Langerholc Wins 800m Title; Stasiulionyte Wins Javelin Title
July 26, 2001 | Track & Field
June 1, 2001
The Women of Troy had perhaps the biggest come-through day in their history, churning out 34 points on Friday to take a commanding lead heading into the final day of the 2001 NCAA track and field championships. USC picked up two individual national titles--Brigita Langerholc in the 800m and Inga Stasiulionyte in the javelin--as well as a second place (400m relay) and a third (triple jumper Tatyana Obukhova). In total, USC now has 40 points-13 ahead of rival UCLA-with four scoring events left (the Bruins have the heptathlon, the high jump, the 100m, the hammer and the 1600m relay on Saturday). What's more, the athletes the Women of Troy have ready to go on Saturday are some of the best in the land. Two time NCAA 100m champ Angela Williams competes in the 100m, last year's runner up Kinshasa Davis competes in the 200m, school record holder Julianna Tudja goes in the hammer and the 1600m relay squad that ran the third fastest time in school history in the prelims will be featured in the meet's final event.
Ron Allice: "Our staff is doing a fine job. But it's not over. South Carolina is coming on and the Bruins have the 100m and the hammer yet in which to get it done. I'm really proud of our athletes. Angela Williams ran the best race I've seen her run in the semifinals, we had a great relay in which Natasha Neal ran an outstanding leg. Tatyana Obukhova put on a clinic out there. She didn't win it, but she had the best series of anyone out there. Brigita Langerholc is just a special athlete. She has been a team player all the way through and has always done everything that we've asked her. She came back to school after the Olympics not only to help the team, but to graduate. She is just outstanding in all areas."
Track Finals-
400m Relay: The Women of Troy 400m relay squad of Angela Williams, Candace Young, Natasha Neal and Kinshasa Davis sped to a season-best-tying 43.64 to claim second place behind LSU, giving USC eight team points. USC's squad of Williams, Young, Davis and Malika Edmonson won last season's event, with LSU placing second. This season, with Neal replacing an injured Edmonson at the third leg, the Women of Troy executed their handoffs nicely, but couldn't hold off LSU anchor Muna Lee as the Lady Tigers won in 43.54.
Senior Candace Young, second leg on the relay: "It was close and I felt like we had them right up until the end. They were a lot better than in the preliminaries. LSU is a great team. We got them last year and they came back and got us, but I'm really happy for them because they are a great group of girls.
"We watched film this morning and made some adjustments. We are a new group, so we were really focused on getting good exchanges. We made it through injury free and we're grateful for where we finished."
800m: Senior Brigita Langerholc won the Women of Troy's 13th NCAA individual title and first ever in the 800 meters, finishing well ahead of her nearest competitor in a season-best 2:01.61 (the fastest time by a collegian this year). Langerholc caps her USC career with the following accomplishments tucked under her belt: school record holder, 800m (1:58.51), three-time Pac-10 champion (1999-01), fourth place in the 800m at the 2000 Olympics and four-time 800m All-American.
Langerholc on her race: "I first came out with the intention to lead the race. However, when I saw how the race began, I was content to sit back and just keep up with the pack. So I decided not to lead and then I opted to win the race in the second half of the race.
"I have been waiting to win this race after all that I've been through. I wasn't worried about the conditions and as long as there isn't wind, then I am normally happy. Today I was happy with the results of the race and it feels good to help the team."
Field Finals-
Triple Jump: In another upset for USC, junior two-time Pac-10 champion Tatyana Obukhova sprang to a third place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 43-1. Obukhova has found Oregon's Heyward Field to be especially kind to her: besides her third place finish at this year's NCAAs, she also won her first Pac-10 triple jump championship at the same venue in 2000 with a personal-best mark of 43-9 (wind-aided).
Javelin: Inga Stasiulionyte capped a huge day for the Women of Troy by winning the javelin throw with a mark of 172-4. It was USC's second NCAA individual title of the day and the 14th overall in Women of Troy history. The freshman from Vilnius, Lithuania, who is already the USC record holder in the javelin (1999 implement) launched the winner on her second throw in the first flight, and the mark held up through to the finals. Stasiulionyte is the first USC woman to win the javelin since Ashley Selman did it in 1990.
Stasiulionyte: "I'm so excited to score 10 points for my team. I'm excited to be a part of this team and today we came together. When I found out what Tatyana did in the triple jump, that made me excited and I wanted to do well.
"I thought Sarah Malone of Oregon would be my toughest competitor. I kept waiting for her to have a big throw, but I always thought I'd be able to answer."
Track Semis-
100m: Two-time defending NCAA 100m champ Angela Williams set the stage for her third straight title, winning the first semifinal in 11.19 to advance to the finals on Saturday.
100m HH: Junior Natasha Neal finished seventh in the first semifinal of the high hurdles with a time of 13.63 and did not advance to Saturday's final.
Looking ahead to Saturday for the Women of Troy--
USC has four finals on Saturday:
1. Angela Williams goes for an unprecedented third-straight NCAA 100m title.
2. Kinshasa Davis, the 2000 runner-up, will run in the 200m.
3. School record holder Julianna Tudja will compete in the hammer.
4. The women's 1600m relay will compete in the final event of the women's meet.
