#NCAATF: What To Watch Saturday

Saturday, June 9

Eugene, OR

All Day

University of Oregon

NCAA Championships

06/08/18 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley

The Oregon women enter the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships in position to threaten for another team title.

By: Rob Moseley

What to watch at Saturday's session of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. This final day of the championship includes the conclusion of women's events, including the finish to the heptathlon and culminating in the team title.

Live stream: ESPN3, 11:30 a.m. PT
Broadcast: ESPN, 3:30 p.m. PT

THE SCHEDULE (Oregon entrants)
11:30 a.m.: Heptathlon, long jump
12:45 p.m.: Heptathlon, javelin
3 p.m.: High jump
3:05 p.m.: Discus
3:32 p.m.: 4x100 relay (Oregon)
3:40 p.m.: Triple jump (Chaquinn Cook)
3:41 p.m.: 1,500 meters (Jessica Hull)
3:54 p.m.: 3,000 steeplechase
4:12 p.m.: 100 hurdles (Alaysha Johnson)
4:22 p.m.: 100 meters (Ariana Washington)
4:32 p.m.: 400 meters (Makenzie Dunmore, Briyahna DesRosiers)
4:44 p.m.: 800 meters (Sabrina Southerland)
4:57 p.m.: 400 hurdles
5:07 p.m.: 200 meters
5:13 p.m.: Heptathlon, 800 meters
5:25 p.m.: 5,000 meters (Lilli Burdon, Samantha Nadel)
5:51 p.m.: 4x400 meters (Oregon)

Big Stories for the Ducks: It took a dramatic finish in the 4x400 relay for the UO women to wrap up the 2017 NCAA Outdoor title and 2016-17 Triple Crown last spring, and the Ducks could be in for another thrilling finish this time out. Oregon will need to outperform the form charts to repeat as national champs — but not by much. Sabrina Southerland will attempt to double as 800 champ at both NCAA Indoors and NCAA Outdoors, and the Ducks feature finalists in both relays who have championship potential.

Not to be overlooked: There are points aplenty to be had in the 400, from finalists Makenzie Dunmore and Briyahna DesRosiers, and in the 5,000, where Lilli Burdon and Samantha Nadel have had to wait through the first three days of this meet to make their debuts. Chaquinn Cook was ninth in the triple jump last spring, and will look to break into the scoring ranks this afternoon. Ariana Washington can cap a rollercoaster season with a big run in the 100, and Jessica Hull will try to make a quick recovery from the personal best she ran in Thursday's prelims.

What to watch elsewhere: A myriad of teams remain in contention for the title, including Georgia on the heels of its men's title Friday, plus Kentucky, Stanford, LSU and USC. The relays will be separators, with Oregon, Kentucky, LSU and USC all fielding 4x100 and 4x400 squads. Georgia, meanwhile, is typically strong in the field events, including Keturah Orji in the triple jump and Tatiana Gusin in the high jump. Predictably, those strengths in the relays for Kentucky, LSU and USC translate to contenders in the individual sprints as well, including Kentucky's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (100 hurdles) and Sydney McLaughlin (400 hurdles); LSU's Aleia Hobbs (100) and Kortnei Johnson (200); and USC's Deanna Hill (100/200). Georgia's Lynna Irby is a contender in both the 200 and 400.