University of Oregon
Texas A&M Challenge
Women?s Record DMR Leads Ducks in First Day at Texas A&M
01/30/10 | Track and Field
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Oregon women's distance medley relay team raced to a victory in a school-record time of 10:59.64 Friday night at the Texas A&M Challenge. It was one of three NCAA Indoor Championships automatic qualifying marks recorded by the Ducks in the opening night of competition.
Freshman Jordan Hasay opened the 1,200 meter leg of the relay in 3:21.49, followed by senior Keshia Baker's blistering 51.72 400. Freshman Anne Kesselring also impressed with a 2:05.99 800 before seven-time All-American Nicole Blood brought the record home with a 4:40.46 1,600 meter leg. It was the first time Oregon had ever clipped 11:00 in the distance medley relay, and broke the previous school record of 11:02.81 set on the same Gilliam Indoor Track at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
Not only did that time set the school standard, but it was also the fifth-best women's distance medley relay time in collegiate history.
Brianne Theisen made it a pair of victories for the Ducks with a win in the pentathlon. The sophomore from Humboldt, Sask., won four of the five events to cruise to victory with an NCAA Championship automatic score of 4,198 points. Highlighted by a pentathlon personal best throw of 40-0 in the shot put, Theisen also ran 8.63 in the 60 meter hurdles, cleared 5-10.5 in the high jump, went 18-5.25 in the long jump -- all wins -- before taking second in the 800 meters in 2:19.24.
The men's distance medley relay team also notched an NCAA automatic time, winning in 9:29.82. Freshman Mac Fleet ran the 1,200 meters in 2:54.37, followed by senior Chad Barlow in 47.33. Freshman Elijah Greer clocked a 1:49.09 800 before senior A.J. Acosta just got the Ducks under the NCAA automatic standard of 9:30.00 with a 3:59.05 1,600 meters.
Their time was the third fastest in school history.
Senior Ashton Eaton began his assault on the NCAA heptathlon record with heptathlon personal bests in his first three events. He won the 60 meters in 6.78 seconds, won the long jump with a leap of 25-1.75 and took second in the shot put with a throw of 41-2.5. He finished his day with the win in the high jump at 6-9.5, which was less than an inch off his personal best.
Eaton leads the competition with 3,445 points. Gray Horn of Florida is second with 3,084 points. Oregon's Marshall Ackley was sixth with 2,672 points.
The collegiate heptathlon mark is 6,208 points by Trey Hardee of Texas in 2006. Eaton's PR is 6,174 points, though that came on an oversized track in Seattle.
Bolstered by Oregon's two victories and a win by Georgia Griffin of Stanford in the 5,000 meters (16:28.35), the Pac-10 women lead the conference competition with 51 points, followed by the Big 12 with 37 and the SEC with 23.
In the men's conference competition, Oregon's DMR win, plus a victory by Stanford's Jake Riley in the 5,000 meters (13:52.87), gave the Pac-10 the overnight lead with 42 points. The Big 12 had 14 and the SEC had six with the majority of the events yet to come.
The Texas A&M Challenge continues with a full day of action beginning at 9 a.m. PST Saturday.
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