Sunday, May 05, 2013

Day 1 recap: ASU’s Pinnick and UW’s Taiwo lead multi events

By Pac-12 Conference
on May 4, 2013


Day 1 Results (PDF)



WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – Arizona State’s Keia Pinnick and Washington’s Jeremy Taiwo lead the field after the first day of competition at the Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships being held at USC’s Cromwell Field at Loker Stadium. Competing in a field of 10 women, Pinnick has collected 3,441 points, while Taiwo leads 13 men with 4,200 points.

In the decathlon the 2012 Pac-12 Champion, Oregon’s Dakotah Keys, is in second place with 4,030 points, followed by USC’s Viktor Fajoyomi with 4,025. The top three are the only ones to have broken 4,000 points on the first day. In fourth place is UCLA’s Dominic Giovannoni (3,992), followed by Washington State’s Spencer Wordell (3,710) who rounds out the top five in the men’s field.

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Taiwo, who won the Pac-12 decathlon in 2011, has placed first or second in four of five events today. He is the only competitor to have won two events today, tying for first with Keys in the high jump, achieving a distance of 6 feet 10.25 inches (2.09 meters). Taiwo wrapped up the day’s competition with winning the 400-meter race, crossing the finish line in a time of 48.56 seconds.

“I’m just kind of happy about being able to push through the high jump with my knee bugging me, but glad to finish day one.” Washington’s Taiwo said. “It’s a battle, so I’m glad day one is done.”

WSU’s Wordell opened the day with a win in the 100-meter race, posting a winning time of 10.90 seconds. USC’s Fajoyomi posted 24 feet 3.5 inches (7.40m) in the long jump for the top distance in the day’s second event, while UCLA’s Giovannoni threw 45 feet 4.25 inches (13.82m) to win the shot put.

“It was pretty good because I started the day with three personal records in three events,” USC’s Fajoyomi said of his performance Saturday. “But in high jump, I wasn’t there in my head and I wasn’t happy about that. But I ended the day with a personal record, so overall I’m pretty happy.”

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In the heptathlon, UCLA’s Tatum Souza trails Pinnick with 3,385 points, while in third place is Colorado’s Brianne Beemer who posted 3,153 points today. Buffalo teammate Abrianna Torres is fourth with 3,108 points and UCLA’s Kimberly Conner is fifth with 3,096 points.

Pinnick took top honors in three of four events today. She posted back-to-back wins in the 100-meter hurdles (13.27 seconds) and high jump (5 feet 6.5 inches/1.69m) to start the day. After placing eighth in the shot put, she ended the day with a win in the 200-meter race, posting a time of 24.51 seconds.

“I was kind of expecting to be leading,” ASU’s Pinnick said. “I was hoping for a personal record, 3500 (points) on the first day, but it didn’t end up how I wanted it to.”

UCLA’s Souza has been on Pinnick’s heels throughout the day, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles (13.95 seconds), then tying for first in the high jump. She was second in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet and 9 inches (12.42m) before coming in third in the final sprint race of the day (25.20 seconds).

The multi events resume at the Pac-12 Championships on Sunday morning beginning with the men’s 100-meter hurdles at 11 a.m., followed by the men’s discus at 11:45 a.m. The women’s first action of the day is slated for noon with the long jump.


Courtesy Pac-12

Dominic Giovannoni (Napa HS; Northern Arizona; UCLA)
Tatum Souza (Napa HS 2010; UCLA 2014)
Viktor Fajoyomi (Rakoczi Ferenc Kszki HS; USC)

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