Through the only three scored events at the2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships, the Arizona Wildcat women's team finds itself in a five-way tie for first place.
The Wildcats placed finishes in scoring positions -- the Top 8 are scored -- of both the discus throw and the 10,000-meter run. Freshman Baillie Gibson qualified for the final round with an eighth-place finish in the qualifying rounds.
But she set three consecutive personal records on her final three tries to put up a 56.46m mark, which was good enough for fifth place and four team points awarded to the Wildcats. That all came despite Gibson fouling on two of her first three attempts. By the way, the national All-time college record for the event was 67.48m, set by Arizona's own Meg Ritchie in 1981.
The winner in the discus was Northwestern State's Trecey Rew, who threw the discus 58.64m.
The Wildcats' other six points for on Wednesday were scored by distance runner Jennifer Bergman, who finished in third place in the 10,000m run. Bergman, a sophomore, sat behind the lead pack of five runners for much of the race before moving up to third on the final kick and finishing in 34:31.69 minutes. Juliet Bottorff of Duke placed first with a time of 34:25.86.
Both Gibson and Bergman are All-Americans for the twin Top-8 finishes.
Meanwhile, the 10 point-total means a first-place tie with Arizona State, Northwestern State, Southern Mississippi and Duke.