It's a split in the Big Meet It's a split in the Big Meet (May 05, 2004)

Cardinal women beat Cal on the track for fourth straight year, but Stanford men fall to Bears for first time in four years
For the fourth straight year, the Stanford women's track & field team is a winner over California in the Big Meet.

The Stanford women captured the 25th annual Big Meet with a decisive 108-55 victory over the Golden Bears on Saturday at Edwards Stadium/Goldman Field on the Berkeley campus. This is the longest winning streak for either team in the history of the Big Meet that dates to 1980, and the fourth-largest margin of victory for Stanford in the series.

"This is the first time in the Big Meet that a school has won four in a row, and that is something special," said Cardinal women's head coach Edrick Floreal. "We scored in a lot of points in different areas, and it shows how we are a balanced team. I am looking forward to the Pac-10 Championships."

The Cardinal women's 400 meter relay team of Janice Davis, Nashonme Johnson, Christine Moschella and Ashley Purnell kicked off the afternoon in the running events with a school-record time of 44.37. That time easily broke the previous school record time of 45.22 set last year. Cal finished second in a school-record 44.38.

Stanford won 13 of the 19 events, and clinched the meet (82 points to win the dual meet) when Nashonme Johnson finished second in the 200 meters (23.92) to give Stanford three individual points and 84 team points at that stage of the day.

Coincidentally, the California men clinched the Big Meet over Stanford also in the 200 meters when Cal's Ahmad Wright finished second to give the Golden Bears three points for a total of 84 points at that point of the meet. Cal's men's team scored a 96-66 victory over Stanford. It was Stanford's first defeat to California in four years.

"Stanley Wilson (Cardinal defensive back on the football team) did an outstanding job, and we had support and help from several football players," said Cardinal men's head coach Robert Weir. "We did the best we could but it was just not enough. It's a great rivalry and a great tradition." Wilson had only trained this week for the 100 meters because of his football commitments, and yet qualified for NCAA Regionals with a wind-aided time of 10.49, his second-best time ever.

Arianna Lambie and Moschella played major roles in helping the Stanford women win. Moschella won the 400 meters (55.36), ran the third leg on the school-record winning 400 meter relay (44.37), ran the second leg on the winning 1,600 meter relay (3:40.94), and placed fourth in the 200 meters (24.26). Lambie won the 800 meters (2:08.31) and 1,500 meters (4:39.66). On the men's side, Nick Sebes won the 200 meters (21.49) and the 400 meters (46.74).

Several Stanford athletes met the NCAA Regional qualifying standards on Saturday. The list included David Vidal in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:06.92), Jason Goff in the javelin (217-10), Katy Trotter in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:28.43), the women's 400 meter relay team (44.37), Undine Becker in the long jump (20-4 1/2), Erin Merriman in the javelin (153-1), Andrew Powell in the 1,500 meters (3:46.43), Sebes in the 400 meters (46.74), Wilson in the 100 (10.49), Joaquin Chapa in the 800 meters (1:50.40), Ashley Freeman in the 800 meters (2:08.43), Nashonme Johnson in the 200 meters (23.92), Janice Davis in the 100 meters (11.72), Amanda Trotter in the 5,000 meters (16:51.71), Anita Siraki in the 5,000 meters (16:52.52), Jill Camarena in the discus (160-0), Andrew Hill in the 5,000 meters (14:15.84), Brett Gotcher in the 5,000 meters (14:16.03) and Solomon Welch in the triple jump (50-5 1/4).

In the final 1,600 relay, Gunn High grad Tom Allen ran the anchor leg and brought the Bears home with a convincing victory.

NOTES: Sebes' time of 46.74 in the 400 meters is a personal-best and sixth-best in school history ... Freshman Janice Davis ran a 11.72 in the 100 meters, fifth-best in school history ... Freshman Katy Trotter's time of 10:28.43 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase is third-best in school history ... Erin Merriman's javelin throw of 153-1 is second-best in school history ... Jason Goff threw the javelin a career-best 217-10 in winning the event, which also is third-best all-time in the Stanford record book.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]