Weber Qualifies, Golden Might; Cearley Has Shot May 27, 2005– Eugene, OR
Senior Kurt Weber continued his late-season surge in the long jump Friday
night when he leaped more than five inches better than his previous best
to take third place at the NCAA Track and Field Western Regionals Meet
and qualify for the nationals in Sacramento beginning on June 8. On the
women's side, Destany Cearley qualified for Saturday's finals in the 400
Intermediate hurdles by placing eighth in the preliminaries in a time
of 1:02.25.
Weber's distance was 25 feet, 1 1/4 inches. Last week at the Big West
Conference championship meet he beat his previous best by about a foot
by leaping 24 feet, 8 inches. The regional winner was Leonidas Watson
of Oregon, who went 26 feet, 3/4 inch.
Cearley will be chasing the likes of Christine Spence of UNLV, who won
the preliminaries in a time of 59.33.
Placing seventh but failing to make the top five and qualifying automatically
for nationals was Titans' freshman high jumper Jonathan Golden, who cleared
6-foot-11. However, he is eligible for an at-large berth and, according
to Head Coach John Elders, "his chances look good."
The winning height was 7 feet, 4 1/2 inches by Jesse Williams of USC.
Only three jumpers cleared better than 6-foot-11, but Golden was denied
automatic qualification by more misses. Freshman teammate Matt Turner
failed to clear a height, as did Fullerton's female pole vaulter, Jennifer
Clarke. The sixth Titan in competition was Jordan Horn, who ran 17th in
the 5000 meters in a time of 14:38.26.
