Cal Track & Field: Isaiah Shaw DQ'd in 400 Meters at NCAA West Regional Meet

Shot putter Jeff Duensing and pole vaulter Skyler Magula qualify for NCAA nationals

Cal's Isaiah Shaw / Photo by Steve Pretre

Cal junior Isaiah Shaw, the second-fastest 400-meter runner in Cal history, was disqualified for running out of his lane in Wednesday’s opening round of the NCAA West Regional meet at Fayetteville, Ark., on Wednesday.

Shaw ran fourth in his heat at 45.95 seconds and had the 12th-fastest time of the day among six heats with 48 total entries. That placing would have qualified him for Friday’s quarterfinals.

But officials ruled he stepped out of his lane and DQ’d him based on rule 15.5-2b, which states a runner is disqualified if “in a race run on a curve, steps on or over the lane line to the left with two consecutive steps of either both feet or a single foot.”

Officials reviewed the video but the disqualification was upheld.

Shaw ran 45.51 at the Pac-12 meet two weekends ago, and was hoping to take down Peter Howard’s 1985 program record of 45.46.

USC’s Johnnie Blockburger had the day’s fastest qualifying time at 45.14.

Meanwhile, Golden Bears junior David Foster won his heat and had the sixth-fastest time in the 100 meters, clocking 10.21 to move to Friday’s quarterfinals. Foster set Cal’s school record of 10.14 earlier this season.

The Houston duo of Louie Hinchcliffe (10.00) and Shaun Maswanganyi (10.03) had the two fastest times. 

Senior Jeff Duensing, a Pac-12 champ, qualified fifth in the shot put at 63-4 (19.30m) and will advance tothe NCAA nationals, June 5-8 at Eugene, Ore. Duensing is third on Cal all-time list at 65-7 3/4. Freshman Nicholas Godbehere wound up 26th with a mark of 58-2 (17.73).

Fellow senior and Pac-12 champion Skyler Magula cleared two heights on his first attempt and qualified first in the pole vault with a clearance of 17-9 1/4 (5.42m).

In an event that ended late after being postponed from the morning due to rain, NCAA hammer throw leader Rowan Hamilton, a transfer from the University of British Columbia, threw once in qualifying and advanced to Eugene with a mark of 231-1 (70.43) that was the day’s fifth best. Hamilton has a season-best of 253-2 (77.17).

Teammate Ivan Moisander also qualified for the nationals, with a throw of 220-7 (67.25) that was eighth-best. Cal’s Michal Gupta finished 20th with a non-qualifying mark of 212-0 (64.63).

Junior Mason Mangum, a one-time wide receiver on the Cal football team, leaped 25-0 1/2 in the long jump for a a non-qualifying finish of 15th place. Teammate Jason Plumb was 29th at 24-4 1/4.

First-round action on the women’s side is set for Thursday.