May 8, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 2005 Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships came to a close Sunday inside Drake Stadium on the UCLA campus with two members of the Arizona State University track and field program competing. Overall, Ryan Ehler placed eighth with 5,211 points to secure one point for the team while Alana Waterford finished 11th with a personal best 3,967 points.
Ehler, who entered the day in ninth place and needing to move up one place to score in the meet, opened the day with an eighth-place showing in the 100m high hurdles at 20.53 for 309 points. From there, he placed fifth in the discus with a toss of 38.00m (124-08) for 624 points, took eighth in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.65m (11-11.75) for 522 points, sixth in the javelin with a heave of 45.94m (150-09) for 529 points and seventh in the 1,500m run at 6:13.50 for 212 points. His javelin mark also went for a personal best. Overall, Ehler tallied 2,196 points on the day for his final total of 5,211.
Despite a record day for Waterford, the Sun Devil could not climb out of the bottom of the standings on Day 2. Waterford opened the final day of the meet with a 10th place showing in the long jump at 4.88m (16-00.25) for 527 points. She then took 11th in the final two events, including the javelin (363 points for a throw of 23.98m (78-8)) and the 800m run (519 points for a time if 2:44.79). Her field event marks were personal bests as she bettered her long jump of 4.81m and javelin throw of 22.91m. Her 1,409 points on Day 2 also bettered her previous best of 1,337 while her 3,967 total for the event beat her previous mark of 3,940. With her final score, Waterford moved into ninth place on the all-time ASU lists.
In the team standings, Washington State leads the way on the women's side of things with 20 points, thanks in part to the one-two finish of the Cougars' sibling tandem of Julie (first with 5,569 points) and Diana Pickler (second with 5,563 points). Oregon and California each have six points to sit in a tie for second while UCLA (fourth with four) and Washington (fifth with three) round out the women's team scoring. Although Darion Powell won the men's decathlon with 7,531 points and a margin of 466 points, the Cougars are second to Oregon, 13-10. California sits third (six) while Stanford (four), Arizona (three), UCLA (two) and ASU (one) round out the men's teams with scores on the board so far.
Next up for the Sun Devils will be the 2005 Pac-10 Track and Field Championships slated for May 14-15 at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. The ASU men will be in search of their first conference track and field crown since the 1981 season while the women look to capture their first.