Fuller Delivers Pac-12 Javelin Title On Day One

Saturday, May 13

Eugene, Ore.

11:35 AM

University of Washington

Pac-12 Championships

May 13, 2017 | Track & Field

Live Results Day Two Heat Sheets

By: UW Athletic Communications

EUGENE, Ore. – In the javelin throw, everything needs to line up just right. For much of his fifth-year senior season, things didn't seem to be aligning perfectly for Carson Fuller. After making the U.S. Olympic Trials final last summer, Fuller chose to return for one final season as a Dawg, but a torn labrum over the winter led to just two competitions prior to today's Pac-12 Championships at Oregon's Hayward Field. Ranked sixth in the field coming in, Fuller got it all lined up again with a career-best throw of 244-feet to win his first ever Pac-12 title.

The win for Fuller was the big highlight on day one of the two-day championships, which saw the Husky men put up a solid 33 points to sit in fifth with nine of the 21 events scored. The Husky women have just seven points but have a lot of chances to score on Sunday and quickly climb up the standings.

Sunday's final day of the Pac-12 Championships will start at 1 p.m. with the women's hammer, and the first track events will go at 3 p.m. The Pac-12 Networks will begin a live broadcast at 3 p.m., the first time the meet has ever been televised live.

With just four finals on the track on Saturday the Huskies had a productive day in the prelims, qualifying nine individuals and both 4x1 relays into Sunday's final rounds.

Fuller, the Spokane native, had finished fourth at Pac-12s in 2014 and again at Husky Track last season, when Oregon's Cody Danielson was a surprise winner. Danielson came in as the favorite today, having thrown four meters farther than any other competitor this season. The Duck senior took the lead after round one and extended it with a 238-11 throw in round two, but in the third round, Fuller sent one skyward that kept carrying and finally speared the turf at 244-feet even. Nobody would get within eight feet of that the rest of the day. Sophomore Denham Patricelli also scored for the Dawgs with his best Pac-12 finish, as he went 211-11 to finish sixth-place and earn three points.

During the winter, Fuller tore his labrum and he told the media after the win that he had a two month recovery from that. Every throw still causes him pain, and he did not start competing until the Beach Invitational on Apr. 14, less than a month ago. He only started practicing one week before that opener.

Not to mention, Fuller said he didn't feel particularly great today going in.

"In all honestly I actually did not feel so hot today, but I guess that's what competing takes, you've just got to filter everything out and trust yourself and trust your training, and trust the work you've put in," said Fuller. "I was able to filter out all the injuries and how I was feeling today.

"I feel elated. I can't really describe how I feel because this is just awesome to come out here in Eugene and win. There's no better feeling. This feels kind of like a home track to me."

It also turned out that tearing one's labrum might be key to winning Pac-12s, as Fuller explained. "Cody tore his labrum last year before Pac-12s, beat me at home, this year I tore my labrum and beat him at home. So kind of funny how that worked out, but we're good buddies and he's a great competitor so it felt good to finally get one on him."

Fuller's win made it 13 years in a row that the Husky men's team has won at least one Pac-12 title. It also felt like a long time coming for the Husky javelin throwers, who have had multiple All-Americans over the past 10 years and scored major points at the Pac-12 meet, but the individual title had eluded them since Juan Romero last won in 2006.

"There's a long history of great javelin throwers here. Right before me we had Kyle Nielsen, and in my time we had Joe Zimmerman, Jimmy Brookman, Quinn Hale and Curtis Clauson. I've had the opportunity to be mentored by all those guys," said Fuller. "I just can't really describe how it feels to come out here and win in my fifth year, my last opportunity to win a Pac-12 Championship, and I hope I made the longstanding history of javelin throwers proud today."

The final event of the night was the women's 10,000-meters, where the runners endured several different downpours during the 25 laps. Junior Izzi Batt-Doyle, stepping up to the distance for the first time, looked unfazed by it all as she ran like clockwork to a fourth-place finish in 33:35.19. That time jumps her up to seventh in the West Region and ranks her No. 6 all-time at UW in the 10k. Senior Kaylee Flanagan also fought through to a solid run in her last Pac-12 10k in a time of 34:18.51.

As usual, the pole vault brought a big haul of points for the Dawgs. UW had its winning streak snapped as Jax Thoirs had won the past three conference titles, but four Dawgs still finished top-eight today. Sophomore Blaise Black led the way as he made the podium in third-place at 16-3 ½. Sophomore Chase Smith, competing for the first time since having his appendix removed, was fourth also at 16-3 ½. Freshman Zach Shugart was over 16-3 ½ as well for fifth, and freshman Jacob Bowler was eighth at 15-11 ¾. Cole Jensen was also ninth today at 15-5 ¾. The Dawgs came away with 16 points in that event alone.

