University of Oregon
Pepsi Team Invitational
Fleet Feats Sweep Pepsi Meet
04/11/10 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. -- Amber Purvis repeated as champion in the 100 and 200 meters and Ashton Eaton and Mac Fleet led a bevy of men's winners as Oregon's men's and women's track and field teams swept to big victories Saturday at the Pepsi Team Invitational before 5,321 at Historic Hayward Field.
The second-ranked Ducks defeated No. 1 Texas A&M by 32.5 points in the women's competition, while No. 3 Oregon was 35 points better than the second-ranked Aggies on the men's side. Oregon won the men's competition with 186 points, followed by Texas A&M with 151, Washington with 132, Illinois with 109 and Missouri with 103.
For the women, Oregon took the team title for the 16th time with 212 points, followed by Texas A&M with 179.5, Missouri with 141 and No 13 Washington with 129.5.
"We sat down with my staff and put up the best line-up we could just like we do for every meet," said Oregon Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "We try to pick the best suited people to get the job done. Amber Purvis was great today. Also freshman Jordan Hasay and Mac Fleet stood out.
"And of course our Ashton Eaton, who scored 45 points," Lananna added in jest.
Purvis held her own against Texas A&M's talented sprint corps. The sophomore from Hercules, Calif., won the 100 meters in 11.38 to defeat reigning NCAA 200 meter champion Porscha Lucas, who ran 11.57. Purvis then came back in the 200 and won in a wind-aided personal best 23.00. The Aggies' Dominique Duncan was second in 23.61.
"It's an exciting day, it gives me a lot of motivation to work," said Purvis. "It's a great practice to run and win against Texas A&M. I want to get a little faster, but I like where I am at now.
"I wanted to show everyone that we have really good sprinters on our team. I am focused on running. Today, I actually liked the 200 meters better than the 100."
Purvis was also key for the Ducks in the 4x100 meter relay that finished behind the Aggies' meet record 43.89, but still broke the school record in 44.17. Mandy White led off, with Purvis second, Keshia Baker third and Jamesha Youngblood on the anchor.
"I am also excited for the relay," said Purvis. "We ran our fastest time. The hand-offs are still a little shaky and we have to work on that."
The women's 400 meters saw A&M's Jessica Beard post an impressive 51.64 in bettering the previous meet record by more than a second in her first outdoor race of the season. Baker was second in 53.62.
In the longer distances, Oregon's freshmen got into the act with Anne Kesselring taking the 800 meters in 2:06.90.
Then it was Jordan Hasay pulling away early to win the 5,000 meters in 16:16.02.
"It was great," said Hasay. "The crowd was really helpful. It was tough for me, and I didn't have a great time. It's hard being out there by yourself. It was my first time doing the 5K and it is definitely a different race. I tried to stick to a solid pace"
In between, a couple of veterans led the Ducks in the 1,500. Senior Nicole Blood was second in 4:19.57, while junior Alexandra Kosinski took third in 4:22.92 in her first race of 2010. Blood was also second in the 5,000 in 16:20.60.
The Duck women also counted a win from Claire Michel in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in the first race of of the day. The junior from Clackamas, Ore., finished in 10:14.24.
In the field events, Oregon got help in some unexpected areas. Heptathlete Brianne Theisen won the high jump at 5-8.75 with Jasmine Kelly second at 5-7. Junior Jordan Roskelley was a surprise winner in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 12-10.
Sara Cole collected an impressive win in the women's hammer, throwing 170-6 for a three-foot PR on her final attempt.
"For the final throw I was really nervous," said the junior from Independence, Ore. "But the motivation definitely topped it. After the throw, I definitely felt that it was a PR; sometimes you just know. It was a really intense meet."
In addition to her work on the 4x100 relay, Youngblood won the long jump with a leap of 20-6.5.
The men's competition saw Texas A&M score big points in the sprints, but Oregon countered with victories in the middle distances, hurdles and field events.
The Aggies swept the 100, 200 and 400 meters. Texas A&M's Gerald Phiri tied the meet record in winning the 100 in 10.30. Teammate Curtis Mitchell took the 200 in 20.69 and The Aggies' Demetrius Pinder won the 400 in 46.76.
But the Ducks covered those points in the 800 and 1,500 meters.
Fleet, making his Hayward Field debut in an Oregon singlet, roared off the Bowerman Curve on the final lap to win the 800 in 1:49.19, just ahead of Missouri's Aaron Dixon (1:50.11). Oregon junior Travis Thompson took third in 1:50.36.
"I wanted to get points for the team so we can win the meet," said the freshman from San Diego, Calif. "I'm happy to finally get a better time than I have been. Great win for the first race in Oregon uniform."
In the 1,500, sophomore Matthew Centrowitz followed teammate Michael Maag for most of the race before breaking with Washington's Colton Tully-Doyle with about 250 meters to go. Centrowitz then took the lead off the Bowerman Curve and won in 3:46.29. Tully-Doyle was second in 3:46.78 with Maag third in a season-best 3:48.12.
Almost overlooked amidst the entertaining battle between 100 and 1,500 meters was Eaton, who won the 110 hurdles as well as the long jump, and ran the opening leg on the Ducks' second place 4x400 meter relay team. The senior from Bend, Ore., began the day with a win in the long jump at 25-6.
He then set a personal best, albeit wind-aided, in winning the hurdles in 13.64, before wrapping the day on the runner-up 4x400 meter relay team (3:08.41). Texas A&M set a meet record in winning the 4x400 in 3:05.69.
"The hurdles went well," said Eaton. "I got really excited with the Hayward crowd and I got behind on my steps and I could feel it. But I got my act together on the second one."
Jordan Stray threw a seasonal best 213-8 to win the hammer over a pretty impressive field.
"I got my season best and I am happy about it," said the junior from Centralia, Wash. "It was a good competition against other guys from big schools. If I throw this season the way I do in practice, it will get me into the nationals and I know I am capable of a PR."
The men's javelin turned into one of the better field events of the day.
National leader Sam Humphreys of Texas A&M threw 251-8 on his fourth attempt to win the competition, but right behind him were Kyle Nielsen of Washington and Alex Wolff of Oregon.
Nielson took second at 241-9, while Wolff set a PR at 236-4 in a third-place finish. That mark ranks fifth on the UO top 10.
Like the women, the men also received some points in unexpected areas.
David Klech and Danny Marconi tied for first in the high jump with clearances at 6-9.75.
The Ducks also got a boost from Kevin McNally's second place finish in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The senior from Albuquerque finished in 9:17.59.
Senior Colin Witter-Tilton took second in the pole vault at 16-7.25, while Washington's Scott Roth tied the meet record at 18-0.5.
Eaton, one of the team captains, summed up the day for both of Oregon's victorious squads.
"We thought we would win," he said. "Maybe not dominate, but win."
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