University of Oregon
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Blood Gets Ducks on Scoreboard on NCAA Day 1
06/10/10 | Track and Field
* Click here to see a first-day photo gallery
EUGENE, Ore. -- Nicole Blood posted the first points of the NCAA Track & Field Championships for the Oregon women with her third-place finish in the 10,000 meters, and Andrew Wheating, Keshia Baker and Anne Kesselring all survived semifinal heats to advance Wednesday at Historic Hayward Field.
"We advanced where we needed to advance," said Oregon Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "We will see what tomorrow brings. "The fans did a great job of cheering people through the events," added Lananna. Blood battled through a chilling rain to thrill the 9,891 spectators on hand with a sprint to the finish to edge West Virginia's Clara Grandt. Iowa State's Lisa Koll won the race in 32.49.35, with teammate Betsy Saina next in 33:13.13. Then Blood scored six points for the Ducks by catching Grandt off the Bowerman Curve and finishing in a personal-best 33:22.62, the third-fastest time in school history. Grandt clocked 33:23.22. "That crowd carried me the last 600 meters when I felt like I had nothing left," said the senior from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who will also compete in the 5,000 meters on Friday. "I heard ?Blood' being chanted and people started standing." In the heptathlon, Oregon's Brianne Theisen was locked in a tight battle with Alabama senior Chealsea Taylor. Taylor led with 3,619 points, while Theisen was second with 3,615. Thiesen began the day by breaking her own school record in the 100 hurdles, running 13.39. Taylor then took the lead on the high jump, clearing 6-1.5, while Theisen made 5-8.75. Theisen then recaptured the lead with a throw of 39-9.75 in the shot put, before Taylor edged ahead by four points in the day's final event, the 200 meters. Taylor clocked 24.09, with Theisen coming in at 24.18. "I can't say that I'm not a little disappointed," said Theisen. "Especially with the high jump and shot put. I lost my rhythm in the high jump and I was a little rattled going into the shot put. "I feel good," said the junior from Humboldt, Sask., "All year long I haven't had the strongest second days. If I can get a really solid long jump that will put me in good position." The women also saw Baker, Kesselring and the 4x100 meter relay team move on. Baker ran second in her heat in 53.29 to advance to Friday's final of the women's 400 meters. "It's so exciting," said the senior from Fairfield, Calif. "Graduation on Monday, having my family here, having the race at my home track. The crowd was beautiful and they really made me feel special. It's just overwhelming with all of the emotions." Kesselring, also moved on by virtue of a second-place finish in her heat of the women's 800 meters. She ran 2:05.16 in a driving rain. Freshman Becca Friday was fifth in that heat in 2:09.13. "We've had a couple of practices like this in the winter and with cross country," said Kesselring, a freshman from Nurnberg, Germany. "It's just how it is and you have to race whatever you get." Baker also helped the women's 4x100 meter relay team qualify for Saturday's final. The team of Mandy White, Amber Purvis, Baker and Jamesha Youngblood was second in its heat in 44.08. Additionally, White, a junior from Lake Oswego, Ore., timed a wind-aided personal best 11.42 in a sixth-place finish in her heat of the women's 100 meters, but did not qualify for the final. On the men's side, Andrew Wheating won his heat of the 800 meters in 1:48.80 to advance to Friday's final. "My legs felt alive, I hammered that out. It was the easiest 1:48 I have ever run," said the senior from Norwich, Vt. "The final will be anybody's race. I am really eager to get to it." Freshman Elijah Greer ran a personal-best 1:46.99 to finish third in that heat and just missed out on the final. His time was the sixth-fastest in school history. Junior Travis Thompson took sixth in his 800 heat in 1:48.42. In early team scoring, Iowa State leads with 18 points, with Oregon tied for seventh with six. Texas A&M is the men's leader with 14 points, while Florida has 13. - www.GoDucks.com -
Players Mentioned
