UC Irvine’s Rabbitt, Goodrich Well Back in Distance Finals

EUGENE, Ore. — It wasn’t a bright day Friday for UC Irvine’s distance runners at the NCAA track and field championships.

Buffy Rabbitt was 10th in 3,000-meter final, with a time of 9 minutes 19.08 seconds. Sonia O’Sullivan of Villanova won in 8:56.74.

Rabbitt, running in the cool evening at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, was in last place after 800 meters and was forced to run in Lane 2 much of the way to get around runners bunched wide.

While O’Sullivan ran with a commanding 50-meter lead, Rabbitt and the rest of the runners were content to pick off stragglers. Rabbitt did just that, working her way into 10th place.

UCI’s Traci Goodrich had a similar experience in the 10,000-meter final late Friday night. Goodrich watched as the winner, Jamie Park of Arkansas, bolted away at the start and the rest of the field settled in behind.

Park won in 33:15.08. Goodrich was 12th in 34:44.16.

UCI’s Matt Farmer made it through a grueling first day with 3,776 points. He stands in 13th place. Ricky Barker of Texas A&M; leads the 10-event competition with 4,107 points.

Farmer, the Big West decathlon champion, went through the day’s five events with his left ankle heavily taped.

Farmer’s events and marks were: 100 meters, 11.30; long jump, 23-5 1/4; shotput, 40-2 3/4; high jump, 6-0 3/4; 400 meters, 49.40.