College Track & Field

Jock doesn’t advance

EUGENE, Ore. — UC Irvine sophomore Charles Jock broke the school record in the 800 meters for the fourth time this season Wednesday but he did not advance to Friday’s final at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Jock placed fifth in his semifinal heat with a time of 1 minute, 46.17 seconds, breaking his previous mark of 1:46.67 that he set at the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Tex., May 28.

Jock actually ran the fifth-fastest time overall in Wednesday’s semifinals.

The NCAA format stipulates that the top two runners in each of the three heats, plus the next two fastest overall, advance to the final.

Jock ran a faster time than the top two runners in each of the other two heats, but his placement in what turned out to be the fastest heat left him out of Friday’s final.

The 2010 Big West Conference Athlete of the Year in men’s track initially set the UCI record March 28 at the Cal/Nevada Championships, breaking three-time Olympian Steve Scott’s mark 1:47.6, which was set in 1978.

Jock ran 1:47.46 to win the Cal/Nevada title at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

He broke his own record in winning the 800 at the Big West Championships with a time of 1:46.93 at Cal State Northridge May 15 before performing the feat a third time at the NCAA West Regional.

— From staff reports