The Newberg Graphic
| Yurkovich takes home second from nationals | ||||
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| Javelin -- The NHS grad throws 194-7 Saturday at the outdoor nationals in Eugene and is likely headed to Berlin, Germany to compete | ||||
EUGENE - Rachel Yurkovich claimed second-place in the javelin competition Saturday with a throw of 194-feet, 7-inches at the USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Kara Patterson, a longtime competitor of Yurkovich's, won the event with a throw of 209-10 - just seven inches shy of the American record. Patterson competed at the Beijing Olympics last summer and is the only American woman thrower with an IAAF "A" standard of 200-1 or more. With her finish, Yurkovich, a Newberg High School graduate, made herself eligible to be selected for Team USA, which will compete at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in August in Berlin, Germany. Official selections for the women's javelin will be made by July 31. With Patterson already on the U.S. team that will travel to Berlin, the U.S. team will select another thrower to compete and it is likely to be Yurkovich, who has already attained the IAAF "B" standard of 193-7. "I don't want to jinx it, but I'm like 97 percent sure that I'm in ...," Yurkovich said. "I feel really good I'm going to Berlin. I'm really happy for (Patterson) and that her and I get to go. It'll be really fun." During the competition, the contestants had to battle a tough headwind - something Yurkovich is accustomed to after throwing for the University of Oregon for the past four years. "I was just throwing really high trying to get away from that, so I did my best with the conditions," she said. "I could have adjusted a few things, but it just wasn't happening for me and I'm happy with what I did." Yurkovich has consistently been throwing in the mid 190s as of late. At the NCAA national track meet in Fayetteville, Ark., this spring, she threw 195-5, 195-6 and 195-7 on three consecutive throws in the finals to claim her second straight national title. On Saturday, she also had a throw of 193-9 and hopes to continue to throw in that range. "Hopefully," she said, laughing. "It felt good to be able to do it again today twice. I'm really happy. I did it in Arkansas, but I was happy to do it again here at Hayward." Patterson's winning throw came on her fifth of six attempts. Until then, Yurkovich had been leading the competition. "It was kind of like an inner, `Oh crap,'," she said of her reaction to Patterson's throw. "Still, I don't want to lose and I'm still mentally pushing myself. There was no time when she threw ... that I said I can't do that. I know that I have it in me. It's just a matter of when I can do it." Yurkovich wore a red top during the event, a change from the University of Oregon top she sported the past four years. It signaled her professional debut as an athlete. She said she is staying with her same coach and will continue to train in Eugene, but hasn't signed an endorsement deal with any company yet. Two other former Newberg athletes competed at the meet. On Thursday, University of Oregon junior Cyrus Hostetler placed fourth in the javelin (247-11). Oregon junior Alex Wolff, also a Newberg graduate, finished 12th (220-5). "I was excited, we had a great practice on Friday," said Hostetler. "We were saying it just takes one big throw, and I kept looking for it, but it didn't come today. However the cards fall, I am just happy for this opportunity. Whether you are first or last, it is exciting just to be here. "I just praise God that I'm out here. This is a great opportunity that not many people get to do. It's been an exciting year, a long year - this is my ninth meet. I'm just excited to take a break and get back at it next year." Chris Hill of Georgia won the event with a throw of 275-2, the top throw by an American this year. | ||||
