PRATT WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN POLE VAULT
SACRAMENTO -- BYU junior Robison Pratt claimed the NCAA National Championship in the pole vault to highlight the action on Friday at the 2005 NCAA Track & Field National Championships. Pratt's championship marked the first individual national title for the BYU men since Leonard Myles-Mills captured the 100-meter championship in 1999.
Following the third day of competition, the BYU women's team is in seventh place with 11 points, while the men's team is currently in 11th place with 14 points.
Heptathlon
After earning All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the high jump last evening, sophomore Amy Menlove began the first day of competition in the heptathlon with a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. Menlove won the second of three heats in a time of 13.54 to pick up 1,044 points. Menlove finished third overall behind Eastern Michigan's Lela Nelson (13.49) and Texas-San Antonio's Ryanne Dupree (13.51).
In the high jump, Menlove cleared a career-best 5'06.50" to pick up 842 points and finish tied for tenth in the event. After two events, Menlove was in sixth place in the heptathlon with 1,886 points.
Amy Menlove, High Jump
In the shot put, Menlove was credited with a career-best mark of 35'06.50" to finish 24th in the event. Menlove, who has only been throwing the shot put for just over a year, picked up 584 points and held 11th place after three events with 2,470 points.
Amy Menlove, Shot Put
Menlove turned in a 24.81 in the second heat of the 200 meters to finish second behind Nelson of Eastern Michigan. Nelson finished in a time of 23.78.
Menlove picked up 904 points in the 200 meters and finished day one of the heptathlon in 10th place with 3,374 points.
Amy Menlove, 200m
The heptathlon will conclude on Saturday with competition in the long jump, javelin and 800 meters.
Men's Triple Jump (Qualifying)
If it weren't for a little thing called an "illegal wind," Rodrigo Mendes' first (and only) attempt in the qualifying round of the men's triple jump would have been the third longest mark in the world this year. It would have also blown past the BYU record by nearly two feet. Jumping with a tail wind of 3.4 meters per second, Mendes' jump did not qualify for record purposes. With his mark of 57'06.50", however, Mendes automatically qualified for the finals with the top overall jump in Thursday's competition.
"What a sweet, sweet jump," BYU men's coach Mark Robison said. "If it would have been a legal wind, it would have been the third longest jump this year. We know one thing, he didn't have to wear himself out today. Hopefully he'll come back tomorrow and not change a thing."
Mendes' distance in the triple jump was just one-half inch shy of two feet longer than the next closest competitor.
Rodrigo Mendes, Triple Jump
Men's Pole Vault (Finals)
After missing his first attempt at the opening height (16'10.50"), Pratt did not miss again until he had the competition locked up. Pratt won his first outdoor National Championship after clearing 18'00.50".
"It felt good to win," Pratt said. "I started out kind of sluggish, missing my first attempt at a lower height. I got nervous, but it made me more focused for the next attempt. I managed to pull out a close second attempt and it got better throughout the competition."
Pratt is the first BYU male athlete to win an individual outdoor title at the NCAA Championships since Leonard Myles-Mills won the 100 meters in 1999.
Teammate Trent Powell cleared 17'04.50" to earn All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in the event.
Robison Pratt, Pole Valut
Women's Triple Jump (Qualifying)
Junior Kamila Rywelska qualified for Saturday's final after finishing second in the preliminary round on Friday. Rywelsak recorded a personal-best in the triple jump with a distance of 44'08.25".
Kamila Rywelska, Triple Jump
Men's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Final)
Sitting in sixth place heading down the home stretch, and poised to set a new lifetime-best in the event, junior Josh McAdams hit the final barrier and tumbled to the track. McAdams recovered and managed a ninth-place finish in the event with a time of 8:36.88. McAdams earned All-America honors for his performance.
"I feel so badly for Josh," Robison said. "He was running such a great race, then hit that last barrier -- the last barrier. He had a nice season and should be proud of his performance."
Josh McAdams, Steeplechase
Women's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Final)
Junior Rena Williams became the second BYU woman to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, finishing a strong third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Williams finished the race in 10:02.21, beating her personal-best by nearly six seconds.
Junior Lisa Pratt finished 14th in a time of 10:38.05.
Rena Chesser, Steeplechase