UA women place second at Jim Click Shootout

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat UA sophomore sprinter Patrick Nduwimana (center) takes the last turn in the men's 1,500-meter race Saturday afternoon. Nduwimana won a close race in the 1,500m but the UA men's team came in third with the women coming in second at the Jim Click Shootout Saturday against Washington State and Nebraska.

"I thought we competed extremely well," UA head coach Dave Murray said. "Our people came to the front and had a lot of personal bests."

Individual performances on the women's side for the UA highlighted the meet. The women won nine of the 18 events and featured two double-event winners in Carolyn Jackson and Nicole Thomas.

Jackson won the 400-meters with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 52.79 seconds, her best mark of the season. Jackson also won the 200m with the fourth fastest time in UA history and a Pacific 10 Conference qualifying time of 23.85.

Associate head coach Fred Harvey said Jackson's performance stood out.

"Carolyn Jackson was the highlight of our meet," he said. "That was incredible what she did today."

Thomas won the 100m high hurdles with a Pac-10 qualifying time of 13.94, and also garnered a Pac-10 qualifying time and a win in the 400m hurdles.

On the men's side, the highlight for the UA was the men's 1,500, which pitted UA sprinter Patrick Nduwimana against All-American Bernard Legat from Washington State. Legat, the Pac-10 record-holder in the 1,500m, led the race until the last 100m, when Nduwimana sprinted past Legat to finish first with a time of 3:46.77.

Freshman Brianna Glenn scored well for the Wildcats in a variety of events. Glenn won the 100m with the second fastest time in UA history and placed second in the 200m, third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.

A toss of 193 feet, 9 inches (59.06m) earned an automatic NCAA qualifying mark in the hammer throw for UA freshman Maureen Griffin. Griffin's throw was a Drachman Stadium record and the third best mark in Pac-10 history.

Senior Abdi Abdirahman, competing in his first meet since rehabilitating a stress fracture in his left foot, won the men's 3,000m with a time of 8:35.60.

"It felt great, I am feeling almost 100 percent and getting back there," Abdirahman said. "I should be 100 percent by Texas Relays."

Junior Jeff Dutoit blew away the pole vault competition with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 17-8 (5.40m). His vault was also a personal best for outdoor competition.

Sophomore Esko Mikkola, the 1998 NCAA javelin champion, won the javelin competition with a throw of 248-3 (75.68m). Mikkola's throw was an automatic NCAA qualifying mark and the best in the nation this season.

Other wins on the women's side included Shanna Griffin in the 800m, freshman Tara Chaplin in the 3,000m and sophomore Erin Doherty in the 1,500m.

The meet with be broadcast on tape delay on Fox Sports Arizona April 4 at 3 p.m. and April 6 at 4 p.m.

The Wildcats will next compete at the Texas Relays Thursday through Saturday. The next home meet for the Wildcats will be the Arizona Elite Classic April 16-17.

Brian Wahlund can be reached at Brian.Wahlund@wildcat.arizona.edu.