Sprinters come through at Regionals

The final day of the NCAA West Region Track & Field Championships are nearing an end at Oregon's Hayward field, and so far today the highlight for the Huskies has been a quintet of sprinters.

Seniors Joe Turner, Kenjamine Jackson, Randy Bacon, and junior Jeff Gudaitis pulled off a minor upset in the 4x100m relay to nab the third and final automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships. Turner, the only returnee from the 2008 Pac-10 Championship 4x1 group, anchored the Huskies to a season-best time of 40.18 seconds. It could have been the final meet for the three seniors, yet now they'll get to continue on to Fayetteville, Arkansas in two weeks.

Senior All-American and Pac-10 Champion Jordan Boase got out quick in the 400m dash final and took the title in 45.94 seconds. A hamstring cramp in the 200m final at Pac-10's had forced Boase to pull up two weeks ago, but he looked to be feeling just fine today. Gudaitis, meanwhile, earned his first ever individual NCAA bid just an hour after the relay, as he placed fourth in the 400m in a season-best 46.90. Gudaitis was seeded just sixth entering the final and ran in the outside lane next to Boase.

A full recap will be posted later this evening.