Acosta Hits NCAA Auto Standard in the Mile

Acosta Hits NCAA Auto Standard in the Mile
Courtesy: GoDucks.com
Release: 03/06/2010





SEATTLE, Wash. – Oregon’s A.J. Acosta, Mandy White and Zoe Buckman registered NCAA qualifying marks Saturday at the UW Last Chance Qualifier at the Dempsey Indoor Facility.

Acosta ran 3:58.08 in a second place finish in the mile to automatically qualify for next weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville, Ark. Ben Blankenship of Minnesota won the race in 3:57.87 and former Duck NCAA champion Galen Rupp took third in 3:58.79. Rupp also won the 800 meters in 1:50.64.

Acosta, a senior from Oceanside, Calif., ran a personal-best in the event and moved to fourth all-time on the school’s indoor mile list.

White, a junior from Lake Oswego, Ore., had a pair of personal bests in the 60 meters. She clocked 7.41 in winning her preliminary heat, and then ran 7.33 in winning the final. That time was an NCAA provisional qualifier that ranked tied for 14th nationally. White’s time was just off the school record of 7.30 set by teammate Amber Purvis.

Buckman, a junior from Canberra, Australia, ran a seasonal-best in the 800 meters, finishing fourth in 2:05.72, which was an NCAA provisional time. That time is tied for 14th nationally with teammate Anne Kesselring.

Senior Colin Witter-Tilton cleared 17-1.75 in the pole vault.

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