Junior Gina Flint continues to impress since coming back from injury just a couple weeks ago at the Dual Meet. Today she started off the shot put competition with a new lifetime-best, throwing 50-7, to finish seventh-place and pick up a couple team points. Flint will be back to throw the discus on Sunday. Freshman Angel Nkwonta just missed joining Flint in the final by one spot, as she was 10th with a mark of 47-2 ¼.

The first running events of the day were the 4x100-meter relays, and both Husky squads had no trouble getting into Sunday's finals, as both teams ran the third-fastest overall times. The men's group of Jordan Lucas, Lucas Strong, Khalil Winfrey, and Jacopo Spanò had a season-best 40.31 to advance. The women finished in 45.50 with Sarah Stavig, Laura Anuakpado, Imani Apostol, and Kennadi Bouyer taking care of things.

Amy-Eloise Neale had no problems advancing into the 1,500-meter final as she moved into the lead group of her heat with two laps to go and cruised in a lead pack across the line in 4:22.65 to get an auto advancing spot. Senior Josephine Bosserman was 16th in her first Pac-12 appearance in 4:30.58, just a tenth off her career-best. On the men's side, senior Blake Nelson moved into the finals of the 1,500-meters as he posted a 3:48.40 to finish 10th overall in the prelims today. Johnathan Stevens was a couple seconds short in 3:50.86, finishing 15th overall.

The 100-meter prelims saw senior Kennadi Bouyer break up a Trojans-Ducks party on the women's side. Sunday's 100m final will have four Trojans, three Ducks, and Bouyer, who qualified fifth overall with a time of 11.54 seconds, just .01 off her wind-legal PR. Redshirt frosh Sarah Stavig was 12th in 11.92 seconds.

In the men's 100-meters, Lucas Strong and Khalil Winfrey had wind-legal season-bests, finishing 10th and 11th overall, respectively. Strong ran 10.61 and Winfrey went 10.65, while Jordan Lucas was 19th in 10.86.

One of the early surprises for the Dawgs was junior Eric Simpson in the 110m hurdles, who came in seeded just 11th but ran the seventh-fastest time today at 14.31 wind-aided to advance to the final for the second straight year.

Redshirt freshman Darhian Mills had a busy and successful day. She finished 10th in the 100m hurdles in a wind-aided 13.96 seconds, just missing the final by .09 seconds, but in her specialty, the 400m hurdles, Mills cruised to the finals with the fourth-fastest time overall. She was second in her heat in 59.63 seconds and will run her first Pac-12 final tomorrow.

Late in the day produced perhaps one of the day's biggest upsets, as Spanò ran a flawless curve in the 200-meter prelims, taking a lead and never relinquishing it, as he won his section in a huge collegiate-best of 21.05 seconds, upsetting a trio of Trojans that came in ranked in the top-eight, including the top-seed overall. Spanò broke into the Husky top-10 for the first time at the No. 10 spot. Cydnicia Wade ran a season-best 24.97 in the women's 200 to finish 24th overall.

Another form chart was disregarded by junior Michael Thomas, who came in seeded 16th in the 400-meters and yet he finds himself in Sunday's final, as he got the second auto qualifier out of his prelim heat in a new PR of 47.95 seconds. Sophomore Ryan Croson was third in that heat in 48.06 seconds, missing out on a second straight final. On the women's side, senior Laura Anuakpado was the first runner out of the final, as she ran 54.69, just missing the eighth spot by .011 seconds. Sophomore Imani Apostol was 12th in 55.29 seconds, just shy of her PR.

The Huskies will have one finalist in both the men's and women's 800-meters on Sunday. Redshirt freshman Connor Morello was sixth overall on time in 1:51.58 to make his first final, and minutes later on the women's side, sophomore Hannah Derby survived a late scare to get the eighth spot into the women's final in 2:08.68.

In the men's long jump, junior Josh Gordon had a fifth-round best of 23-9 ½ and just barely fouled a potentially big sixth round jump, but wound up seventh overall to score a couple team points. Dante Pettis, competing in his first Pac-12 meet, had two fouls to open but stayed alive with a third round jump of 23-2 ¾ to make the final. He would improve to 23-6 ¾ but finished up ninth, just out of the points.

Making his Pac-12 debut, redshirt freshman Julius Diehr was 11th in the steeplechase finals in 9:17.34. In the men's 10k, Mahmoud Moussa was 17th in his first run at the distance in 31:00.32.

The first event of the day was the men's hammer throw. Carey Campbell had a tough go this year after taking fourth a year ago, he was only able to get a best of 168-3 to finish 17th. Freshman Jose Padilla was 14th in the shot put with a best of 52-10 ¾.

The women's long jump saw senior Kate Adler finish her Husky career, as she placed 13th overall with a best of 18-3. Bouyer came back from relay and 100m duty but had a tough go in the long jump, fnishing 14th at 18-2 ½.

Freshman Emmy Engle took 16th in the women's javelin in her Pac-12 debut, with a best toss of 135-0. Sophomore Katherine Taylor was one spot back in 17th with a best of 131-4.