Ross, who posted a personal-best triple jump mark of 52'-7.25" at last month's West Region Prelims, took his performance to another level on Friday, earning first-team All-American honors by finishing second in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The first Lobo triple jumper to qualify for the national meet since Dewayne Rudd in 1984, Ross saved his best for last, unleashing an effort of 54'-6.00" on his final attempt to finish second behind Omar Craddock of Florida (55'-6.25"). Ross' mark ranks second all-time in MW history.
Ross, who placed second to TCU's Cameron Parker with an effort of 51'-7.75" at this year's Mountain West Championships, surpassed that mark on three of his six attempts Friday.
Parker, meanwhile, the MW triple jump champion each of the past two years, finished 19th in Friday's competition, with his best effort of the day coming on his second attempt (50'-5.50").
In others news from Day 3 of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships:
Air Force junior Cale Simmons garnered first-team All-American honors by finishing in a tie for fifth in the men's pole vault. Simmons, who set a MW record at last month's league championships with a vault of 18'-1.75," posted an effort of 17'-8.50" on Friday, finishing in a tie with Liberty's Kolby Shepherd. Oral Roberts junior Jack Whitt won the national title with a mark of 18'-6.50." Simmons also earned All-American honors in March when he finished fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
TCU junior Charles Silmon, the MW record holder in the men's 100-meter dash, earned first-team All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in the finals of the event on Friday. Silmon, who posted a time of 10.05 during Wednesday's prelims, clocked in at 10.39 in the finals. He set the MW record at last month's NCAA West Region Championship Prelims with a mark of 10.04. Illinois senior Andrew Riley won Friday's final in a time of 10.28.
Colorado State senior Nicole Peters, who established a personal-best time of 10:12.61 during Wednesday's prelims in the women's 3,000-meter Steeplechase, finished 12th in Friday's finals in a time of 10:46.10. Colorado junior Shalaya Kipp posted a winning time of 9:49.02. Peters was the 2012 MW champion in the event.
San Diego State senior Whitney Ashley, who won a national title Wednesday in the women's discus, finished 13th on Friday in the shot put competition. Ashley posted a mark of 53'-9.25" after her throw of 55'-5.00" at last month's NCAA West Region prelims broke the Mountain West record. Oklahoma junior Tia Brooks won the national title with a mark of 60'-6.00."
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its 10 member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
Mark Knudson is a Colorado State journalism school graduate and a 12-year veteran of professional baseball. During his playing career, Mark pitched for three major league teams, including the Colorado Rockies, where he was the first Colorado native to play for the hometown team. He recorded wins over three of the four legendary pitchers who make up the 4,000 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His win over Ryan came for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day in 1991.
Leave a comment