NCAA track: Prandini’s best only second in long jump; Monteverde sets BYU mark
Oregon’s Jenna Prandini leaped a personal-best and school-record 22 feet, 3.75 inches in the women’s long jump at the NCAA track and field championships Thursday, but was unable to defend her national title as Alabama sophomore Quanesha Burks sailed 22-8 for the win.
Prandini got her best jump on her third attempt to make the final nine. With her mark leading the field, she passed on her next two attempts until Burks beat her on a wind-aided (2.6) jump. Prandini fouled her final attempt to settle for silver at Hayward Field.
The five-time CIF state champ at Clovis High also advanced to Saturday’s finals in the 100 and 200, and the 400 relay, anchoring the Ducks in the latter to a 43.29 finish for second in their heat. Prandini won her heat in the 100 (11.03) to automatically advance and was fourth overall in the 200 (wind-aided 22.46).
Prandini will be up against fierce competition in the 200, with Florida’s Kyra Jefferson winning her heat in a wind-legal 22.26 for the world’s third-fastest time outdoors this year. Prandini will race Saturday starting at 2:05 p.m. with the 400 relay, followed by the 100 finals at 2:55 and the 200 finals at 3:40.
With eight points from the long jump, Prandini can surpass her 24 total from last year’s finals, the most scored in a meet by one athlete since 2001. She was first in the long jump, second in the 200 and third in the 100 in her first year of competition as a sophomore (she redshirted her freshman year).
The Ducks didn’t win an event but piled up points anyway in their bid to win their first women’s outdoor title since 1985. Oregon has 31, with Arkansas at 22 and Georgia 21. Oregon’s men lead through seven events with 40 points, with Florida (16) and USC (15) rounding out the top 15.
Under the new format, except for the decathlon, only women competed Thursday. The men had their turn Wednesday and will finish Friday. The women’s final day of competition is Saturday.
Brigham Young junior Anginae Monteverde (Clovis West High) was sixth in the women’s pole vault final with a school-record mark of 14-1.25. Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin won as the only vaulter to clear 15-3.
“Obviously, it was a really rewarding day for Anginae, as she started out at Oregon, then transferred to BYU and returned here earning first-team All-American honors,” Cougars coach Ed Eyestone said.
Akela Jones of Kansas State won the title in just the second heptathlon of her career and DeAnna Price of Southern Illinois set a meet record in winning the hammer.
Jones, from Barbados, held a big lead after the first day and stayed there throughout Thursday’s final three events, finishing with 6,371 points. Defending champion Kendell Williams of Georgia was second at 6,223. Williams’ teammate Quintunya Chapman was third at 6,147, a 2-3 finish that was a big boost for Georgia’s team title hopes.
Price had clinched when she uncorked her big throw of 234-6.
Fresno State’s Kyra Johnson finished 13th overall in 59.26 in the 400 hurdles to the miss the finals. Leah Nugent of Kentucky had the fastest time of 56.36, just ahead of Arizona’s Nnenya Hailey (56.85). The Bulldogs’ 1,600 relay of Johnson, Nailah Harris-Murillo, Dezirae Johnson and Njeri Omawahleh were seventh (3:40.67) in their heat and missed the cut.
In the decathlon, Maicel Uibo of Georgia passed Arizona’s Pau Tonnesen in the final two events to repeat.
This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 9:50 PM with the headline "NCAA track: Prandini’s best only second in long jump; Monteverde sets BYU mark."