Niki McEwen cleared 14-1 1/4 at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada (Oregon sports info)

In an early season test of some of the best in the conference, the Arkansas Razorbacks swept the SEC West Challenge on their home turf as the men and women both claimed the team titles. The Arkansas men scored 20 points alone in the 3000 meters as Westley Alkin, Jason Sandfort and Said Ahmed placed 1-3-4 respectively.

The lady Razorbacks did the same damage in the 3000 meters while also piling up points in the 5000 meters. The trio of Laura Jakosky, Kristina Watkins and Allison Medlin claimed the first three places in the 5000 meters.

Other action from the meet included LSU sprint star Muna Lee getting her automatic mark in the 200 meters with her time of 23.45. Short sprint favorite Pierre Brown of Mississippi State took home the 60 meter title in 6.64 seconds. The LSU men took the stick around in style by going automatic in the 4x400 meter relay with their time of 3:06.54. The Arkansas men did the same in the Distance Medley Relay as their time of 9:35.13 punched their ticket to the big dance.

The Missouri Invitational took place on Friday night as Marsha Dawkins of Oral Roberts won the 400 meters while running the indoor 2-laps in NCAA automatic qualifying fashion in 53.59 seconds. More outstanding performances included Missouri's Christian Cantwell who won both the weight throw and the shot put, and teammate Russ Bell, who finished second in both events.

At the Kentucky Invitational, the Wildcat men's 4 x 800-meter relay team of Thomas Morgan, Jean Balan, Hunter Spencer and Paul Ciurlys took first place in the event, breaking a 13-year-old school record with a time of 7:25.51. Simidele Adeagbo also got off on the right foot, automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships with her triple jump of 43-01.75. Janet Crawford set a new personal best in the high jump with her first-place leap of 5-11.25, edging out Georgia Tech star Chaunte Howard. Rosemary Okafor of Middle Tennessee State claimed the 400 meters in 53.66 seconds. Her teammates on the men's squad, Mardy Scales, blazed through the 60 meters in automatic fashion with his time of 6.60 seconds. Hunter Spencer of Kentucky won the mile run in 4:02.34.

The annual Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada, took place as Oregon redshirt senior Niki (Reed) McEwen upped the school indoor pole vault record and matched its overall school record in the USA Track and Field Pole Vault Summit in the Reno Livestock Events Center, Saturday. The Newport, Ore., native won the top collegiate section with a clearance of 14-1 1/4 (4.30m), and edged April Steiner from Arkansas who also cleared a personal best (second, 13-9 1/4). Amy Linnen of Arizona got her NCAA automatic qualifier as well with her height of 4.21 meters.

Mardy Scales ran 6.60 in the 60 meters for Middle Tennessee (GoBlueRaiders.com)

At the Michigan Quad, Danielle Carruthers got off to a smooth start in the 60 meter hurdles with her time of 8.33. Alex Church of Kent State just missed the automatic mark in the high jump while clearing 6 feet even. You can view a video clip of her winning jump. Church is a true freshman from Australia. Men's results incuded Nate Brennan of Michigan got his early automatic qualifier in the 800 meters by winning in 1:48.80. Teammate Nick Willis also opened up with a nice time of 4:04.59 in the mile run. Aarik Wilson of Indiana claimed the triple jump with his leap of 52'03.25. Steve Manz of Michigan State won the shot put with his heave of 60'04.50.

At the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational, Rebekah Green of Kansas State set the meet record along with gaining an automatic mark in the shot put with her toss of 56'08. Coby Cost of Kansas State won the weight throw with his provisional mark of 66'05. Nebraska claimed the team titles for both the men and women during the scored meet.

The Virginia Tech Invitational featured many athletes from the east coast. Demetria Washington of South Carolina, in her final indoor season, won the 400 meters with an automatic qualifying time of 53.40. Teammate Leshinda Demus was not far behind by taking second in 53.99. Fresh off her cross country championship, Shalane Flanagan of North Carolina did not disappoint by winning the mile run in an automatic time of 4:42.59. She met the mark by .01 seconds. Teammate Laura Gerraughty came through again in the shot put with her mark of 16.29m. Treniere Clement of Georgetown just missed the auto mark in the 800 meters with her time of 2:06.86. For the men, freshman standout Jonathan Wade made his Tennessee debut by winning the 60 meters in 6.70 seconds.

The Illinois Invitational took place between the host Ilini, Ohio State and Illinois State as Dan Taylor of Ohio State just missed the auto mark in the shot put with his throw of 63-09.75. Taylor then went on to win the weight throw with this toss of 69-02.50. The Buckeyes won the meet behind the strength of Taylor.

Thomas Freeman of Manhattan showed up again at the Manhattan Invitational by winning the weight throw in 68-10.34.

Gainesville was home to the Florida Intercollegiates over the weekend as some of the field events highlighted the meet. The Florida women took the top six places in the weight throw as the dynamic duo of Jukina Dickerson and Kimberli Barrett both set automatic marks by going over 20 meters each. LaQuanda Cotten also nailed the automatic mark of 19.80m. Former Florida Gator and Olympian John Capel made his comeback by winning the 55 meters in 6.14 seconds.

Houston held the Leonard Hilton Memorial Meet as several impressive early season marks were met. Sanya Richards of Texas made her Longhorn debut by taking second in the 60 meters in 7.34 seconds. Richards finished behind Sadonna Thornton from HSI. Nvenna Lendel of SMU leaped to an automatic height of 6-00.50 in the high jump. Her teammate on the men's side, Einar Hjartarson, won the high jump with a clearance of 7-01.