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Dutoit takes 1st place at Drake Relays

Rest of men's, women's track teams enjoy success in Pac-10

In one of the biggest meets of the year - the Drake Relays, in Des Moines, Iowa - senior captain Jeff Dutoit went out on top, as he won the pole vault by clearing a height of 17-feet, 9-inches.

Dutoit surpassed the second place finisher, Northern Iowa's Jacob Pauli, by nearly half a foot.

"It was a real big for me to win," Dutoit said. "It was amazing taking that victory lap and standing on the podium in front of all those people."

Dutoit currently ranks seventh in the nation and third in the Pacific 10 Conference.

"He beat some very good vaulters," UA head coach Dave Murray said. "His confidence is really nice and high, especially with the nearing (Pac-10 and NCAA) championships."

While Dutoit was the lone winner at the meet, the rest of the UA men's and women's track team also turned in some very impressive performances.

The third place finish in the 4x100-meter shuttle relay by senior Nicole Thomas, juniors Liz Giltner and Rori Kelly, and freshman Alexandra Komnos, tied for the highest finish on the Arizona women's track team..

With a time of 56.36 seconds, the relay team missed setting a school record by less than .05 seconds, which happened to be set at the Drake Relays in 1994.

"We were very close," Komnos said.

Komnos also set a personal best in the 100m high hurdles as she ran a 13.78 in Friday's preliminary.

"Whenever I (set a personal record), I feel good," she said.

Komnos wound up finishing in sixth place in the event on Saturday.

The Wildcats women's sprint medley relay team - senior Carolyn Jackson, sophomores Brianna Glenn, Cara Cline, and Kelly - also came in third place in their event with a time of 3 minutes 51.55 seconds.

On the men's side, the distance medley team of junior Patrick Nduwimana, sophomore Mike Kenyon, senior Mike White, and graduate student Chris Schaefer continued the string of third place finishes by finishing in the third position with a time of 9:42.53.

Individually for the men's team, sophomore Christian Banken threw for a sixth place finish in the javelin with a mark of 208 feet 9 inches. Last year's NCAA runner-up, senior Esko Mikkola, sat out of the relays to rest his still sore ankle.

"We had some good performances," Murray said. "Overall, we had a pretty good meet."

Dutoit agreed.

"At this point (in the season) we're right where we want to be."