TRACK AND FIELD / NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : USC’s Selman Stars for Oregon Now

Oregon senior Ashley Selman came up with the best throwing performance of her career Friday to win the women’s javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Selman, also the winner in 1990 when she was a sophomore at USC--is the first woman to win titles in the same event for two schools.

Only two men have done it--Stanley Floyd in the 100 meters for Auburn in 1980 and Houston in 1982, and Francis Martin in the two-mile for Notre Dame in 1944 and New York University in 1945 and 1946.

Five of Selman’s six throws surpassed 180 feet, with the best at 188-5 on her final attempt. It was the first time she had gone beyond 180 more than twice in the same meet.

Her winning throw and an earlier toss of 187-11 were farther than her previous best of 187-9 at the national junior championships in June, 1989.

The victory was Oregon’s second of the meet. Kelly Blair, Selman’s roommate at the meet, won the heptathlon.

This is the first time Oregon has had two NCAA women’s champions in the same meet since 1988. Its men’s team, a former NCAA power, isn’t competing in the meet for the first time since Bill Dellinger became coach in 1973.

Selman, the NCAA runner-up in 1991 for USC, began her javelin career at 12 after she was given a javelin for Christmas by her parents. Before that, she had shown a strong arm in age-group softball throwing competition.

UCLA’s Erik Smith of UCLA finished first in the men’s javelin with a throw of 259-10.

Meanwhile, Inger Miller, USC’s title contender in the 200 meters, fell 20 meters from the finish line.

Miller has dominated her races this year, setting 1993 world-bests in both the 100 and 200 at the Mount San Antonio College relays in California.

Miller was close to the lead when she fell Friday night. She had to be helped off the track and was taken to the medical tent.

For the second consecutive year, Louisiana State’s men’s and women’s teams finished first in the 400-meter relays. But Auburn protested after the women’s event, and meet referee Ken Matsuda ordered the race rerun tonight.

Auburn claimed it was not ready at the first exchange and the starting gun was fired precipitously and Matsuda ruled in its favor.

In the men’s 400-meter relay, Reggie Jones, Glenroy Gilbert, Chris King and Fabian Muyaba posted the third-fastest time in the world, clocking 38.70, equaling the school record.

Olympian Tony Parrilla, a Tennessee junior, won his second straight 800-meter title, coming from off the pace in overtaking Florida’s Scott Peters. Debbie Ann Parris gave LSU another big boost toward a record seventh straight women’s title, winning the 400 hurdles in 56.37.

In two of the closest races of the night, Kim Sherman of Wisconsin took the women’s 800 in 2:02.99, a 1993 collegiate best, edging teammate Amy Wickus by .01 second, and Rice’s Bryan Bronson outleaned Ohio State’s Jordan Gray at the tape to win the men’s 400 hurdles in 49.07, .03 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

Other winners Friday night were Wisconsin’s Clare Eichner in the women’s 3,000 in 9:03.06, a 1993 collegiate best; Wisconsin’s Donovan Bergstrom in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:29.08 and Indiana’s Mark Buse in the pole vault at 18-4 1/2.