GULF SHORES, Ala. – Sophomore Anthony Johnson (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS/Pima CC) earned All-America honors for the second team this year, taking second in the men’s high jump at the 2014 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mickey Miler Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Ala.  Johnson also competed in the men’s long jump, while teammate Wes Jones (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) ran in the prelims of the 800m run.

Johnson, who entered the competition as one of the favorites to win the event, cleared 2.06m (6-9.0) on his first attempt to clinch All-America honors but he wasn’t done yet.  It took him two attempts to clear 2.09m (6-10.25) but just one more to clear his final height of 2.12m (6-11.5), which gave him the tiebreak over Embry-Riddle sophomore Rico Saldana, who took three attempts to clear 2.12m.  The only jumper to best Johnson the night was Davenport sophomore Tori Brooks, who cleared 2.15m (7-0.25) on his second attempt to earn the national title.

In the preliminary heats of the men’s 800m run, Jones briefly led on the backstretch of the second lap but began to made with about 200m to run as he was unable to make the finals, finishing fifth in the heat with a time of 1:53.88.  His time placed him 19th overall among 33 runners.

Competing in the event for just the third time this season, Johnson opened up his first NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the men’s long jump.

After fouling on his first two jumps, Johnson managed a clean jump on his third attempt, travelling 6.68m (21-11.0) to miss the finals by just two spots, finishing in 11th place overall.  Wayland Baptist junior Wayne Northover won the national title in the event, jumping 7.42m (24-4.25) on his first jump of the final round.

Thanks to the second-place finish by Johnson in the high jump, the Geoducks are currently 18th in the team standings after two days of competition with eight points.  The NAIA Championship meet concludes on Saturday.

Results

NAMPA, Idaho – After a historic first day that saw the first two individual conference championships in school history, the Evergreen Geoducks wrapped up their action at the 2014 Cascade Conference Track and Field Championships presented by U.S. Bank on Saturday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Freshman Andres Juarez (Salinas, Calif./North Salinas HS) led off the action for the Geoducks and found himself scoring in the men’s javelin, taking eighth place with a personal best throw of 41.96m (137-8.25).  Hapa Patcho (Waipahu, Hawai’i/Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘O Anuenue) also competed in the javelin, taking 14th in the women’s competition with a throw of 30.05m (98-7.25).

In the running events, junior Wes Jones (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) struggled in the 800m run, posting a time of 2:03.13 after being among the leaders midway through the race.   The Geoducks wrapped up the meet with a solid race in the 4x400m relay, taking seventh with a time of 3:29.76.

The 2014 season is now over for most Geoducks but Jones and sophomore Anthony Johnson (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS/Pima CC) have a few more weeks left as the two athletes will compete at the 2014 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Results

NAMPA, Idaho – Sophomore Anthony Johnson (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS/Pima CC)  only needed one jump to win the first Cascade Conference track and field championship in school history and then made it two titles just a few hours later, leading the Evergreen Geoducks on day one of the 2014 CCC Championship presented by U.S. Bank on Friday at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Johnson won his first title in the men’s long jump, soaring 7.31m (23-11.75) on his first jump, and only his second jump of the season, to earn an automatic qualification to the NAIA National Championship later his month in Alabama.  Johnson, who passed on the remainder of his jumps to keep his legs fresh, nearly lost the conference title in the final round as College of Idaho’s Austin Basterrechea jumped 7.25m to take second by just 2.25 inches.

In his premier event, Johnson won the men’s high jump, clearing 2.06m (6-9).  With the title in hand, he attempted to set a meet record at 2.15m but was unable to set a new mark, despite the crowd cheering him on.  Johnson is currently tied for first in the NAIA in the high jump, clearing 2.11m on Apr. 12 at the Washington Open.

In other action, junior Wes Jones (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) took 10th in the men’s 800m run, posting a time of 50.54.  Twin broth Les Jones (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) took 16th in the 1500m run with a time of 4:18.08.

The conference championships continue on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. with the men’s javelin, men’s triple jump, women’s shot put and women’s pole vault. The first running event begins at 2 p.m. with the 100m dash.

Results

LACEY, Wash. – Competing for the final time before the 2014 Cascade Conference Championship presented by U.S. Bank, the Evergreen Geoducks battled the wind and the rain at the Saint Martin’s Invitational in Lacey, Wash.

On the women’s side, Kamiko Patcho (Waipahu, Hawai’i/Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘O Anuenue) improved her season best in the women’s javelin and broke the school record in the process, finishing 15th with a mark of 29.03m (95-02).

Freshman William Rhodes (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) punched his ticket to the conference championship in the 100m dash, taking 13th with a time of 11.54, just four one-hundredths off the school record.

In the 800m run, junior Wes Jones (Tacoma, Wash./Mt. Tahoma HS) demolished is own school record, winning by nearly four seconds with a time of 1:52.37.  The NAIA A-cut time ranks 11th nationally this season.

Sophomore Anthony Johnson (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS) won the men’s high jump, clearing 2.05m (6-8.75) to win by six inches over Mikel Smith, competing unattached.

The Geoducks will next be in action on Friday afternoon when they join the rest of the Cascade Conference at the 2014 CCC Championships, which will be held at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Results