Rookies Set Records in Season Opener

Rookies Set Records in Season Opener
Courtesy: GoDucks.com
Release: 01/15/2011

Share |



SEATTLE, Wash. - Talk about a fast start.

Freshmen English Gardner and Phyllis Francis set school records in their first meet as Ducks and seniors Brianne Theisen and Melissa Gergel continued their all-around excellence Saturday at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview.

"It was a good opportunity to shake the rust off and for our newcomers to experience their first collegiate competition," associate head coach Robert Johnson. "There were some nice performances for a season opener."

In her first meet as a Duck, Gardner set school and Dempsey Indoor records in winning the 60 meters in 7.29 seconds. That was .01 better than Amber Purvis' 7.30, set last February in Seattle. Senior Mandy White and junior Lauryn Newson tied for second at 7.57, while freshman Chizoba Okodogbe was seventh in 7.72.

Gardner, a freshman from Voorhees, N.J., led Oregon's rewrite of the 60 meter list. Newson's time checked in at No. 4, while Okodogbe, who ran a personal-best 7.70 in the preliminaries, came in at No. 6.

Another freshman, Phyllis Francis, set the school record in the 600 meters. The Queens, N.Y., native won in 1:27.38. Sophomore Anne Kesselring was second in 1:29.73 with freshman Laura Roesler third in 1:29.80.

Freshmen also played a large roll on the Ducks' winning 4x400 meter relay team. The squad of Okodogbe, Francis, Gardner and Roesler picked up the victory in 3:41.02, the fifth fastest time in school history.

Theisen got rolling early in the meet by winning the 80 meters hurdles in 8.42. That was just .02 off her own school record. Jamesha Youngblood and Lyndsay Pearson tied for sixth in 8.70. That time was a personal best for Youngblood that moved her to third all-time in the event at Oregon.

Theisen, a junior from Humboldt, Sask., was also the runner-up in the long jump at 19-5.25. Newson was fifth with a mark of 18-3.75, while junior Rebecca Rhodes was sixth at 18-2.25.

Gergel hit the automatic standard for the NCAA Indoor Championships by clearing 14-1.75 in the pole vault. The Glenwood, Ill., native placed second on Saturday. Junior Jordan Roskelley was fifth at 13-1.75, while freshman Kortney Ross took sixth at 12-4.
Senior Zoe Buckman won the mile in 4:45.79.

For the men, senior David Klech ran a personal best 8.07 in the preliminaries of the 60 meter hurdles and then finished second in the final in 8.09. Senior Eric Hersey was third in 8.15. Klech was also second in the high jump at 6-7.

Freshman Michael Berry, making his Oregon debut, was third in the 60 meters in 6.96, while fellow freshman Boru Guyota won his section of the mile in 4:12.98.

Berry and Klech also led the Ducks to a win the 4x400 meter relay in 3:14.16. Klech led off, followed by freshman Kelley Beck, junior Bryan Harper and Berry.

Sophomore Elijah Greer won the 600 meters in 1:18.51.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Pinkney had a two-foot personal best in the triple jump, going 49-3.25 to finish second.

Senior Jordan Stray was the top collegian and placed fourth overall in the weight throw with a mark of 59-9.75.

-www.goducks.com-