Willer Captures Title at USA Junior Championships

Eugene, Ore. ? Husker sophomore Natalie Willer started the 2009 USA Track and Field Championships on a high note for the Huskers on Friday night as she captured the US Junior title in the women’s pole vault. Willer, who won both the indoor and outdoor Big 12 championships in 2009, took top honors with a meet record vault of 13-11 1/4, topping Rachel Laurent’s vault of 13-10 at last year’s meet.

 

The Elkhorn, Neb., native started the meet with a second-attempt clearance at 12-5 1/2, before reeling off first-attempt makes at 12-9 1/2 and 13-1 1/2. Willer then struggled at 13-3 1/2, as it took her all three attempts. With only Willer and Club Altius’ Shade Weygandt remaining in the field, each went on to clear 13-5 1/4, 13-7 1/4 and 13-9 1/4.

 

Heading into the 13-11 1/4 bar, Weygandt held the advantage over Willer as Weygandt cleared 13-9 1/4 on her first attempt, while it took Willer two. Willer then turned the tables with a second attempt clearance at 13-11 1/4, while Weygandt took three attempts. The bar then went to 14-1 1/4, where each vaulter was unable to clear, awarding Willer the crown with few misses at the previous height.

 

“There were great conditions, and a great facility. I was really excited to jump in Eugene. Going in, I knew there were a couple of good girls I had to beat. For me it was just doing what I could to put the jumps together. I thought I would finish in the top two. I was third last year and the year before. It was really a goal of mine to finish in the top two. I am really glad I accomplished it.”

Willer and Weygandt will now both represent Team USA at the Pan American Junior Championships at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The meet is scheduled for July 31 ? August 2. The top two finishers in each individual event at the USA Junior Championships will represent the USA at the Pan American meet.  

Willer’s weekend is not over though, as the Husker indoor and outdoor school record holder will also compete in the senior division of the women’s pole vault, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. (Central). A spot on the senior team would earn Willer a trip to Berlin, Germany, for the IAAF World Championships on August 15-23.

 

On the senior side of the meet, Kirkland Thornton advanced to the finals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, but came up short of the national team on Saturday night with a seventh-place finish at 13.50. Thornton was on fire earlier in the day, blazing a wind-aided (+3.4) time of 13.36 in the semi-finals, but was overmatched in the finals as the top three finishers all ran under 13.20.

 

Also on the senior side, LeRon Williams finished 22nd in the men’s long jump with a leap of 24-5.

 

In other junior action, a host of true freshmen have also competed at the national meet. Nate Polacek finished fourth in the men’s junior pole vault on Thursday with a vault of 16-4 3/4, while on Saturday, Morgan Wilkin placed tenth in the discus with a toss of 142-9, Chris Phipps placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 24-7 3/4 and Blair Dinsdale came in 13th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.18. Sophomore Blaise Rewaka also ran in the men’s 800 on Saturday, finishing 15 with a time of 1:53.43.

Phipps will return to jump in the junior triple jump on Sunday at 5:20 p.m., while Tara Korshoj will jump in the women’s junior triple jump at 5 p.m.