Aoki, Bazzi Capture 10,000-meter titles at Pac-10 Championships
The Washington track teams began the two-day Pac-10 Championship competition Saturday morning in Berkeley, Calif. with some strong finishes during day one including a sweep of the 10,000-meter titles.
Headlining the Husky finishers were seniors Anna Aoki and David Bazzi, who won the title of Pac-10 champion in the women's and men1s 10,000 meter run events . Aoki (Vancouver, Wash.), who claimed the 1998 10K title, won the title in 34.19.63, while Bazzi won in 29:27.31. Going into Saturday's meet, Aoki's season-best time of 34:01.77 ranked 10th in the country. Sophomore Kate Bradshaw finished 10th in the event with a time of 35:06.52. Her season-best mark of 33:35.51 ranks fifth on the NCAA best list.
"I'm really really pleased with my race," Aoki said of the win. "It's been a couple of years, and I came with no expectations. I was really patient throughout the race. It is my last year, so it was just a great way to go out."
"The conditions were pretty perfect, you couldn1t ask for more than this," Bazzi said after his win. "It was perfect weather and the climate is great. I am just totally ecstatic."
The Huskies first point-scorer of the championships was sophomore javelin thrower Megan Spriestersbach (Tacoma, Wash.) who placed third in the event with a toss of 155-6 on her final throw in the event finals. Spriestersbach was fourth in the javelin at the 2000 Pac-10 Championships.
"It was definitely stiffer competition this year," Spriestersbach said of the javelin field. "One-fifty-five would have won the Pac-10 title last year, 152 feet won it then. I wasn't expecting to place as high as I did this year, but I am just glad I was able to score points for our team. Since high school, at state, Pac-10s, whatever, I have had a history of finishing either fourth or fifth so it was nice to get that third place finish. I would like to have pr-ed but I have provisionally qualified and now I know I have at least one big throw left. I am aiming high, I want to be an All-American."
Women's basketball cross-over Heather Reichmann also raked in points for the Huskies by finishing seventh in the javelin with a toss of 146-9.
Junior Jason Fayant (Spokane, Wash.) was the first point-scorer for the UW men, finishing fourth in the steeplechase in a career-best time of 8:59.42. The winner was Stanford's Jesse Thomas in 8:51.48.
Sophomore Kate Spigel finished ninth in the first-ever Pac-10 women's steeplechase race with a 10:58.84, more than 10 seconds faster than her personal-best. The time improves her previous provisional qualifying mark of 11:09.75.
Senior sprinter Ja'Warren Hooker won his preliminary heat of the 100m dash in 10.35 seconds to advance to Sunday's event finals. His time was the fifth-fastest among the three preliminary heats, behind Arizona State's Marcus Brunson, who clocked a wind-aided 10.06 in the third heat. The senior from Ellensburg, Wash., clocked a 20.99 in the 200-meter dash prelims to advance to Sunday's finals. Hooker also ran on Washington's 4x400m relay team earlier in the day, which ran a season-best time of 40.92 en route to qualifying for the event finals.
Also advancing to event finals for the Huskies was junior Kelsey Sheppard (Kirkland, Wash.) in the 400m hurdles. Sheppard ran a 59.88 in her preliminary heat to qualify for the finals.
The Washington women are currently in sixth place after six events with 21 points. Stanford has the lead for the women with 48. The UW men are in ninth with 9 points behind UCLA who boasts 53.
Day two of the Pac-10 Championships begins at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow with the women's hammer throw.
Husky Finishers
Pac-10 Championships
Berkeley, Calif.
Women
1st Anna Aoki 10,000m 34:19.63
3rd Megan Spriestersbach Javelin 155-6
6th Kate Bradshaw 10,000m 35:06.52
7th Heather Reichmann Javelin 146-9
7th Kelsey Sheppard 400m hurdles 59.88 prelim *
9th Kate Spigel Steeplechase 10:58.84
10th Jamara Smith 100m dash 12.03 prelim
12th Chelsie Pentz 400m dash 55.94 prelim
12th Zee Ogarro Long jump 18-2 1/4
14th Tesha Moore 400m dash 58.13 prelim
14th Searan Salibian Shot put 41-7
15th Kelsey Sheppard 100m hurdles 14.33 prelim
16th Sarah Peterson 100m hurdles 14.38 prelim 15th Courtney Inman 800m 2:14.15 prelim
16th Devin Golob 800m 2:15.75 prelim
Men
1st David Bazzi 10,000m 29:27.16
3rd Ja'Warren Hooker 200m 20.99 prelim*
4th Jason Fayant Steeplechase 8:59.42
5th Ja1Warren Hooker 100m 10.35 prelim*
8th 4x100m relay 40.92 prelim*
9th Greg Barber 110 Hurdles 14.37 prelim
9th Brad Goodrich 400 Hurdles 53.06 prelm
10th Tyriff Rudder Long jump 21-9 12th D'Andrae Alexander 100m 10.60 prelim 12th Hendrik Kok 800m 1:55.08 prelim 13th Eric Garner Steeplechase 9:20.90 14th Mike Hill Steeplechase 9:30.78 14th Brad Goodrich 110 Hurdles 14.79 prelim 14th Cristian Adams 400m 49.04 prelim -- Brad Walker Pole vault NH
