University of Oregon
Pepsi Invitational (vs. Penn State, USC, Washington)
UO Women Sprint To Team Title Saturday At Pepsi Invitational
04/09/16 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Photo: Eric Evans
EUGENE, Ore. — NCAA 800-meter champion Raevyn Rogers pushed Oregon's 4x400 relay squad to victory at the tape Saturday before 5,423 at Hayward Field, helping cement a team title for the Ducks in the Pepsi Invitational over Penn State, Washington and Southern California. The Nittany Lions won the men's 4x400, giving them a share of the men's team title in a tie with the host team.
UO Sprinters Take Flight: On “Women In Flight” day at the track, honoring the program that provides support to UO women's teams, Oregon's female sprinters had a banner afternoon. The 4x100 quartet of Jasmine Todd, Deajah Stevens, Hannah Cunliffe and Ariana Washington broke the school record by running 42.88 seconds, and Washington won the 100 in a meet-record 11.34.
Freshman Alaysha Johnson ran the No. 2 time in school history in the 100 hurdles, a meet-record 13.06. She also ran the lead leg on the victorious 4x400 relay team's meet-record 3:32.07, which Rogers brought home with a 51.6-second last leg. And Ashante Horsley won the 400 in 54.67, outkicking Cameron Pettigrew of USC's talented sprint crew.
“We like to think we're pretty good in that area here,” UO coach Robert Johnson said. “I think we're our own measuring stick.”
Allen Handles Heavy Load: 2014 USA Outdoor champion Devon Allen is sitting out spring football practice to focus on track full-time, and his efforts paid off Saturday. Allen won the 110 hurdles in a meet-record 13.40 and the 400 hurdles in 52.25, and he ran on both relays for the Ducks, including the victorious 4x100 team that included his football teammates Kirk Merritt and Tony Brooks-James.
Oregon also got a win from Marcus Chambers in the 400 (46.82), who anchored the 4x100 win. And Greg Skipper threw the hammer 224 feet, 10 inches to claim victory there.
But Penn State had sprinter Xavier Smith double in the 100 and 200, and the Nittany Lions held off Washington down the stretch to win the 4x400 and tie the team score.
“I freakin' hate ties,” Johnson said. “I hate losses even more; a tie kind of feels like that. But the kids competed hard. I think the crowd appreciated the performances they saw today. For us to compete the way we did today, this weekend, bodes well for us moving forward.”
A Rare Home Defeat For Cheserek: 13-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek was second in the men's 5,000 in 13:50.82, behind Washington's Colby Gilbert, just the second time in eight races at Hayward Field that Cheserek hasn't won.
Johnson said Cheserek was “dinged up” and “pushing through” for the sake of running in front of the home fans.
“That's who he is, and the type of commitment he has,” Johnson said. “Probably next time we'll exercise veto power there no matter what.”
Up Next: Some Ducks will stay at home and participate in the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field on Thursday through Saturday, while a small contingent will head to the Mt. SAC Relays.
