Andrea Geubelle takes second in triple jump; Megan Goethals runs to fifth in 5000m at NCAAs...
EUGENE--University of Kansas senior Andrea Geubelle (left/photo courtesy University of Kansas) ended her stellar career as a Jayhawk, as she finished second in the triple jump at the NCAA track & field championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
Geubelle, the graduate of Curtis HS, opened the competition with what eventually was her best jump of 44-8 3/4 (13.63m).
The reigning NCAA indoor champ did not jump close to her opening round mark in the second and third stanzas, as she remained in second behind eventual winner Shanieka Thomas of San Diego State, who jumped 44-9 3/4 (13.66m) in the first flight.
In the finals, Thomas built up her lead in round 4, as the native of Jamaica jumped 46-4 3/4 (14.14m) to cement the NCAA crown, as Geubelle fouled in round 4, then had jumps of 42-4 1/4 (12.91m) and 44-0 (13.41m) in rounds 5 & 6.
Junior Megan Goethals of the University of Washington (above/photo by Mike Scott) finished fifth in the finals of the women's 5000, running in a time of 15:54.00.
As the race progressed, Goethals, the fourth place finisher in Wednesday night's 10000, was in a group of six to nine runners, with senior teammate Christine Babcock on the tail end of the lead group.
With four laps to go, the pack dropped Babcock, and two laps later, it was down to a group of five, including Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino, 10000m champ Betsy Saina of Iowa State, hometown favorite Jordan Hasay of Oregon, Wichita State's Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton, and Goethals.
D'Agostino, the reigning champion, ran a 2:15.77 last 800, with her final lap a 66.74 to break Hasay, and take the win in 15:43.68, as Saina caught the fading Hasay in the last 40 meters to take second in 15:50.26, to 15:50.78.
Goethals, who was second in this meet last year, rallied with a 71.76 last lap, but could not catch Tuliamuk-Bolton, who finished ahead of the Husky junior in 15:51.92.
Babcock, competing in her final race as a Husky, finished eleventh in 16:09.10.
"The 10k didn't go as I had hoped," said Goethals. "I went for it, so I have no regrets, but I was definitely upset afterwards because I invested so much into it, and just hit a wall. I was able to hold on for fourth so I was happy for that, but just the disappointment that comes with not being able to hit my goal. But today was light years better. Happy I was able to compete; that last 600 I was definitely feeling the 10k in my legs, but I was able to hold on."
In other events involving Washington based competitors, the University of Washington's Logan Miller, who finished fourth in this meet last year, finished 12th with a best of 13-9 1/4 (4.20m) in the pole vault.
In Saturday's finale, Rainier Beach HS grad Michael Berry will run on the host Oregon Ducks' 4 x 400 meter relay as he makes amends for not qualifying for the finals in the open 400.
Bellingham's Becca Friday will contest the women's 1500 for the Ducks, as Oregon is in a battle for the team title with Kansas. Oregon is looking to become the first Division I women's team to complete the triple crown (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track), having won both the cross country and indoor titles this academic year.
The University of Washington will have javelin throwers Carson Fuller, Jimmy Brookman, and Joe Zimmerman in action Saturday.
NOTE: The University of Washington and the University of Kansas contributed to this report.
Comments