June 12, 2004
AUSTIN, Texas - With 30 meters remaining of the final event of the men's decathlon, the 1500-meter run, the University of Missouri's Hans Uldal fell to the ground twice in front of a crowd of 14,000. But, in true collegiate fashion, Uldal got up and completed the race still timing in at 4:50.92, scoring a personal-best 7,661 points overall and surging to fifth in the decathlon after starting the day in 16th. Uldal was one of four Tigers to earn all-American honors Saturday at the final day of the NCAA Championships.
Before the 1500, Uldal stood in fifth place overall, just a point behind Minnesota's Travis Brandstatter for fourth. Uldal went out with the lead two runners, ahead of Brandstatter, in the first three laps of the race, running at a personal-best pace that would give him a time around 4:26, a time that would have secured an amazing score of 7,820 and would have been Missouri's new school record.
"He went out there to get the job done," said Matt Candrl, Missouri Assistant Track & Field Coach. "He wanted to do so well in this championships and he had gave his heart out the entire day. Bouncing back from his surgery (to remove an artery wrapped around his kidney) giving the best effort in each event, taking them one at-a-time, and having the day he had today, it was purely amazing."
Brandstatter was behind Uldal by 100-meters coming around the final turn and Uldal would have clinched the fourth spot in the nation. However, at the start of the homestretch, Uldal appeared to have lost some pace. Soon after, Uldal's legs started to buckle and he went down. Immediately, trying to get up, Uldal fell again. With the encouragement of the crowd down near the finish line, Uldal stumbled to his feet and was able to finish dragging his body across the line.
"Hans' heart was bigger than his body," Candrl said. "Sometimes your brain and heart say go, but the body says no. I've only seen something like this happen one other time and that was at the Olympic Games."
The heat was an issue as well, as temperatures soared to the mid-90s and the Texas humidity added to heat indexes into the 105-degree range.
"This probably was one of the toughest NCAA Championships as far as conditions that I've seen for a while," Candrl added.
Uldal, this year's runner-up at the Big 12 Championships, had three personal-bests on the day to add to his day one's previous-bests in the 100-meter dash and shot put events. Starting the day in 16th, Uldal went up a spot to 15th after a personal-best in the 110-meter hurdles, timing in at 14.71. Uldal threw for a strong personal-best of 153 feet, 6 inches (46.82m) in the discus to jump him to seventh overall. In the pole vault, Uldal cleared four bars easily and attempted his personal-best of 14-9 (4.50m), missing twice, but clearing on his third try. The same scenario set up at the 15-1 bar (4.60m). Uldal missed twice, and made on his third. After eight events, Uldal was in sixth. In the javelin, Uldal was only three feet off his personal-best, jumping him to fifth heading into the final event.
Uldal earned Missouri's first all-America honor in the decathlon. His score of 7,611 is the best by anyone from his home country of Norway for the year. Uldal once held the school record with previous personal-best score of 7,587 at last year's Florida Relays. Fellow Norwegian, Knut Sommerfeldt, reclaiming the record at last year's Big 12 Championships with a score of 7,685.
Junior Conrad Woolsey (Excelsior Springs, Mo.) hit a personal-best in the men's shot put, throwing for 62 feet, 7? inches (19.09m). Finishing in seventh place in the competition, Woolsey earned his second all-American honor this year and in Division I. Woolsey also earned his sixth all-American honor overall, four coming from his days at Northwest Missouri State. Woolsey second throw, which turned out to be his meet's best, eerily came as Uldal was finishing his race. Woolsey's mark expands his Olympic Trials "B" qualifying mark, and he could possibly represent Missouri in Sacramento.
Senior Janae Strickland (Houston, Texas) rounded out a fantastic career as a Tiger collegian as she finished eighth in the women's shot put. Strickland came within four inches of her personal-best throwing for 55 feet, 2 inches (16.81m). Strickland has also earned an Olympic Trials "B" standard, and could still represent Missouri at that meet.
Senior Holly Scherder (Frankford, Mo.) earned her first all-America honor of her career with 12th place finish in the women's hammer, throwing for 184-3 (56.15m).
Sophomore Amanda Bales finished 13th in the women's 5000-meter run, running in 16:59.27.
The Tiger men ended with sixth points in the meet for 40th place. The Tiger women earned one point, tying for 76th. UCLA won the women's title by a point over indoor champ LSU. Nebraska's woman was third with 58; Texas was fourth with 42. Arkansas' men won with 65? points; Florida came in second with 49. Baylor was the highest Big 12 finisher on the men's side with 27 points taking seventh.
The collegiate track and field season has now officially ended. However, most of Missouri's Tigers will continue to compete in meets around the world this summer. The next big focus will be on the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials to be held in Sacramento, Calif., July 9-18. Several current and former Tigers will be on hand vying for a spot on the US Olympic Team. Look for more coverage on mutigers.com, throughout the next weeks and months.
For complete results of the NCAA Championships, visit mutigers.com or texassports.com.