Courtesy: GoDucks.com
The 2012 indoor season came to a close this past weekend but it did not go out quietly. Whether it in Nampa, Idaho or Istanbul, Turkey athletes put together some incredible performances that will be remembered for years to come. Coming back to TrackTown USA is one world champion, one world record, two NCAA individual champions, and one NCAA team title.
Oregon Track Club Elite’s Ashton Eaton put two stellar days together while at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul to capture the Heptathlon title and break his own world record. Helped by personal bests in the long jump and shot put, Eaton now owns the top three performances ever in the event (6645 in 2012, 6568 in 2011, and 6499 in 2010). Watch Universal Sports highlights of his performance.
Fellow OTC athlete, Jesse Williams cleared the second best height of the high jump competition — 3.31 meters / 7-feet, 7-inches — but due to misses finished in sixth place. Team USA collectively came away from meet with a team record of 10 gold medals, three silvers and five bronzes — for a team record of 18 total medals at an indoor championship.
Click for the Recap from USATF | Full Results
More Highlight Videos from World Indoors
A little closer to home, the 2012 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships ended in familiar fashion with the University of Oregon Women bringing home their third consecutive title. Victories came from Brianne Theisen and English Gardner, while the rest put together a solid all-around team performance. This was Theisen’s third national title in the pentathlon. She won with 4,536 points, just 19 off her NCAA and Canadian record in that event.
Gardner gave Oregon a quick, but decisive spark in the 60m dash. Her time of 7.12 seconds was a school and stadium record, beat her personal best by .05 seconds, and would’ve placed fourth in Istanbul. Not bad for a sophomore.
Oregon finished with 49 points, followed by Kansas with 30 points, LSU with 27 and Texas with 25.
On the men’s side, Mike Berry broke the school record in the 400 meters, finishing fourth overall in a school-record 45.93. The sophomore from Seattle, Wash., broke Sammie Parker’s school record of 45.95 set in 2005. The men’s team title was won by Florida, followed by Arkansas, Arizona and Arizona St.
Along with the Oregon Women, the Florida men were able to capture their third consecutive title. | Full Meet Results
You can watch Day 1 and 2 in their entirety of the NCAA Indoor Championships streaming on ESPN3.com
Let the Outdoor Season Begin
Those two memorable meets concluded the 2012 indoor season and without much ado (or time) at all, the outdoor season will begin … this Sunday in fact, when TrackTown USA hosts the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field. And tomorrow the countdown to TrackTown12 strikes 100 days to go. It is quickly approaching so be sure to get your All-Session Tickets Now.
Single Day Tickets go on sale April 6.
