Athletes Settle Into A New Setting For Last Pac-12 Track And Field Championships; Washington's Ault Breaks Javelin Record; Ky Robinson, Bailey Hertenstein Put Final Stamp On 10,000

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Kim Spir PHOTOS |INTERVIEWS

BOULDER, Colo. -- A conference in its final throes added a couple of big throws to its long-standing legacy Friday at Potts Field on the campus of the University of Colorado. 

UCLA's Federica Botter and Washington's Cameron Ault both delivered winners on their first attempts in the women's and men's javelin competitions. 

For Ault, who moved up one spot from second last year, the result also brought a meet and school record: 254 feet 3 inches (77.51m). 

Athletes settled into the three-day event that will conclude Pac-12 Conference track and field, where a core group of universities have clung together for the annual spring rite for 105 years. 

Ault was one of two winners for the Washington men's team, which has a first-day lead. 

Prestin Artis won the long jump with a mark of 25-6.25 (7.78m), moving from seventh to first on his fifth attempt. 

"It dies with me!" Artis said gleefully of his new place in Pac-12 long jumping lore. 

He's right. Artis may not have been anywhere near the conference's all-time top 10 list, but what's a stake this weekend is a little piece of something that no one will ever have again.

Defending champion Johnny Brackins of USC was fourth. 

A conference steeped in tradition contested its track and field championships at altitude for the first time. And Potts Field hosted a conference meet for the first time since 2008, when it was previously a member of the Big 12. 

The day began with Botter of UCLA throwing a personal-best 192-8 (58.72m) to settle the issue quickly in the women's javelin. She won by 23 feet. It was her second consecutive conference crown. 

"I think it's something very special," Botter said. "We all came here knowing it's the last one, so there's not going to be anything else (like it)."

Botter is a senior and her throw elevated her to No. 3 on the all-time Pac-12 list. Her Bruin teammates will compete in the Big Ten next year. 

"It's amazing to be the Pac-12 champion for the second time and the last time," she said. 

On the track, Ky Robinson and Bailey Hertenstein made sure that the conference's final act in the 10,000 meters was memorable. 

Robinson, of Stanford, won his first Pac-12 track title after a string of seconds and thirds and he did it by running as if he were born and raised in the mountains, separating from the field and winning in 29:15.03. He made the adjustment to altitude look easy, comfortably cruising through 70-second laps. 

"I've felt good with the altitude," Robinson said. "The last two days the runs didn't feel like they were taking as much out of me as altitude has done in the past. I felt good."

Colorado, as expected, picked up big points in the 25-lap race on its own track. Behind Robinson, Austin Vancil was third for the Buffaloes and teammate Jake Derouin was eighth. 

It was the women's race where Colorado's might really showed. Bailey Hertenstein led a 1-2-4-7 finish for her team as the Buffaloes collected 25 points. Her winning time was 34:21.03. After an easy early pace, Hertenstein picked it up and pulled away over the final six laps and closed in 74.75. 

"It's so exciting. I was just saying it feels like we're at practice. It's just another day in the life," Hertenstein said. "And we had beautiful conditions. The past couple of weeks we've had 80-mile per hour winds, and snow, and today's just ... beautiful."

Oregon's Shelby Moran became a two-time conference champion in the women's hammer and gave the Ducks a lift with 10 points after throwing 225-8 (68.80m). All five of her fair throws would have won the event. Her sixth throw was a foul. 

"It's a weird vibe here, but it's still good," Moran said. 

UCLA finished 2-3-6 in the hammer and is second behind Colorado in the women's standings (37 to 27).

Stanford's Alyssa Jones also became a two-time champion, winning the long jump with 21-3.50 (6.49m). The sophomore is also the reigning NCAA runner-up in the event. After a rocky start, Jones hit her winning mark on her fifth attempt. 

USC's Alyssa Hope was second with 20-6.50 (6.26m) and Arizona duo Sydnie Vanek (20-5.25/6.23m) and Lauryn Ford (19-10.25/6.05m) were third and fourth.