At-Large Selections Swell UW NCAA Track Qualifiers to 16
May 31, 2005
SEATTLE - An additional five Huskies were selected at-large Tuesday to the NCAA Track and Field Championships, bringing to 16 the total number of Washington athletes who will travel to Sacramento, Calif., for the four-day meet, which begins June 8. Those 16, who will compete in nine different events, represent UW's largest NCAA Championships contingent in more than a decade.
The five selected at-large Tuesday -- including pole vaulter Carly Dockendorf, long jumper J.R. Wolfork, high jumper Norris Frederick and 1,500-meter competitors Lindsey Egerdahl and Amy Lia -- earned at-large berths via top-eight finishes at last weekend's NCAA West Regional, and season-best marks that ranked them ahead of top-eight finishers at other regionals. They join the 11 Huskies who earned automatic NCAA berths at the regional meet by virtue of top-five finishes in individual events, or top-three finishes in relays.
"Those folks all showed by their performances at the regional that they have what it takes to be champions," said head coach Greg Metcalf. "With so few NCAA berths up for grabs, the regional meet is a real pressure-cooker, and not everyone can handle that. This group, though, is as well-prepared for the pressures of the postseason as any I've coached. I can't wait to put them on the track in Sacramento."
Dockendorf's selection -- her second this year and third of her UW career -- officially gives Washington four women's pole vaulters in the NCAA field, including automatic qualifiers Ashley Wildhaber and Kellie DiVesta, and regional champ Kate Soma. Washington is the only school in NCAA history ever to send four women's vaulters to the NCAAs, having also done so indoors in 2005.
Of the other at-large qualifiers, Wolfork and Lia are first-time selections, while Egerdahl and Frederick will be making their second NCAA Championships appearances. Both were All-Americans indoors in 2005, two of a record 10 such honors earned by UW athletes at the meet.
"No doubt about it, this has been a great year for our program," said head coach Greg Metcalf, who has coached at least one UW squad to a top-30 NCAA Championships finish in each of his three years at the helm. "The next step is to consistently contend for Pac-10 and national titles. If this group is any indication of the direction we're headed, I honestly don't believe that goal is too far off."
For a complete list of qualifiers for the 2005 NCAA Track and Field Championships, visit http://www.trackshark.com/coverage/2005/ncaa_outdoor_d1.php.
2005 NCAA Track and Field Championships - UW Qualifiers Name Event Yr. Hometown (High School) Jordan Boase 4x100m Relay Fr. Bothell, Wash. (Bothell) Ryan Brown 800 Meters So. Renton, Wash. (Renton) 4x400 Meters Shane Charles 4x400 Meters Jr. St. Andrew's, Grenada (St. Aguilan Secondary/Central Arizona JC) Patrick Davidson 4x100m Relay Sr. Kingston, Jamaica (St. Jago/SW Christian Coll.) Kellie DiVesta Pole Vault Fr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Palmer) Carly Dockendorf * Pole Vault Jr. Port Moody, B.C. (Best Secondary) Lindsey Egerdahl * 1,500 Meters Sr. Auburn, Wash. (Auburn) Norris Frederick * High Jump Fr. Seattle, Wash. (Roosevelt) Bruce Jackson 4x400m Relay Jr. Seattle, Wash. (Nathan Hale/EWU) Amy Lia* 1,500 Meters So. Bothell, Wash. (Bothell) Ashley Lodree 100m Hurdles So. Richmond, Calif. (El Cerrito) Kate Soma Pole Vault Sr. Portland, Ore. (Grant) Davaon Spence 4x100m Relay Sr. Kingston, Jamaica (St. Jago/Mt. Hood CC) Ashley Wildhaber Pole Vault Jr. Chehalis, Wash. (Chehalis) Sean Williams 4x100m Relay Sr. Kirkland, Wash. (Lake Washington) 4x400m Relay J.R. Wolfork* Long Jump Jr. Issaquah, Wash. (Issaquah/PLU)* At-large selection
