ED NOTE: Results attached.

February 24, 2012

Francis Captures 200 Meters at MPSF
Women’s DMR, Kwiatkowski also score points.

SEATTLE, Wash. – Phyllis Francis won the women’s 200 meters to lead No. 1 Oregon at the first day of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships Friday at the Dempsey Indoor Facility.

In the final heat, Francis, a sophomore from Queens, N.Y., dominated her race, closing in 23.80. That was more than enough to beat Kayla Sanchez of Arizona State, who timed 23.99.

The women also took second in the distance medley relay, and in the process, ran the second-fastest DMR in the nation this season, 10:55.78. In one of the better races of the night that saw four teams run the NCAA automatic standard, Washington and Oregon were locked up with California and Brigham Young nearly the entire race.

Becca Friday had the Ducks at the front through 1,200 meters, and Chizoba Okodogbe kept them there on the 400 meter leg. Freshman Claudia Francis built a small cushion in handing the baton off to Anne Kesselring. Kesselring then went back and forth with Washington’s Katie Flood, edging out ahead with 200 meters to go, only to have Flood counter and hang on for the win. The Huskies won in a meet record 10:55.01. Oregon’s time, 10:55.78, was the second fastest in school history.

Brianne Theisen and Rebecca Rhodes both set personal bests to score in the women’s long jump. Theisen, the senior heptathlete from Humboldt, Sask., went an indoor personal best 20-1/6.12m to place fifth. That was the third best indoor jump in school history. Rhodes, a senior from Salem, Ore., set an all-conditions PR in the long jump to take seventh at 19-8.25/6.00m.

 “The women’s DMR ran great,” said Oregon Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. “That was a fantastic time and a terrific race.

“Phyllis Francis looked good in winning the 200 and Brianne Theisen proved again that she is one of the top athletes in the country.”

In the men’s 5,000 meters, Chris Kwiatkowski went to the lead with 800 meters remaining and ended third in 13:51.96, just tenths of a second off his personal best. The senior from Bellingham, Wash., earned six points for the Ducks.

The men got on the scoreboard in the weight throw where freshman Greg Skipper took eighth with a toss of 56-11.25/17.35m. That was a 10-inch personal best for the Oregon City, Ore., native. Junior Miles Walk was ninth with a personal best weight throw of 56-10/17.32m.

The Ducks also got points from freshmen Jack Galpin and Trevor Ferguson. Galpin from Medford, Ore., won his 200 meter heat and took seventh overall in 21.74. Ferguson, an Oregon City, Ore., native placed eighth in the long jump, going 23-4.5/7.12m.

In preliminary round action, Johnathan Cabral won his 60 meter hurdle heat in 7.83 seconds. That was a personal best and the fastest qualifying time for Saturday’s final. It also moved the freshman from Calabasas, Calif., to No. 3 on the UO indoor list.

In the women’s 60 meter hurdles, Theisen and senior Lynsday Pearson both advanced. Theisen matched her season best in winning her heat in 8.38, while Pearson set a personal best in a runner-up finish in 8.49. That time was the second-fastest in school history for the Santa Barbara, Calif., native.

Dior Mathis ran 6.84 in the 60 meter prelims, finishing second in his heat, to advance to Saturday's final. B.J. Kelley (6.90) and Joeal Hotchkins (6.92) did not advance.

In the women’s 60 meters, Amber Purvis advanced by tying for first in her heat in 7.51.

Both Ducks entered in the heptathlon had solid days. Dakotah Keys had personal bests in both the 60 meters and the long jump and matched his PR in the high jump to lead the competition with 3,177 points, a first day PR.

Keys, a sophomore from Sweet Home, Ore., went 7.17 in the 60 and had an all-conditions PR in the long jump of 23-11.75/7.31m. He finished the day by matching his PR in the high jump at 6-7/2.01m. Keys won the long jump competition, tied for second in the high jump and was third in the shot put with a throw of 41-10.5/12.76m.

Fellows, a freshman from Woodway, Wash., had a PR of 7.08 in the 60 meters and 6-1.25/1.86m in the high jump He also set a heptathlon best in the long jump at 23-0/7.01m. Fellows was seventh after day 1 with 2,874 points.

After six events, the women’s race was tight with Arizona State ahead by a point on Arizona, 39-38. Stanford was third with 36 points, Washington was fourth with 26 and Oregon was fifth with 24.

Arizona State had a commanding men’s lead with 67.5 points. UCLA was second with 29 followed by BYU with 28. The Ducks were ninth with 10 points.

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