Ducks Advance 13 to NCAAs on "Nerve-Wracking" Day

Saturday, May 29

Austin, Texas

10:00 AM

University of Oregon

NCAA West Regional

Photo by: GoDucks.com

05/30/10 | Track and Field

By: GoDucks.com

AUSTIN, Texas -- Oregon survived a "nerve-wracking" final day of the NCAA West Regional to advance 11 individuals and two relays on to the NCAA Championships, which will be held June 9-12 at Historic Hayward Field.

The Ducks wrapped the night with a school record in the women's 4x400 meter relay at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Oregon won its heat to automatically advance as the team of Brianne Theisen, Amber Purvis, Michele Williams and Keshia Baker won their heat in 3:30.23, a two-second improvement on the mark they set at the Penn Relays earlier this year.

Oregon advanced three runners to the NCAA meet in both the women's and men's 1,500 meters.

In the men's heats, Andrew Wheating won his heat in a personal-best 3:37.52. Moving behind early pace setter Luke Emanuel early in the race, the senior from Norwich, Vt., tucked in behind the New Mexico runner until the final turn, where he gradually outkicked Emanual to win in a time that was the fourth-fastest in school history.

"I just didn't want to get caught in the junk in the back of the race," said Wheating, who also advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 800 meters. "I felt really heavy before the gun went off, but then I was relaxed once the race started."

In heat two, Matthew Centrowitz also won in 3:46.09. He and teammate A.J. Acosta stayed with the lead pack of four throughout the race before the two Ducks accelerated to the top two spots over the final 100 meters. Acosta finished in 3:46.27. Freshman Mac Fleet was 10th in his heat in 3;44.13 and did not advance.

"My main race plan was to qualify," said Centrowitz, a sophomore from Arnold, Md. "This regional is really nerve-wracking. I'm excited to get it over with and go to Eugene."

In the women's 1,500, all three Ducks moved on to the NCAA meet. Zoe Buckman and Alex Kosinski took second and fourth in heat two, respectively, to advance. Buckman ran 4:18.93, while Kosinski finished in 4:19.99.

"I didn't feel great going into it and I am just glad to qualify and get some more experience in the 1,500," said Buckman, a senior from Canberra, Australia. "This sets us all up for the NCAAs."

In heat one, Jordan Hasay went out to an early lead, but had to hang on for a fifth-place finish in 4:19.95 to automatically advance to Eugene. Hasay edged Lauren Hardesty of Iowa by half a second for the final automatic spot, though Hardesty also advanced on time.

"I'm just happy I made it through," said Hasay, a freshman from Arroyo Grande, Calif. "I maybe struggled with the heat a little bit today."

A 90-minute weather delay made things interesting for the Ducks early in the meet.

Jamesha Youngblood had just completed the preliminaries of the women's triple jump and stood seventh with a leap of 42-6.25. Then the weather stoppage, attributed to lightning storms in the area, caused a delay prior to the final three jumps. Youngblood passed as four competitors moved ahead of her in the standings, but she held on for the 12th and final spot for the championships in Eugene.

The women's triple jump ended at 5:59, leaving her just 16 minutes to get ready for the women's 4x100 meter relay, where there was no delay for Oregon in winning its heat in 43.50 to move on the Eugene.

The team of Mandy White, Purvis, Baker and Youngblood recorded the second-fastest relay time of the day on Saturday.

"It was pretty nerve-wracking," said Youngblood, a junior from San Pablo, Calif. "But once we figured out I was in (the triple jump), I was fine and ready for the relay."

The Ducks were also successful in the 5,000 meters, advancing two men and two women along to the finals in Eugene.

Jordan McNamara used a late kick to finish third in his heat in 14:07.14.

"I don't know where that came from," said the senior from Auburn, Wash. "I wanted this so bad."

In heat one, Michael Maag ran a tactical race, staying in the top five nearly the entire distance before a late kick sent the second through fifth place finishers scurrying to the line. The second four all finished within a second of each other as Maag took fifth in 14:02.63.

"These are some of the most nerve-wracking races," said the senior from Lake Oswego, Ore. "This is why I came all the way to Oregon, to run NCAAs at Hayward Field."

Sophomore Luke Puskedra finished 17th in 14:41.61 and Acosta was 18th in 14:47.13. Though neither advanced in the 5,000, both will be moving on to Eugene in other events.

In heat one of the women's 5,000, Nicole Blood and Kosinski settled in behind eventual winner Lisa Koll of Iowa State and advanced, though Blood had to hold off a late charge to grab an automatic spot.

Kosinski, who advanced in the 1,500 meters earlier in the day, displayed an impressive late kick to take second in 16:34.95.

"I feel like I do better doubling because I can joke around and I'm way more relaxed," said the junior from El Dorado Hills, Calif. "In the 5K, I'm the kicker."

Blood ran fourth in 16:38.90, and found an extra gear the last 50 meters to hold off a pair of challengers.

"I had to find that last gear in the straightaway," said the senior from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who also qualified for the NCAA meet in the 10,000 meters. "It wasn't pretty, but it was there."

The Ducks suffered a tough break when Purvis was disqualified from the women's 200 meters due to a false start.

Also, Oregon was seventh in its heat of the men's 4x400 meters in a season-best 3:08.34, senior Jasmine Kelly cleared 5-6.5 in the women's high jump and sophomore Brian Schaudt went 48-0.5 in the men's triple jump, but none advanced.

Oregon will have 33 entries (16 men, 17 women) for the NCAA Championships.

The list:

Men's Entries (16)

800 Meters - Andrew Wheating, Elijah Greer, Travis Thompson

1.500 Meters - Matthew Centrowitz, Andrew Wheating, A.J. Acosta

5,000 Meters - Michael Maag, Jordan McNamara

10,000 Meters - Luke Puskedra

Long Jump - Ashton Eaton, Vernell Warren

Javelin - Cyrus Hostetler, Alex Wolff

Hammer - Jordan Stray

Decathlon - Eaton, Marshall Ackley

Women's Entries (17)