Bend runner signs with UO; ranks second in state in 800.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Ryan Flaherty, a senior at Mountain View High School in Bend who ranks second in the Class 4A 800 meters, has signed a national letter of intent with the Oregon men's track and field program.

Flaherty, who ranks fifth in the nation, has run 1:52.73 this season. He also has a season best of 49.44 in the 400. Flaherty is the 10th member of the Ducks' incoming class of 2002-03.

"The addition of Ryan continues to meet an important need for us in the middle distances," said fourth-year UO coach Martin Smith, who led the Ducks to second place in last weekend's Pac-10 Conference championships.

There are two seniors - Simon Kimata and Ross Krempley - nearing the end of their UO careers this season. Kimata won the Pac-10 800 last weekend and earned all-America honors in the 800 during the indoor season.

"Ryan is already a talented 400/800 runner who could move into the 800/1,500 areas at the collegiate level," Smith said. "He's a gifted athlete, and just as important he's an Oregonian, which is vital to our program's future success."

As a junior in 2001, Flaherty was third in the state meet's 400 (49.13), was a member of Mountain View's 4x400 relay team that finished second (3:23.15) and was a state qualifier in the 800.

Allen Johnson, ranked No. 1 in the world in the men's 110-meter hurdles, headlines a stellar field for the event in Sunday's Prefontaine Classic track and field meet at Hayward Field.

Johnson, the American record-holder at 12.92 seconds, owns the Pre meet and Hayward Field record of 13.12. Already this season, the 31-year-old Johnson, from Columbia, S.C., has a world-best best of 13.04.

Expected to join Johnson, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, three-time world champion and four-time USA outdoor champion, are Larry Wade, ranked No. 3 in the world; Dudley Dorival of Haiti, a former silver and bronze medalist at the world championships; Terrance Trammel, the USA indoor champion; Mark Crear, an Olympic silver and bronze medalist; and Dawane Wallace, ranked No. 9 in the world.

Tickets for the IAAF Grand Prix meet are on sale at the University of Oregon ticket office at the Casanova Center during regular business, by telephoning 1-800-932-3668 or at all Ticketmaster outlets.

The Pre Classic will begin at 1 p.m.

Wrestling

Oregon State's Anthony Weber had a successful weekend while competing at the FILA Junior Nationals Wrestling Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Weber placed second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman in the 167-pound class to highlight the performances by the Orange Crush Mat Club. The event was for wrestlers ages 20 and younger.

Also gaining all-American recognition in the Greco-Roman meet for Orange Crush were Brett Phillips, third place at 119 pounds; Mike Unger, fourth at 152; Jed Lowe, fourth at 213; Orlando Perez, sixth at 152; Kevin Miles, sixth at 213; Grant Ryder, seventh at 152; and Riley Timmins, eighth at 152.