UW Freshman JJ Juilfs PRs to take inaugural PAC-12 PV title

[master]

http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports ... t.html.csp

Husky vaulter JJ Juilfs feels right at home with win
Former Sheldon star JJ Juilfs clears lifetime best to capture the Pac-12 title

BY LUCAS CLARK
For The Register-Guard
Published: (Sunday, May 13, 2012 05:02AM) Today

JJ Juilfs can add a Pac-12 title to his already impressive list of accomplishments at Hayward Field.

The Washington freshman, who won back-to-back state titles as a junior and senior at Sheldon High, is officially headed to NCAA Regionals in Austin, Texas, in two weeks after winning the Pac-12 men’s pole vault championship Saturday afternoon.

The reigning USA Junior Outdoor Championships winner claimed the crown with a lifetime best vault of 17 feet, 10¾ inches on his third and final attempt at that height.

“It felt awesome,” Juilfs said. “It’s a PR on the biggest stage. To me, the Pac-12 meet is bigger than the national championships, than any meet besides the (Olympic) Trials. To do that here, in front of the people I love, is incredible.”

Entering Saturday’s meet, Juilfs was projected third on the form chart behind a pair of 18-foot vaulters in UCLA’s Michael Woepse and Arizona State’s Derick Hinch. Juilfs and Hinch each cleared 17-6¼, but Hinch couldn’t make it over on his third attempt at the winning height. Had Juilfs missed on his final attempt, he still would have won because of having fewer misses than the runner-up.

An excited Juilfs quickly made his way over to a big group of supporters near the East Grandstand to celebrate the victory with friends and family.

“I love all the people here,” Juilfs said. “My people, the people I grew up seeing. They all came out and they cheered me on. It’s just so comforting.”

At only 18 years old, Juilfs could have an outside shot at competing at next month’s Olympic Trials, but he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind on Saturday.

“I tried to come in here with a clear mind, with the mind-set of doing the best I could,” Juilfs said.

“But, I mean that’s what I dream about when I go to sleep, is getting over that bar. So it’s just back to the drawing board, try to get better and give it another shot.”

Senior teammate Robby Fegles, a Reedsport High alumnus who won the 2010 NWAACC pole vault title at Lane Community College, finished fourth by clearing 16-10¾.

In other finals on Saturday, Stanford freshman Brianna Bain won the women’s javelin with a personal-best throw of 175-9 on her sixth and final attempt. Bain was a three-time state placer during her prep career at Aloha High near Beaverton, and recorded the four best throws of the competition to win her first Pac-12 title.

“I had a really good series today,” Bain said. “It was probably my best series all year. I haven’t had the best throws at Oregon up ’til now, so it feels good to get a good one out at Hayward.”

Arizona State junior Jordan Clarke defended his Pac-12 title in the men’s shot put. Clarke, who won the 2011 NCAA outdoor title and the 2012 NCAA indoor championship in March, recorded the two best throws of the day, including the winning throw of 65-2 on his sixth and final attempt.

“The beginning of the competition I was a little bit off, I was a little rushed,” Clarke said. “Toward the end I sort of found my groove again. It was a good competition with beautiful weather, so it was fun.”

His third throw of 63-6¼ also would have been good enough to win the competition. Arizona’s Bozidar Antunovic threw a personal-best 63-0¾ to finish second and was the only other competitor to surpass the 60-foot mark.

“It’s kind of a nice preview for the Olympic Trials coming up toward the end of June, which is going to be insane,” Clarke said.

“So it’s kind of like a nice little warm up.”

[rainbowgirl28]

Way to go JJ!

[tsorenson]

Congrats to JJ and Robby, the Oregon boys scoring points for the Huskies..and to coach Licari, who always seems to get his people ready for the big meets!

video, anyone?

Tom