Chaplin 11th, Engelen 18th in Women's 10,000m
DURHAM, N.C. (May 31) -- The University of Arizona wrapped up day one of
competition on May 31 at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at
Duke University's Wallace Wade Stadium with a solid advancement on the men's
side of the competition.
Junior Patrick Nduwimana ran his best race of the season in the
semifinals of the men's 800m, winning his heat in 1:46.43, more than two
seconds faster than his previous season-best, qualifying him for Friday's
final. Nduwimana was slowed most of the season with an Achilles' tendon
injury that held him out of competition until late April.
"That was the best that he has looked in a race probably ever,"
Nduwimana's sprint trainer, UA associate head coach Fred Harvey said. "He
looked so good and has a ton of confidence, especially after winning like he
did."
The Burundi native ran only two 800m races before the NCAA meet with his
best time, 1:48.56, May 6 at the Arizona-Arizona State-Northern Arizona
double-dual meet in Tucson. He won the Pacific-10 Conference title in a slow
race, nipping UCLA's Jess Strutzel at the finish for his second straight
title.
Nduwimana, who was second in the event at last year's NCAA meet, ran
third through most of the first lap Wednesday, letting Auburn's Aaron
Richburg go through the first lap in just over 51 seconds.
The Wildcat junior then made his move with 300 meters to go. Strutzel
and he took the lead with 200m remaining, and Nduwimana pulled ahead with 150
meters left.
Nduwimana then held off defending the defending NCAA champion, Missouri's
Derek Peterson, down the home stretch and finished with his best time of the
season. Peterson was second in the heat in 1:46.58, while Strutzel qualified
for the final as an at-large qualifier in 1:47.13. Brown's Trinity Gray ran
the night's fastest qualifying time, 1:46.41, in the first heat.
"Patrick really was able to turn it on down the stretch, and he still had
a lot left in the end if he needed it," Harvey said. "He put himself into
very good position for Friday."
In the Wildcats' lone final of the day, sophomore Tara Chaplin finished
11th in the women's 10,000m. She ran 34:31.22, while her teammate, junior
Katrin Engelen, finished 18th in 35:44.45.
Senior Nicole Thomas concluded her collegiate career in the preliminaries
of the 400m low hurdles Wednesday evening. She finished fifth in her heat,
running 58.23, but did not advance to the finals of the event.
The time was the third-best of Thomas' career and the 12th-best in the
competiton. Thomas was also the No. 7 American runner in the field, good for
All-America honorsEarlier this season, Thomas ran a career-best of 57.77,
which ranks her as No. 4 on the school's all-time list. She finished second
at the Pac-10 Conference Championships in Eugene, Ore. two weeks ago.
The Wildcats continue competition Thursday in Durham. Sophomore Brianna
Glenn competes in the long jump and 100m preliminaries, senior Jeff Dutoit
will be in the pole vault finals, sophomore Mike Kenyon will run in the 400m
semifinals and senior Carolyn Jackson will compete in the 400m semifinals.
