University of Oregon
Pac-12 Championships
UO Men Dominate for 12th Straight Pac-12 Title
05/13/18 | Track and Field
The Men of Oregon dominated at the Pac-12 Championships for their 12th straight Pac-12 title, while the Women of Oregon finished as conference runners-up
STANFORD, Calif. - The Oregon men's track and field team extended its run of Pac-12 supremacy on Sunday at Cobb Track and Angell Field, securing its 12th consecutive conference title at the 2018 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships.
The unprecedented streak for the Men of Oregon began in 2007, at Stanford, and the Ducks kept it alive in emphatic fashion with a dominant performance in the Bay Area. Oregon finished with 174 points, 49 more than second-place Stanford and 56 ahead of USC, widely-considered the Ducks' top challenger.
"The men have gotten used to this thing so they know what it takes to win," said head coach Robert Johnson. "Sometimes it's harder to have a feeling or know what you're suppose to do when you're predicted to win and then actually out there and do it. So the men did a great job executing in all phases today."
The Oregon women were locked in a thrilling battle with the Trojans from start to finish, narrowly finishing as the Pac-12 runners-up with 154 points, 16 behind USC.That feeling when you win back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back Men's #PAC12TF Championships. #12InARow #FlyInFormation pic.twitter.com/MmqttvYeGb
— Oregon Track & Field (@OregonTF) May 14, 2018
"I knew we would fight to the very end," Johnson said of the women's team. "It's probably a little too close and a little too fresh for us to fully appreciate and dissect the ins and outs, but I know it's something we'll definitely use and learn from all experiences both good and bad."
The men saw three Ducks claim individual conference titles on Sunday, giving them four total after Damarcus Simpson repeated as the long jump champion on Saturday. Redshirt senior Sam Prakel won the 1,500 meters, sophomore Braxton Canady took home the title in the 110-meter hurdles and junior transfer Cravon Gillespie gave the Ducks their second straight conference title in the 100 meters.
Redshirt sophomore Jessica Hull secured the first championship of the day in the women's 1,500 meters, giving the Ducks the front end of the sweep in that event. Sophomore Makenzie Dunmore secured her first career Pac-12 title later on, winning the women's 200 meters, and Sabrina Southerland ran away with the 800 meters.
The men entered the final day of competition in second place with 43 points, and got off to a fast start with a runner-up finish in the 4x100 meter relay before Prakel ran 3:40.20 to win his first conference title in his final Pac-12 Championships. He led a 1-2 finish in the 1,500 with James West, and then came back later on to place third in the 800 meters with teammate Mick Stanovsek two spots behind in fifth.
"It felt incredible," Prakel said of his 1,500 meter win. "I've been right there the last two years. I wanted to give it my best shot and maybe use my age and my seniority to show that strength at the end."
Canady, the runner-up in the 110 hurdles last year as a freshman, ran away with the title in a wind-aided 13.57, and was joined on the podium by freshman Joseph Anderson, who placed third in 13.96. Sophomore Jonathan Harvey was sixth, and then placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.
"We talked about it yesterday," Canady said, "put green in front of everything else, so that's what we were trying to do."
Gillespie and Simpson were the leading point scorers for the men with 18 points apiece. Gillespie won the 100 meters with Simpson right behind in second, and Gillespie came back later to take second in the 200 meters. Gillespie also ran a leg on the Ducks' second-place 4x100 relay team.
"It feels great," Gillespie said. "You know, I came in here and had the fastest (100) qualifying time but all that is out the window. You have to come here, you have to perform, you have to do it with these guys next to you so it was great to come out and execute my race right and get the victory."
Freshmen Rieker Daniel (fifth) and Myles Webb (seventh) joined Gillespie and Simpson as scorers in the 100, and Daniel was fourth in the 200. Ben Milligan was the Pac-12 runner-up in the high jump, and junior Tristan James followed his runner-up finish in the long jump on Saturday with a third-place showing in the triple jump. Cameron Stone and Orwin Emilien went 4-5 in the 400 meters, Cooper Teare was sixth in the 5,000 meters and the 4x400 meter relay team placed second to round out the scoring and put the exclamation point on the championship.
"I don't really look at the predictions," Gillespie said, "but I know a lot of people predicted us to win. But you still have to come here and get the points. That's what we did."
Hull, who has been tremendous in cross country, indoors and outdoors this season, ran 4:21.64 to win the women's 1,500 meter title and continue her rise as one of the top middle-distance runners in the conference and the nation. She was one of four Ducks to score in the event, along with Lilli Burdon (fourth), Katie Rainsberger (fifth) and Amanda Gehrich (seventh).
"That was so exciting. It flew by out there," said Hull. "My dad texted me this morning because I think he knew that I was nervous and he was like, 'This is what you've worked for. Make sure it stays enjoyable, don't change the way you go about this, stay true to you. You might have different pressure in your shoulders but embrace it and that's going to be the difference.'"
Southerland, the NCAA Indoor 800 meter champion, continued her dominant season as a Duck with a victory in 2:02.18, giving the UO women their seventh straight title in that event and ninth in the last 10 years. Junior Susan Ejore was fourth.
Like Gillespie, Dunmore racked up 18 individual points to lead the women's team. The sophomore led a 2-5-6-8 Oregon finish with Briyahna DesRosiers, Shae Anderson and Hannah Waller in the 400 meters, and then won the 200 meters in a windy 22.37. Jasmin Reed, Ariana Washington and Venessa D'Arpino took the final three scoring spots in the 200.
Chaquinn Cook was the runner-up in the triple jump, Kiana Phelps placed sixth in the discus, and senior Kylee O'Connor, who opened the scoring last week with a sixth-place finish in the heptathlon, continued a breakout spring with a third-place showing in the 400 meter hurdles. Alaysha Johnson and Kaylah Robinson were fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 100 meter hurdles, and Washington was third in the 100 meters with Reed fourth, Lauren Rain Williams sixth and D'Arpino seventh.
That brought the women's team title down to the final two events, the 5,000 meters and the 4x400 meter relay. With USC showing really well in the sprints and field events, the Ducks needed big points in the 5,000 meters and a win over the Trojans in the relay to secure a 10th straight sweep of the team titles.
It didn't quite come to fruition, as Burdon, Hull and Samantha Nadel finished fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, leaving the Ducks short of striking range of the Trojans even with a win in the relay.
Burdon and Nadel both took the lead at some point in the race, something each said after they probably shouldn't have done with the field running a slow race.
"No one was taking the lead so I found myself in the lead," Nadel said. I don't think I should've done that. I should've hung back a little bit and let the race play out.
"We talked last night on what it would take to be successful and (the 5K girls) were in that conversation, obviously," Johnson said. "They knew what they had to do and they gave it a shot."
The 4x400 team finished as runners-up to the Trojans to close out a terrific battle between the two teams and the meet.
Though disappointed to not get the title sweep, the Ducks once again showed out at the conference meet and displayed tremendous fight and depth that will make them a top contender for the national team titles next month at Hayward Field (June 6-9).
And on the men's side, the Ducks remain the only team to hoist the Pac-12 championship trophy since 2007, solidifying their position as one of the most dominant programs not only in track and field, but in all of the conference's sports.
"When you talk about a dozen years of anything, that's an awful long time," said Johnson. "It's one of those experiences that we'll cherish."?
How many in a row is that again? #FlyInFormation pic.twitter.com/daus30ce5i
— Oregon Track & Field (@OregonTF) May 14, 2018
Players Mentioned
