Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships at Cal This Weekend

Conference's Top Decathletes, Heptathletes Vie for League Titles at Edwards Stadium



Decathlete Kevin Kuechler



May 4, 2010



Complete Release in PDF Format


THIS WEEK IN CAL TRACK & FIELD: The Pac-10 turns its attention to the University of California campus the next two weeks when the Golden Bears host the conference championships at Edwards Stadium. This weekend features the multi-events, with action starting at 11 a.m. both days. Admission is free.

Full fields are expected in both the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon, paced by national leaders in both events. Oregon's Ashton Eaton, the two-time defending champion, has a best of 8,310 in the decathlon this year, while Brianne Theisen, also of Oregon, has scored 5,942 points in the heptathlon.

Cal will have two entrants competing in the decathlon - juniors Mike Morrison and Kevin Kuechler.

In his first decathlon of the year, Morrison scored 7,557 points at the Texas Relays March 31-April 1 - a total that places him as the No. 5 performer in school history. Earlier this year, he won the indoor heptathlon at the MPSF championships and finished third at the NCAA meet with a school-record score of 5,826. Morrison, a transfer from Florida, owns a career-best in the decathlon of 7,803 set at the Mt. SAC Relays, and he was the 2007 SEC runner-up in the event as a freshman.

Kuechler established a PR of 6,638 at the Cal Multis March 24-25 when he set or tied eight different personal bests. Last year, he was 14th at the Pac-10 championships with 5,362 points, and during the 2010 indoor season, he was sixth at the MPSF meet with 5,055 in the heptathlon.

PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS AT CAL: The best in West Coast track & field will descend upon Berkeley when Cal hosts the 2010 Pac-10 championships at Edwards Stadium Saturday-Sunday, May 15-16. Reserved and general tickets are now available through the tickets link at CalBears.com.

Senior Kimyon Broom is the two-time defending Pac-10 champ in the 100-meter hurdles after running a school-record 13.02 last year. In addition, senior Cherrelle Garrett returns at the '09 conference runner-up in the 100m (11.38).

For more complete information, including schedules and links to team facts and figures, click on the Pac-10 Championships button on the track & field page at CalBears.com.

PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL REVIEW: Golden Bears captured four individual events and a pair of Cal runners joined the school's top-10 performers' list in the men's 5000 meters to lead the team's efforts at the Payton Jordan Invitational last Saturday at Stanford. Winners on the day were Sofia Oberg in the women's 800 meters (2:05.27), Natalya Beneby in the women's 400 hurdles (1:00.91), Patrick Kowalsky in the men's shot put (56-2.50) and Kristen Meister in the women's high jump (5-8.75). Oberg's 800 time was a PR and puts her sixth on Cal's all-time performers list. In the 5000, Michael Coe was the top U.S. collegian in section two, finishing in 13:49.68 (No. 7 at Cal), while Steve Sodaro ran in section three and was timed in 14:01.06 (No. 10 at Cal).

PHOTO FINISH: Photos from the Big Meet vs. Stanford and the Brutus Hamilton Invitational can be viewed and purchased online at GoldenBearSports.com. Cal's photographers will also on hand at the Pac-10 championships, adding to their inventory of images and providing fans plenty of opportunities to secure their favorite track & field photos.

GOLDEN BEAR NOTES: Senior Kimyon Broom leads the Pac-10 in the 100-meter hurdles with a best of 13.18 seconds set at the Big Meet April 10, while four other Bears are ranked second in the conference in their respective events: Tracey Stewart (triple jump, 41-7.00; Sofia Oberg (800m, 2:05.27); Steve Sodaro (3000mSC, 8:48.32) and Mike Morrison (decathlon, 7,557) ... Sodaro ran the mile in 3:59.42 at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational, becoming the sixth Bear ever under four minutes and joining teammates Michael Coe (3:56.18 in 2009) and Mark Matusak (3:58.36 indoors in 2010) ... Bevan Hart was the last Cal athlete to win the Pac-10 decathlon, completing a streak of four victories in a row for the Bears - Ross Bomben (1998-99) and Hart (2000-01) ... Chris Huffins, in 1993 in Berkeley, is the only other Cal athletic to capture the Pac-10 decathlon ... Cal is hosting the Pac-10 championships for the eighth time, with the previous meets coming in 1963, 1968, 1976, 1983, 1989, 1993 and 2001.

Courtesy Cal