Thursday, February 13
Albuquerque, NM
All Day
University of Oregon
vs
Don Kirby Elite Invitational
Photo by: Ben Crawford
Split Squads Seek NCAA Marks
02/12/20 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley
The UO track and field team will split up for two meets this weekend that provide key chances to post NCAA qualifying marks.
After making history as a group two weeks ago, members of Oregon's distance-medley relay will turn their focus inward this weekend.
The UO track and field teams will split up for two meets this weekend, the last competitions on Oregon's schedule before the start of the postseason. It will be a key weekend to earn qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including for the four UO men who helped set the new DMR collegiate record on Feb. 1 at the Razorback Invitational.
Don Kirby Elite Invitational (Feb. 13-14): Watch ($) | Live Results | Meet Schedule
Husky Classic (Feb. 14-15): Watch ($) | Live Results | Meet Schedule
Most of Oregon's sprinters and jumpers competing this week will do so at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, a chance for those athletes to get an early look at the host facility for the NCAA Indoor meet March 13-14. The Husky Classic in Seattle will host the UO distance and throws contingent, including Ducks who ran on the record-setting relay at Arkansas.
James West ran the opening leg of 1,200 meters and Cooper Teare ran the anchoring 1,600 for the distance-medley relay team that finished in 9:24.52 on Feb. 1. They're entered in the 3,000 meters in Seattle this weekend, and Charlie Hunter will run a mile this week after running the 800-meter leg on the relay team. All three qualified for last year's NCAA Indoor Championships in the events they'll run this weekend.
Prior to the Razorback Invitational, UO coach Robert Johnson hoped the distance-medley relay could post a time that would keep them in the top 12 nationally by season's end, earning them a spot in the NCAA Indoor field. He wasn't anticipating a collegiate record.
"I never would have guessed that fast, that early," Johnson said.
How fast was their time? Fast enough to unseat the previous collegiate record of 9:25.97 set by Texas in 2008. The current set of Ducks also erased the old UO mark (9:26.78) established back in 2011 by a quartet which included world championship medalists Matthew Centrowitz and Mike Berry, and NCAA individual champions Mac Fleet and Elijah Greer.
"For those guys to go out there and set the collegiate record in that event says a lot about what coach (Ben) Thomas is doing with our men's distance program," Johnson said, "and those guys, the belief and buy-in they have in him and to get it done.
"(The previous record holders) are legends in the sport of track and field. So kudos to those guys."
The Ducks enter this week ranked No. 9 among women's teams and No. 11 on the men's side. The men's team has four marks that would earn NCAA Indoor Championship berths if the season ended now, and there are seven on the women's side – with this weekend plus the MPSF Championships at month's end in which to add to those totals, and fend off challengers from other teams.
In addition to the No. 1 NCAA performance in the men's DMR, the Ducks carry three top-five national marks on the women's side. Sophomore Lexi Ellis owns the third-best mark in the country in the triple jump. She added nearly three feet to her previous indoor best with a jump of 13.56m/44-6 at the Razorback Invitational. The Women of Oregon also have the No. 5 times nationally from Susan Ejore (2:04.77) and Carmela Cardama Baez (15:25.41) at 800 and 5,000 meters, respectively.
Johnson is encouraged by Oregon's performances so far this season, but also wary of how his young rosters will handle the pressure as the postseason approaches.
"It's still early," Johnson said. "We'll see how it goes this weekend at the two sites we're going to compete at.
"But I think we're headed in the right direction. We have a long way to go. But definitely a step in the right direction."
The UO track and field teams will split up for two meets this weekend, the last competitions on Oregon's schedule before the start of the postseason. It will be a key weekend to earn qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including for the four UO men who helped set the new DMR collegiate record on Feb. 1 at the Razorback Invitational.
Don Kirby Elite Invitational (Feb. 13-14): Watch ($) | Live Results | Meet Schedule
Husky Classic (Feb. 14-15): Watch ($) | Live Results | Meet Schedule
Most of Oregon's sprinters and jumpers competing this week will do so at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, a chance for those athletes to get an early look at the host facility for the NCAA Indoor meet March 13-14. The Husky Classic in Seattle will host the UO distance and throws contingent, including Ducks who ran on the record-setting relay at Arkansas.
James West ran the opening leg of 1,200 meters and Cooper Teare ran the anchoring 1,600 for the distance-medley relay team that finished in 9:24.52 on Feb. 1. They're entered in the 3,000 meters in Seattle this weekend, and Charlie Hunter will run a mile this week after running the 800-meter leg on the relay team. All three qualified for last year's NCAA Indoor Championships in the events they'll run this weekend.
Prior to the Razorback Invitational, UO coach Robert Johnson hoped the distance-medley relay could post a time that would keep them in the top 12 nationally by season's end, earning them a spot in the NCAA Indoor field. He wasn't anticipating a collegiate record.
"I never would have guessed that fast, that early," Johnson said.
How fast was their time? Fast enough to unseat the previous collegiate record of 9:25.97 set by Texas in 2008. The current set of Ducks also erased the old UO mark (9:26.78) established back in 2011 by a quartet which included world championship medalists Matthew Centrowitz and Mike Berry, and NCAA individual champions Mac Fleet and Elijah Greer.
"For those guys to go out there and set the collegiate record in that event says a lot about what coach (Ben) Thomas is doing with our men's distance program," Johnson said, "and those guys, the belief and buy-in they have in him and to get it done.
"(The previous record holders) are legends in the sport of track and field. So kudos to those guys."
The Ducks enter this week ranked No. 9 among women's teams and No. 11 on the men's side. The men's team has four marks that would earn NCAA Indoor Championship berths if the season ended now, and there are seven on the women's side – with this weekend plus the MPSF Championships at month's end in which to add to those totals, and fend off challengers from other teams.
In addition to the No. 1 NCAA performance in the men's DMR, the Ducks carry three top-five national marks on the women's side. Sophomore Lexi Ellis owns the third-best mark in the country in the triple jump. She added nearly three feet to her previous indoor best with a jump of 13.56m/44-6 at the Razorback Invitational. The Women of Oregon also have the No. 5 times nationally from Susan Ejore (2:04.77) and Carmela Cardama Baez (15:25.41) at 800 and 5,000 meters, respectively.
Johnson is encouraged by Oregon's performances so far this season, but also wary of how his young rosters will handle the pressure as the postseason approaches.
"It's still early," Johnson said. "We'll see how it goes this weekend at the two sites we're going to compete at.
"But I think we're headed in the right direction. We have a long way to go. But definitely a step in the right direction."
Players Mentioned
DIS
/ Track and Field
MD
/ Track and Field
JMP
/ Track and Field
MD
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
DIS
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