Ducks Split During Key Weekend
02/11/16 | Track and Field
This Week: Oregon track and field will look to add to their NCAA qualifying list at both the Husky Classic in Seattle, and the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, Feb. 12-13. Both meets will start competition Friday afternoon with the bulk of the action beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday.
Coverage: The Husky Classic will be streamed online via Flotrack with a subscription. Live results for the meet will also be available.
Fans can also follow the Don Kirby Invitational via live results.
Entries: Edward Cheserek will lead a group of distance runners at the Husky Classic. Cheserek is entered in the 5,000 with Jake Leingang and Kyle Levermore while Chris Brewer and Matthew Maton will run the 3,000. Sam Prakel and Ryan Gil each finished just over four minutes in the mile at the Razorback Invitational two weeks ago and will attempt to go under that mark this weekend.
In the men's sprints, Tony Brooks-James, Kirk Merritt and Devon Allen are entered in the 60 along with Charles Nelson who will be making his season debut. Allen recorded the seventh-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the 60 hurdles with a personal record 7.74 and is entered to run his primary event in Seattle as well.
The Oregon women will be well-represented in the distance events at the Husky Classic as Annie Leblanc, who is sixth in the mile, looks to make her season debut in the 800 alongside Brooke Feldmeier who owns the 13th-fastest time in the NCAA this season. The trio of Waverly Neer, Molly Grabill and Maggie Schmaedick, which competed in the 3,000 at the Razorback Invitational, will take part in the 5,000.
In New Mexico, the women's sprint crew will be represented by Hannah Cunliffe, Alisha Rowlee and Ariana Washington in the 60, with Cunliffe and Washington entered in the 200 as well. Fresh off a school-record performance, Sasha Wallace is entered in both the 60 hurdles and the triple jump.
NCAA outdoor runner-up in the 400, Marcus Chambers, will take part in his first open 400 of the 2016 indoor season alongside Ben Thiel in New Mexico. Nate Moore and Travonn White are both entered in the long jump with Nate Moore doubling in the triple jump.
Last Year at the Husky Classic: A pair of school records were broken at the 2015 edition of the Husky Classic, first by Daniel Winn in the mile (3:57.62) and then Brittany Mann in the shot put (55-6.5). Winn's mile record was broken later that day by Edward Cheserek at the Millrose Games, but Winn cherished his 90 minutes as the fastest indoor miler in Oregon history.
Last Year at the Don Kirby Invitational: Jasmine Todd and Jenna Prandini continued to tear up the track in the 60-meter dash, as the pair finished first and second at the Don Kirby Elite. In the final, Todd tied her personal-best mark of 7.15 while Prandini was on her heels with a new personal best of 7.17 after tying her old record of 7.24 in the prelims.
It was a fast weekend for Prandini who set a school record in the 200 the night before (22.87), one she would later break at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials: The first U.S. track and field Olympians will be selected as the marathon trils will be contested in Los Angeles, Saturday. The field will include former Ducks Shadrack Biwott, Chris Kwiatkowski, Danny Mercado, Luke Puskedra, Galen Rupp, Cole Watson and Lindsey Scherf.
Rankings: The Oregon women are ranked third in the latest USTFCCCA computer rankings while the Men of Oregon are sixth.
Qualifying Position: The Oregon women currently have 10 marks which rank in the top 16 nationally, qualifying position for the NCAA Indoor Championships. The men's team currently has five marks in qualifying position.
Bowerman Watch: Jenna Prandini became the second-consecutive Oregon woman to win the Bowerman Trophy, following Laura Roesler last December. In the opening watch lists of 2016, the USTFCCCA named Devon Allen and Edward Cheserek on the men's side and Raevyn Rogers on the women's side.
Players Mentioned
