Jones-Graf and Rudy Earn All-America Honors
6/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Ellie Rudy and Erin Jones-Graf finished on Saturday what Josh Henigman started the day before, earning All-America honors at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento.
Rudy, a sophomore from Woodland Park, Colo., vaulted 13-3.5 in Saturday's finals to tie for sixth place. Jones-Graf scored a school-record 5,343 points in the heptathlon to finish ninth. The top eight American student-athletes from each event earn All-America honors, along with international student-athletes that fall in the top eight.
"This was a historic weekend for us, no question," said Bobcat coach Dale Kennedy, as MSU landed multiple All-America honors for the first time in school history. "You're talking about three kids succeeding at the absolute highest collegiate level in our sport, which is a tremendous tribute to them and to Tom Eitel and Mike Carignan, their event coaches. This is a great moment for our program."
Rudy cleared the first two heights, including 13-3.5, without a miss on Saturday. Kennedy said she had "great looks at 13-7, she was way over the bar twice and knicked it on the way down." Two other competitors followed that sequence to tie Rudy for sixth. "I think Ellie is disappointed that she didn't vault as high as she did even in the finals, but the pole vault really didn't go like anyone expected," Kennedy said. "I think everyone expected at least one kid over 15-feet, and 13-11 won it. But I'm sure becoming an All-American is a nice reprieve (from the disappointment), and Ellie certainly turned some heads here when people saw that she's only a sophomore. This won't be the last time Ellie competes at a national meet."
While Rudy etched her name in the Bobcat record books by earning All-America honors in her sophomore season, Jones-Graf followed a more difficult path. "This meet has eluded Erin every season, indoor and out, until now," Kennedy said, referring to the Harlowton senior's near misses in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon in each of her last two seasons. She registered a school record at the Big Sky meet, however, a mark which qualified her for the NCAA Meet.
Once into the NCAA Heptathlon, Jones-Graf made turned effort into performance. "Erin was really at the top of her game," Kennedy said. "She was very, very solid all the way through. She was a little disappointed with her mark in the hurdles (on Friday), but instead of letting it bother her she went to the shot put and hit a (lifetime best)."
Jones-Graf hit life-best marks in four of the seven heptathlon events. "This is a great payoff for a great career," Kennedy said.
Jones-Graf and Rudy join Bobcat hammer thrower Josh Henigman, a senior from Bridger, who became the 11th Bobcat man to earn All-America honors on Friday. Jones-Graf and Rudy raise to 16 the number of All-Americas the MSU men's and women's program has produced through the years.
"Three All-Americas in one meet," Kennedy mused on Saturday night. "That's really something. It was an amazing weekend."
Rudy, a sophomore from Woodland Park, Colo., vaulted 13-3.5 in Saturday's finals to tie for sixth place. Jones-Graf scored a school-record 5,343 points in the heptathlon to finish ninth. The top eight American student-athletes from each event earn All-America honors, along with international student-athletes that fall in the top eight.
"This was a historic weekend for us, no question," said Bobcat coach Dale Kennedy, as MSU landed multiple All-America honors for the first time in school history. "You're talking about three kids succeeding at the absolute highest collegiate level in our sport, which is a tremendous tribute to them and to Tom Eitel and Mike Carignan, their event coaches. This is a great moment for our program."
Rudy cleared the first two heights, including 13-3.5, without a miss on Saturday. Kennedy said she had "great looks at 13-7, she was way over the bar twice and knicked it on the way down." Two other competitors followed that sequence to tie Rudy for sixth. "I think Ellie is disappointed that she didn't vault as high as she did even in the finals, but the pole vault really didn't go like anyone expected," Kennedy said. "I think everyone expected at least one kid over 15-feet, and 13-11 won it. But I'm sure becoming an All-American is a nice reprieve (from the disappointment), and Ellie certainly turned some heads here when people saw that she's only a sophomore. This won't be the last time Ellie competes at a national meet."
While Rudy etched her name in the Bobcat record books by earning All-America honors in her sophomore season, Jones-Graf followed a more difficult path. "This meet has eluded Erin every season, indoor and out, until now," Kennedy said, referring to the Harlowton senior's near misses in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon in each of her last two seasons. She registered a school record at the Big Sky meet, however, a mark which qualified her for the NCAA Meet.
Once into the NCAA Heptathlon, Jones-Graf made turned effort into performance. "Erin was really at the top of her game," Kennedy said. "She was very, very solid all the way through. She was a little disappointed with her mark in the hurdles (on Friday), but instead of letting it bother her she went to the shot put and hit a (lifetime best)."
Jones-Graf hit life-best marks in four of the seven heptathlon events. "This is a great payoff for a great career," Kennedy said.
Jones-Graf and Rudy join Bobcat hammer thrower Josh Henigman, a senior from Bridger, who became the 11th Bobcat man to earn All-America honors on Friday. Jones-Graf and Rudy raise to 16 the number of All-Americas the MSU men's and women's program has produced through the years.
"Three All-Americas in one meet," Kennedy mused on Saturday night. "That's really something. It was an amazing weekend."
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
