University of Washington
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Clauson Ninth In Javelin As NCAAs Begin
June 11, 2015 | Track & Field
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Eugene, Ore. - Hayward Field
June 10-13
Live Results | Meet Schedule | USTFCCCA Home Page
LIVE BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
Wednesday
ESPNU - 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
ESPNU - 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
ESPN - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday
ESPN - 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
ESPN2 - 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Live field event coverage on ESPN3 begins: Wednesday (11:00 a.m.); Thursday (10:00 a.m.); Friday (4:00 p.m.); Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
EVENT SCHEDULE: Following is the schedule in Eugene for the Husky athletes competing in the NCAA Championships. All times are Pacific.
Wednesday, June 10
4:14 p.m. - Men's 1,500-meters; Semifinals - Izaic Yorks - Advanced to final
4:38 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase; Semifinals - Meron Simon - 21st-place
5:00 p.m. - Men's Javelin; Finals - Curtis Clauson - 9th-place
Thursday, June 11
4:28 p.m. - Women's 800-meters; Semifinals - Baylee Mires
4:45 p.m. - Women's Pole Vault; Finals - Kristina Owsinski
6:00 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles; Semifinals - Gianna Woodruff
Friday, June 12
4:45 p.m. - Men's 1,500-meters; Finals - Izaic Yorks
Saturday, June 13
3:20 p.m. - Women's 800-meters; Finals - Baylee Mires
3:30 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles; Finals - Gianna Woodruff
4:00 p.m. - Women's 5,000-meters; Finals - Maddie Meyers
EUGENE, Ore. – A month ago, Curtis Clauson making the javelin finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships might have seemed out of reach to anyone except Clauson and his closest supporters, but the junior put it all together over the past three meets, and punctuated his season with a ninth-place finish today at Hayward Field. Clauson had the second-best throw of his career today to become the fourth Husky javelin thrower to finish in the top-10 at NCAAs since 2010.
Clauson's performance was one of three for the Huskies on day one of the four day national championships in Eugene. With separate days for the men and women this year for the first time, it was the men up first today. On the track, Washington had to endure some heartbreak that eventually gave way to relief, as Izaic Yorks was knocked to the track on the last lap of his 1,500-meter semifinal, but advanced to the final after a review process for being impeded. Junior Meron Simon also made a run in the steeplechase semifinals but did not move on.
Riding quite a hot streak, Clauson had gone into the Pac-12 Championships with a career-best of 218-6, but then he increased that by over 20 feet over two meets to reach his first NCAAs. On his second attempt today, Clauson went 229-9 (70.04m), his second career 70-meter toss, to get into the top-nine out of the field of 24. The top-nine would get three additional attempts, but a long delay before the finals started didn't do Clauson any favors as they had to warm up a second time. His next best attempt was 220-8 on his fifth throw.
Clauson would finish just one inch shy of a tie for eighth-place, missing the podium by the slimmest of margins, but he was still happy with the effort.
“I took ninth, but I threw well and I came out and did what I wanted to do which was throw 70 (meters),” said Clauson. “Unfortunately it was two inches shy of getting that point, but you know, I've got next year to come back a little bit stronger and a little bit faster.”
This is the second year in a row the Huskies have had a top-10 finisher in the javelin, as Quinn Hale took fifth a year ago, and was at Hayward today to support his teammate.
“After the break, it's almost like doing a second competition the same day, so it's going to be tough for it to turn out well. I had decent energy on my second to last one just couldn't put the pieces together. But I'm really glad I'm here, glad I made finals, and have to come back next year.”
The reigning Pac-12 Champion, Yorks went out in the semifinal as he had in the Pac-12 final and in each of the preliminary rounds in Austin, moving right to the front. He had the lead on his own with two laps to go, but around the end of that lap there was some jostling at the front and Yorks went back a few spots. Going into the bell lap, Yorks appeared to make a move to the outside, but he was tripped up and fell to the track. He was twenty meters back by the time he was able to get back up and resume the race, still running hard to the finish.
Washington would file a protest after the heat, and about an hour after the race had ended, it was announced that Joe Hardy of Wisconsin was disqualified and Yorks had been advanced into the final on Friday. The official ruling turned out to be based on a flag raised with 600-meters to go, even before the fall occurred, indicating impediment.
Junior Meron Simon made his first NCAA Outdoors appearance in the semifinals of the steeplechase this afternoon. Simon was back at Hayward Field where he gained internet fame with a come-from-behind victory back at the Pepsi Team Invitational. Simon hung with the main pack for the first several laps, but lost a bit of ground with two laps to go. A furious finish was not in the cards today, as Simon came across in 10th overall in 8:56.57 and would not reach the final. He placed 21st overall so will earn All-America honorable mention.
Saturday switches over to the women's events, with Gianna Woodruff, Baylee Mires, and Kristina Owsinski all ready to compete for the Dawgs.
Washington Track & Field
NCAA Outdoor Championships
June 10, 2015 – Men's Day 1 of 2
Eugene, Ore. – Hayward Field
Men's Results
1,500m Semifinal; Heat 1 of 2: 12. Izaic Yorks, 3:56.35 (Advanced to final after protest)
3,000m Steeplechase Semifinal; Heat 2 of 2: 10. Meron Simon, 8:56.57 (21st overall)
Javelin: 9. Curtis Clauson, 229-9
Players Mentioned
