May 31, 2001

EUGENE, Ore. - Utah State's James Parker recorded a career-best hammer throw to finish second at the NCAA Track and Field Championships here on Thursday, while teammate Dave Hoffman also earned a national runner-up finish in the high jump with a leap of 7-6.5.

Other USU competitors on Thursday included Brick Bergeson, who finished 14th in the 1,500-meters with a time of 3:47.15 and Joel Johnson, who placed 16th in the decathlon with a score of 5,703 points.

Parker's toss of 240-7 was six feet better than the third place finisher, but seven feet behind two-time national champion Andras Haklits of Georgia. Parker's previous finishes in the hammer throw at the NCAA included 11th in 1995, fifth in 1999 and fourth last year. The senior from Layton, Utah became a four-time All-American in that event.

Parker's long throw came on his second attempt of the day and he led the field after the first three throws before the finals.

"After the big one I was trying a little bit too hard too better it," Parker said. "I felt I could better it. I didn't feel like that was the big throw in me and so I think I pushed a little too hard. I got too tight and couldn't let it go and I didn't get it."

Parker entered the NCAA Championships with the nation's second-best throw behind Haklits and lived up to that seeding.

"I expected to do well and be in the top three," Parker explained. "I knew the guys behind me would be peaking and throw far. The guy in front of me (Haklits) would be a hard one to beat. I knew I would have to throw really far to beat him."

Parker will compete in the discus on Friday. He enters that event with the 19th-best toss in the nation.

Hoffman, who entered the event with the nation's sixth-best high jump, had finished 11th in the country a year ago. This year the senior from Timpview, Utah was involved a two-man battle with Charles Clinger of Weber State, who owned the best high jump in the world this year.

Hoffman and Clinger were the final two jumpers left in the event and both cleared 7-6.5. However in the jump off, the bar was lowered and Clinger cleared 7-4.25 before Hoffman narrowly missed at that height.

Bergeson's 14th-place finish was just two slots away from qualifying for the 12-man finals. Bergeson was 2.42 seconds away from 12th place. The senior from Blackfoot, Idaho had run a 3:42.70 for the 12th-best time in the nation earlier in the season, but was nearly five seconds behind that time on Thursday with his 3:47.15 clocking.

Johnson, who stood in 12th place after the first day of the decathlon, struggled on Thursday. He scored 834 points, his second most points in the 10-events, in the 110--hurdles on Thursday, but failed to score in the pole vault and the 1,500-meters.

USU's two individual runner-up finishes marked the second time since at least 1991 that two Aggies have placed in the same NCAA Track and Field Championship. The other time was 1999 when Corey Murdock finished second in the 400-meter hurdles and Parker was fifth in the hammer throw.

USU'S NCAA Track and Field Championships Results and Schedule

Wednesday

400-Meter Hurdles -- 10. BRETT GUYMON, 51.07

Thursday

Hammer Throw -- 1. Andras Haklits, Georgia , 247-08, 2. JAMES PARKER, UTAH STATE, 240-07, 3. Norbert Horvath , USC, 234-05, 4. Janne Vartia , UTEP, 234-01, 5. Dylan Armstrong, Texas, 227-11

High Jump -- 1. Charles Clinger, Weber State, 7-6.5 , 2. DAVE HOFFMAN, UTAH STATE, 7-6.5, 3. Kenny Evans, Arkansas, 7-4.25.

1,500-Meters -- 14. BRICK BERGESON, 3:47.15

Decathlon -- 16. JOEL JOHNSON, 5,703 points

Friday

Discus -- James Parker (4 p.m. Mountain Time)