Clarke claims NCAA shot put crown
The Arizona State University track and field program added another national champion to its list on Friday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, as sophomore Jordan Clarke captured the shot put title to lead the Sun Devils on third day of competition at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Division I Track & Field Championships Finals. Clarke was joined on the All-American podium by senior Jasmine Chaney, who finished fourth in the 400m hurdles for the second year in a row to pace the women.
Heading into the final day of the meet, the Sun Devil women have scored 15 points and stand 12th overall while the men have 10 points and rank tied for 18th. The Top 5 in the women's race is Oregon (33.0), Oklahoma (29.0), Stanford (25.0), Texas A&M (23.0) and a tie between Southern Mississippi and Texas (21.0) while the men's Top 5 has Florida State leading with 29 points and is followed by both Virginia Tech and Florida (28.0), BYU (25.0) and a tie between Texas Tech and Stanford (24.0).
Clarke, the most steady and consistent competitor in the event on the day, had five throws measured with two being good enough to win his first national title and give ASU the men's outdoor shot put crown for the third year in a row after Ryan Whiting won the last two. In a dry ring, Clarke hit a mark of 19.53m (64-01.00) to take the lead through the first of two flights of action. Following a weather delay, the second flight competed and Clarke was still the overall leader. With the throwing circle wet, Clarke continued to improved and hit a mark of 19.75m (64-09.75) in the fifth round and claim the title with the fifth-best mark in school history. A three-time All-American in the shot put, Clarke gave ASU its sixth men's shot put title in the past eight NCAA meets as Whiting won five times prior.
Back on the track, a stellar career came to a close under a downpour of rain as Chaney circled the track one last time for the Sun Devils, this time to the tune of 56.03 to finish fourth overall in the 400m hurdles. Having run 56.08 in the semifinals two days earlier and then running on the 4x400m relay earlier in the day because of weather delays, Chaney kept her composure and lowered her personal-best time once again, this time in lane one, and better her mark on the school's all-time Top 10 list, which now has her ranked second overall. With her improved mark, Chaney walks away from ASU with Top 10 all-time marks in 400m hurdles (#2), 100m hurdles (#4), 400m dash (#5) and 200m dash (#10), along with several in both relays.
While both Clarke and Chaney earned first team All-America honors, one senior missed joining them by 16 points in the heptathlon as Samantha Henderson finished ninth overall in the two-day event with 5,347 points and earned second-team All-America honors, the first of her career with ASU. Her teammate, sophomore Keia Pinnick, finished 21st overall with 5,063 points.
In eighth place overall through the first day, Henderson moved up to fifth after jumping 6.01m (19-08.75) to collect 853 points with the second-best mark of the day among all in the heptathlon. She slipped one spot to sixth after scoring 549 points in the javelin with a toss of 33.81m (110-11) before a time of 2:35.19 in the 800m run scored her 629 points to push her to ninth overall.
Pinnick posted marks of 5.63m (18-05.75) in the long jump for 738 points, 28.94m (94-11) in the javelin for 457 points and then ran 2:25.49 in the 800m run to collect her final 750 points. It was a long day for Pinnick as the 800m run came to a close around 8:50 p.m., which was nearly 10 hours after she ran a leg of the 4x400m relay that finished 13th overall in 3:34.26 in the semifinals and did not advance to the final. She was joined on the relay by Alycia Herring, Kayla Sanchez and Chaney.
The final Sun Devil to compete on the day was Cj Navarro, who placed 20th in the women's hammer competition with a toss of 54.21m (177-10).
Saturday will be the final day of competition in Des Moines and three Sun Devils will compete. On the track, Darius Terry, the first man to earn All-America honors in the 1,500m run in ASU history, will race in the final and look to add points to the men's team total. In the field Chris Benard will compete in the triple jump for the men while Anna Jelmini, the national runner-up in the discus on the first day of the meet, will compete in the shot put.
2011 NCAA Championship Finals (Des Moines, Iowa)
Day Three Results • Friday, June 10
Men's Shot Put - Final
1. Jordan Clarke - 19.75m (64-09.75) - NCAA Champion, All-American (scores 10 points for team) - ASU #5 all-time
Women's 400m Hurdles - Final
4. Jasmine Chaney - 56.03 - All-American (scores 5 points for team) - ASU #2 all-time
Women's Heptathlon - Final Totals
9. Samantha Henderson - 5,347 points
21. Keia Pinnick - 5,063 points
Heptathlon Event #5 - Long Jump
2. Samantha Henderson - 6.01m (19-08.75)(+2.0) - 853 points
10. Keia Pinnick - 5.63m (18-05.75)(+1.3) - 738 points
Heptathlon Event #6 - Javelin
17. Samantha Henderson - 33.81m (110-11) - 549 points
21. Keia Pinnick - 28.94m (94-11) - 457 points
Heptathlon Event #7 - 800m Run
15. Keia Pinnick - 2:25.49 - 750 points
21. Samantha Henderson - 2:35.19 - 629 points
Women's 4x400m Relay - Semifinal
13. Arizona State (Herring, Pinnick, Sanchez, Chaney) - 3:34.26 - does not advance to final
Women's Hammer - Final
20. Cj Navarro - 54.21m (177-10)
Top 5 Team Scores
Women (through 14-of-21 events scored)
1. Oregon - 33.0
2. Oklahoma - 29.0
3. Stanford - 25.0
4. Texas A&M - 23.0
5. Southern Mississippi - 21.0
5. Texas - 21.0
12. Arizona State - 15.0
Men (through 14-of-21 events scored)
1. Florida State - 29.0
2. Virginia Tech - 28.0
2. Florida - 28.0
4. BYU - 25.5
5. Texas Tech - 24.0
5. Stanford - 24.0
18. Arizona State - 10.0