By
Rebecca Rogers
April 30, 2007
It has been 85 years since the Washington men's track and field team has defeated Washington State by as much as it did Friday at the 92nd annual Washington vs. Washington Sate Dual at Husky Stadium.
The Huskies finished with a 43-point lead over their cross-state rivals, defeating the Cougars 103-60. It was the opposite on the women's side, however, as Washington State defeated the host Huskies 102-61.
The men's team has not seen this big of a victory over the Cougars since 1922, when they defeated them 93-38. Much of the victory for the UW men Friday was due to their 13 out of 19 event wins over WSU.
"Everything we needed to have happen happened," coach Greg Metcalf said. "Winning four straight matches against the Cougars is pretty cool."
Junior James Fredrickson led the way for the Huskies, adding double wins in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, and led the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to victories. His times in the hurdle events earned him NCAA Regional qualifying marks among the top 10 marks in UW history.
Another multiple event winner on the men's side was junior Norris Frederick. The four-time All-American winner won the long jump and the high jump and joined Frederickson to help win the 4x100 meter relay.
However, it was a non-event winner on the men's side that really got the meet going for the Huskies. Sophomore Randy Bacon placed second in the 100-meter dash and anchored the 4x100 meter relay to its victory.
"Randy had a phenomenal weekend; he really set the tone for the men," Metcalf said. "After he placed second in the 100 meters it really took the win out of the Cougars' fate, and our team got incredibly energized. He had a really good day."
While the women's team failed to beat Washington State for the third straight time, they still came out of Friday with some noteworthy performances. Five-time All-American Ashley Lodree was victorious in the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles. The senior also placed second in the long jump, an event she had not competed in for three years. Fellow All-American Amanda Miller also fared well for the Huskies, adding double wins in the 800- and 1,500-meter races.
"Lodree and Miller really had a great day," Metcalf said. "The women's team just needs to really rally together coming up in the next two weeks, though."
Despite the loss, the Washington women's track and field team still holds the overall record against Washington State. Metcalf thinks Friday's meet could have been a turning point in the streak on the men's side.
"The way to stop a streak is to start one," he said. "There are men on our team that have now never lost to Washington Sate. It's very exciting."
Reach reporter Rebecca Rogers at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.
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