University of Oregon
NCAA Indoor Championships
Milers Go the Distance (Medley Relay)
03/10/12 | Track and Field
NAMPA, Idaho - Oregon's women's distance medley relay team clawed its way to a runner-up finish and Jordan Hasay and English Garnder led a successful round of qualifying Friday at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
In all, the Ducks saw six individuals - five women and one man - advance through preliminary rounds to Saturday finals at Jacksons Indoor Track at the Idaho Center.
"I think we had a reasonably good first day," said Oregon Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "When it comes to a championship meet like this, you need to scratch and claw for every point."
After six events, Texas led with 17 points, followed by Iowa State with 15, Arizona with 13 and Texas A&M with 12. The Ducks were tied for 10th with eight points.
In the final running event of the night, the Ducks earned eight critical points in their chase to win a third straight NCAA title. Oregon's time of 11:05.85 was just good enough for second, behind Washington's 11:05.20, but ahead of Dartmouth's 11:06.29.
Becca Friday led off the 1,200 meter leg in 3:24.74, as the Ducks were second behind Florida. Chizoba Okodogbe took the 400 leg through in 53.90 as the Ducks closed on the Gators. Laura Roesler handled the 800 leg in 2:08.84, as the teams bunched up at the final exchange. Anne Kesselring, the defending NCAA Champion, then went with the Huskies on a late charge as the two Northwest rivals pulled clear of the pack for the 1-2 finish. Kesselring closed in 4:38.39.
"It was a good way to end the night," said Roesler, who struggled on the final lap of the 800 meter preliminaries and finished eighth in 2:10.62.
Jordan Hasay led a clean sweep of women's qualifiers in the mile, as all three Ducks advanced to Saturday's final. Hasay, a junior from Arroyo Grande, Calif., controlled her heat from the gun and won in 4:41.23. Kesselring and Friday also qualified. Kesselring finished fourth in Hasay's heat to automatically advance in 4:42.34. The junior from Nurnberg, Germany, needed a big closing lap to move up into the automatic qualifying position.
English Gardner broke her own school record, as well as the Jacksons Indoor Track record, in the 60 meters by winning her heat in 7.17. The freshman from Voorhees, N.J., just out-leaned Central Florida's Aurieyall Scott, who hit the tape in 7.18. Gardner ran 7.17 earlier this season at Albuquerque, but that time came at altitude.
"I didn't have the best start in the world," said Gardner. "Stay hungry, stay humble and gear up for finals."
In heat one, Friday, knowing she'd be coming back in the DMR later in the evening ran a conservative race, hanging behind the leaders until the final 50 meters when the junior from Bellingham, Wash., put on a burst of speed to take fourth in 4:41.03.
The Ducks were also perfect in both 400 meters, where Mike Berry and Phyllis Francis moved on to the finals. Francis ran 54.03. She was second in her heat behind Regina George of Arkansas, who ran 52.93. But the indoor personal-best put Francis fourth overall, meaning she will run in the faster final in Saturday. The time was also the second-fastest in school history for the sophomore from Queens, N.Y.
"I was just trying to see where I was at," said Francis. "It was a goal to get to the final. I'm still going to have to kick off some rust tomorrow."
Berry meanwhile took second his heat in 46.25. The Seattle, Wash., sophomore needed a burst of speed over the final 150 meters to advance to Saturday's final.
"I felt real smooth," said Berry. "I had to come through pretty hard in that last 200. I wanted to come out and make finals."
Sophomore Parker Stinson timed 14:08.63 to finish 13th in the final of the men's 5,000 meters.
In the women's 5,000 meter final, Alex Kosinksi finished 14th in 16:38.61 and Bronwyn Crossman took 15th in 16:46.14.
In the men's team competition, Arkansas led with 22 points, followed by Texas at 20.5 and Arizona with 16.
In Saturday's finals, the Women of Oregon will have Brianne Theisen in the pentathlon, Friday, Hasay and Kesselring in the mile, Francis in the 400, Gardner in the 60, Hasay in the 3,000 and the 4x400 meter relay.
The men will have Berry in the 400 and Trevor Dunbar in the 3,000 meters.
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