechase (10:08.85), while senior Kelly MacDonald ranks second in three events - the 1500m (4:22.72), the mile (4:44.96) and the 5000m (16:14.81). Additional Sun Devils ranking among the top three in their respective events include junior Brandon Strong (3rd - 1500m, 3:44.13), sophomore Jeremy Rasmussen (3rd - 3000m steeplechase, 9:00.56), junior David Wood (2nd - shot put, 61-3.5), senior Mary Duerbeck (2nd - 10K, 33:53.52), junior Candida Coulson (3rd - 400m hurdles, 58.31), sophomore Tiffany Greer (2nd - long jump, 21-0.5) and the women's 400m relay (3rd - 45.13) and men's 1600m relay teams (2nd - 3:35.60).
Aguilera World Leader In 3K Steeplechase --
With her winning performance in women's 3000m steeplechase at the Stanford Invitational Saturday, March 31, Arizona State sophomore Lisa Aguilera not only set a collegiate record, but logged the fastest time in the world this year. Aguilera's time of 10:08.85 was almost five seconds better than the previous best time in the world this season, 10:13.43, clocked by Melissa Rollison from Australia. Aguilera also broke the previous collegiate record time of 10:21.8 set by BYU's Courtney Meldrum in 1997, and now ranks sixth on the all-time American list. The women's 3000m steeplechase world record holder is Christina Iloc-Casandra from Romania with a time of 9:40.20, while the American record holder is Elizabeth Jackson with a time of 9:57.20. March 31 marked the first time Aguilera has competed in the 3000m steeplechase.
ASU's 45 Second Club --
Only 14 men in ASU track and field history have clocked a 400m time of 45 seconds or less and two of those Sun Devils are seniors Michael Campbell and Tony Berrian. Campbell set a PR last weekend at the Sun Angel Classic, a time of 45.74 which ranks 12th all-time in ASU history. Berrian has a season-best time of 45.88, just short of his PR of 45.83 set in 1999 which stands as the 13th fastest 400m time in Sun Devil history (tied with Chip Rish, 1986).
Sun Devils Assault the Record Books --
With over a month and half left of the 2001 season, this year's edition of the Sun Devil track and field squad has already made its mark in the school record books. At the Stanford Invitational, Aguilera set a young school record with her world leading time in the women's 3000m steeplechase, while Mary Duerbeck ran the second-fastest women's 10,000m race in school history with her personal best effort of 33:53.52. Aguilera also clocked the second-fastest 1500m time in ASU history at the Sun Angel Classic (4:19.90), followed closely behind by Kelly MacDonald with the fourth-fastest time in ASU history (4:22.72). Also at Stanford, Fasil Bizuneh broke his own school record in the men's 10,000m with a PR of 28:58.61. For the third consecutive meet, Adrienne Judie continues to improve her school record in the women's hammer, her latest personal best mark being a throw of 190 feet, seven inches at the Sun Angel Classic. Other notable performances of this year's outdoor season include the men's 1600m relay team of Michael Campbell, Marcus Brunson, Jason Barton and Tony Berrian clocking the second-fastest time in ASU history with an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 3:03.20 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. For a listing of current Sun Devils who rank among the top three all-time in an event, see the sidebar.
Recapping the NCAA Indoor Championships --
ASU sent eight individuals and the men's 1600m relay team to the 2001 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., only to have two Sun Devils come away with All-America honors in their respective events. For the second straight season, senior Kelly MacDonald captured All-America honors in the women's 5000m, finishing fifth in a season-best time of 16:20.83. Last year MacDonald set the school record in the event with a time of 16:13.41. Adrienne Judie came away with her first career All-America honors, placing fourth with personal-best mark of 66 feet, 10 inches in the women's weight-throw. Judie also improved upon her already existing school record in the event by two inches, and was 1.5 inches behind the third-place mark by Clemson's Jamine Moton. With points put on the board by MacDonald and Judie, the ASU women ended indoor nationals tied for 25th with Kansas State with nine points.
Head Coach Greg Kraft --
ASU's eighth director of track and field, Greg Kraft is in his fifth year as head coach of the Sun Devil program. Kraft's tenure has been brief, but his list of successes is far-reaching. Over the past four seasons, Sun Devil track has produced 18 individual All-Americans, four individual NCAA runner-up finishes, 22 first or second-team Pac-10 All-Academic selections, two Academic All-American cross country squads and the first four NCAA appearances by a cross country team in ASU history. Kraft, who coaches ASU's jumpers, is assisted by Walt Drenth (distance), Darryl Anderson (sprints), Dawn Dumble (throws), Corey Ihmels (graduate assistant) and Michelle Borgert (volunteer assistant).
2001 NCAA Championships --
This year's NCAA Track and Field Championships will be held Wednesday, May 30 through Sunday, June 3 at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field in Eugene. For a complete meet schedule and ticket information, go to www.goducks.com.
Up Next --
Next weekend ASU will send split squads to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Penn., the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa and the Oregon Invitational in Eugene, Ore. The final home meet for ASU will be a Double Dual with in-state rivals Arizona and Northern Arizona, Saturday, May 5 at Sun Angel Stadium. Field events are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., with running events to follow at 7 p.m.