Men's track and field sees success from four key players at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
Corey Primm earned NCAA first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Primm finished sixth in the 800m run.
By Eric Peck
June 20, 2011 2:39 a.m.
UCLA men’s track and field said goodbye to two of its senior stars and welcomed a younger generation in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Seniors Jonathan Clark and Cory Primm were joined by freshman Alec Faldermeyer and sophomore Maxwell Dyce at the competition over the weekend, and all the athletes found success in their events.
Primm, who earned first-team All-America honors this year, was the first Bruin ever to race for the 800 meters title. The senior finished sixth overall, posting a time of 1:47.01.
His collegiate career may have come to an end, but Primm will be competing again at the USA Track & Field Senior National Championships, where spots on the World Championship team are up for grabs.
Fellow senior Jonathan Clark has been a standout for the Bruins all year in the triple jump, and there was no exception at the championships. The senior finished ninth overall; Clark posted a big first mark of 52 feet, 10.75 inches in the first round but fouled in his first attempt in the finals, leaving himself in ninth and a fraction of an inch away from a scoring position. Clark earned second-team All-America honors on the season.
Fans probably weren’t surprised to see Primm and Clark, two veterans of the team, succeed in the high-pressure environment of the NCAA Championships. Faldermeyer had something to prove, however, and the freshman did not disappoint.
His first throw of 210-8 put him in sixth place, and his subsequent mark of 217-8 bumped him up to fifth. His third-round throw continued to improve his standing ““ a 219-8 that put him in fourth place heading into the finals. His best throw came in the finals, a 221-4 that secured him a fifth-place finish.
Three of the four athletes ahead of Falderemeyer were seniors, and he was one of only two freshmen competing in the hammer throw in Des Moines. Faldermeyer had the honor of putting UCLA on the team scoreboard, earning four points toward the team’s total.
The freshman will compete at USATF Junior National Championships in Eugene, Ore. from Thursday to Sunday, vying for a spot on the Pan American Junior Team. If Faldermeyer can hang with 22- and 23-year-olds, competing against athletes his age should prove to be nothing short of beneficial for the first-team All-American.
Dyce competed in the 200m and finished seventh in his heat with a time of 21.04. His mark was not good enough to advance to the finals, but the sophomore did earn Honorable mention All-America honors over the weekend.
