Andrea Geubelle takes second in long jump; Megan Goethals fourth in 10000 as NCAA championships begin...

EUGENE--University Place resident Andrea Geubelle (left/photo by Paul Merca) finished second in the long jump as the NCAA track and field championships opened its four day run at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.

Competing in the first of two flights, Geubelle, the University of Kansas senior and reigning NCAA indoor champ, took the lead in the third round with a jump of 21-2 (6.45m), then sat and watched eventual winner Lorraine Ugen of Texas Christian take the lead in the third round  of flight 2 as she popped a leap of 22-2 1/2 (6.77m).

In the finals, Geubelle improved her mark to a wind-aided jump of 21-4 (6.50m), then followed with two fouls, as she tried to catch Ugen.

Washington's Megan Goethals finished fourth in the 10000 meter run, as she ran 33:40.85.

After what could be generously called a slow start by the field, a group of three, which included eventual winner Betsy Saina of Iowa State, Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton of Wichita State, and Goethals made a break for the front  shortly before the 4000 meter mark.

Saina and Tuliamuk-Bolton established a growing gap over Goethals, who had almost a nine-second gap on the chase pack of six athletes at the 6800 meter mark, before the Washington junior was reeled in with five laps to go.

Goethals sat with the pack for the next four laps, then gathered herself to make a final run for third, but Boise State's Emma Bates broke away in the final lap to take third as she ran a 66 second final lap to take the third spot, while Goethals managed a 69.7.

Saina took the title in 33:08.85, with Tuliamuk-Bolton second in 33:14.12, then Bates at 33:37.13.

Washington senior Jeremy Taiwo leads the decathlon after the first five events, with a personal best first day score of 4389 points, just six points in front of Duke's Curtis Beach.

Taiwo began his day by running the 100m in 10.84 for 897 points, then jumped 24-4 1/4 (7.42m) in the long jump for 915 points.

In the shot put, he threw 44-11 1/2 (13.70m) for 710 points, then won the high jump with an outdoor best of 7-1 1/2 (2.17m) for 963 points to take the lead for the first time.

He concluded day 1 of the decathlon by running 48.11, worth 904 points in the 400, the second fastest time of the day, as Beach won the event with a time of 47.74 for 922 points.

In other day 1 action, the Huskies' 4 x 100 relay team of Chris Williams, James Alaka, Quadelle Satterwhite, and Matt Anthony finished sixth in their heat in 40.32.

The Arizona Wildcats' women's 4 x 100 relay, with Tacoma's Germe Poston, finished seventh in 45.13.

Washington's Baylee Mires was eighth in her heat of the 800 in 2:12.74.

Washington State senior Shawna Fermin ran a season best of 52.76 and finished sixth in her heat of the 400.

In one of the biggest surprises of the meet, Rainier Beach HS grad Michael Berry of the University of Oregon, running on his home track, finished fourth in his heat of the 400 meters in 45.70 (45.695) and was nosed out of the last spot in the finals, as Akheem Gauntlett of Arkansas, running in heat 3, finished third in 45.70 (45.691).

The women's 400 hurdles saw Washington's Kayla Stueckle finish sixth in her heat in 59.51.  Teammate Gianna Woodruff did not run due to a stress injury in her leg.

Thursday, Taiwo continues his battle in the decathlon, while Becca Friday of Bellingham and the University of Oregon runs in the semis of the 1500.  Spokane's Nathan Weitz of Northern Arizona goes in the men's 1500.  

James Alaka of Washington, who has been bothered all season with a hamstring problem, will go in the men's 200.  Teammate Chris Williams will run in the semis of the 110 hurdles.  The Huskies' Liberty Miller runs in the finals of the womens 3000 steeplechase, while Michael Berry of the Ducks will run on Oregon's 4 x 400 meter relay team in the semis.


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