University of Oregon
NCAA West Preliminary Rounds
Hasay Doubles Ducks' Pleasure at NCAA West Meet
05/29/11 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. - Jordan Hasay qualified for two NCAA Championship events in the span of about 90 minutes to spark Oregon's performances Saturday on the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds.
"Whatever we had to do today we got done," said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. "Now we just have to get everyone on the plane and then compete when we get there (to the NCAA Championships).
"We looked at this as a qualifying meet. We weren't going to do anything heroic, it was just about going out and qualifying."
Before a crowd of 7,087 on hand at Hayward Field, Hasay was the runner-up in both the 5,000 meters and the 1,500 meters as she advanced to the NCAA Championships June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa, in perhaps the most difficult double of the preliminary rounds.
In the women's 1,500 meters, the Ducks saw a pair of second-place finishes from Hasay and Becca Friday. Hasay, conserving as much energy as possible with her 5,000 meter race yet to come, tucked behind Katerina Drennen of Montana for final two laps to advance to Des Moines. Drennen won heat two in 4:19.30, with Hasay next in 4:20.13.
Then just 90 minutes later in the national semifinals of the 5,000 meters, Hasay again let others dictate the pace as she was content to stay in the lead pack, knowing a top-five finish would get her through to the NCAA finals at Drake Stadium.
The leaders started to string out over the final 400 meters as Megan Goethals of Washington sprinted to the finish line. Only Hasay and Betsy Flood of Iowa were able to keep pace, as Goethals won the heat in 16:02.64, Hasay was second in 16:04.39 and Flood third in 16:04.46.
"Today was the hardest day," said the sophomore from Arroyo Grande, Calif. "I was mentally preparing all week because the time between the two races was so short. I felt good though and I promised coach that I wouldn't kill the last 100 meters of the 1,500 race because I wanted to conserve my energy for the 5.000."
"After the 1,500 I did a five minute jog and then just sat in the Bowerman Building for a while, listened to music and talked to some people. Then right before the 5,000 race I did a 10 minute jog and then went straight to the start line. It was a lot easier to do it here though, I just tried to think of it as a work out instead of a race."
The first heat of the women's 1,500 meters was a completely different story than Hasay's race. Friday galloped to a personal-best 4:17.93 to finish as the runner-up to Utah's Amanda Mergaert, who won in 4:16.57. Friday, a junior from Bellingham, Wash., recorded a three-second PR on Saturday.
"I think it's just a matter of staying focused the entire time, being decisive every time," said Friday. "I didn't necessarily have to run like I did but I wanted to take advantage of the race."
Oregon also advanced a pair of runners in the men's 1,500 meters.
Like he did in the opening round, Matthew Centrowitz took control of his heat two quarterfinal and cruised home to win in 3:42.23.
"I just stayed out of the traffic," said the junior from Arnold, Md. "I wanted to get in a good effort today and I wasn't conserving at all because my next race is 10 or 12 days away.
"I heard the noise on the last 50 meters and I glanced behind me to see how much of a gap I had. It felt good."
A.J. Acosta meanwhile was in ninth with 200 meters to go in the same heat before putting on a furious charge around the final curve and down the homestretch to pass eight runners and cross the line trailing only his teammate. The senior from Oceanside, Calif., ran a season-best 3:44.68.
"I just kept telling myself be patient, something will open up," said Acosta. "I swung out with 200 to go, I think I was in ninth but I could see second clear as day.
"I wanted to treat this like it was the NCAA's. I kicked like crazy. I didn't want to leave anything to imagination."
The women also advanced both relay teams on to Drake. The 4x100 meter squad of Mandy White, English Gardner, Lauryn Newson and Jamesha Youngblood finished second in its heat running 44.68. That squad also ran No. 7 time in school history despite not having Amber Purvis available due to an injury she sustained Friday.
"Lauryn Newson and I were really nervous," said Gardner. "We just wanted to get the baton around the track.
"We pulled together and got the job done. We wanted to get a good time in and make it to nationals."
The 4x400 meter relay team also advanced in relative ease, in spite of running without Purvis. The team of Michele Williams, Chizoba Okodogbe, Phyllis Francis and Laura Roesler won heat three in 3:33.63, which was the fifth-fastest time in school history.
Williams, a senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., took the Ducks through in third by running a 54.2 opening leg. She then turned it over to the freshman. Okodogbe jumped to the lead down the backstretch and then the Ducks held off all challengers, as Texas eventually took second in 3:34.22.
"It feels good to be out in the 400 again helping the team," said Williams, who filled in for Purvis and is still recovering from her own injury. "I knew I wasn't going to be on the relay automatically when I came back. It's an honor to be an alternate and it feels good to be back."
White, a senior from Lake Oswego, Ore., was sixth in her heat of the 200 meters in 23.80 and was the fastest among non-qualifiers.
In the men's 110 meter hurdles, Eric Hersey ran a personal-best 13.94 to finish seventh. The junior from Los Altos did not advance, but did run the 10th fastest time in school history.
Freshman Laura Bobek threw 161-7/49.27m to finish 15th in the women's discus.
The men's 4x100 meter relay team of Dior Mathis, Mike Berry, Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James took sixth in their heat in 40.80.
In the men's triple jump, junior Brian Schaudt finished 21st with a mark of 50-2.75, while sophomore Tyler Pinkney was 27th (49-8.25/15.14m).
Luke Puskedra was 18th in his heat of the men's 5,000 meters in 14:19.22. The junior from Ogden, Utah qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meters on Thursday night.
The Ducks will send 24 individuals - 13 women and 11 men - and two relay teams to the NCAA Championships.
The list includes 10 first-time NCAA Championships qualifiers in freshmen Gardner (women's 100), Okodogbe (women's 400 meters), Berry (men's 400 meters), Roesler (women's 800 meters), Parker Stinson (men's 10,000 meters) and Lanie Thompson (women's steeplechase), junior Bronwyn Crossman (women's 10,000 meters) and seniors Claire Michel (women's steeplechase), Jordan Roskelley (women's pole vault) and David Klech (decathlon).
"We had a lot of new people qualify this year for nationals," said Hasay. "I am really excited and I think it will be a great trip."
NCAA veterans include Hasay in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, Purvis in the women's 200, Elijah Greer in the men's 800, Anne Kesselring in the women's 800, Acosta and Centrowitz in the men's 1,500, Friday in the women's 1,500, Puskedra in the men's 10,000 meters, Steve Finley in the men's steeplechase, Justin Frick in the men's high jump, Melissa Gergel in the women's pole vault, Youngblood in the women's long jump, Jordan Stray in the men's hammer and Alex Wolff in the men's javelin.
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