Track & Field Points to Busy Weekend in Seattle, Fayetteville & Boulder
EUGENE – With the halfway point of the indoor track and field season at hand, the University of Oregon track and field teams face arguably their busiest weekend of the slate this Fri. -Sat., Feb. 9-10 at a pair of highly-regarded invitationals.
A tentative travel party of 47 men’s and women’s athletes from the sprints, distances, jumps and throws areas will compete Sat., Feb. 10 in the Husky Classic, held in the Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle, Wash. Action will run from approximately 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., and more meet information and tentative meet schedule is available at the www.gohuskies.com website.
Another group of 10 men’s and women’s athletes from the jumps, sprints and middle distance area will compete Fri.-Sat., in the Tyson Invitational, held in the Randal A. Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Events run from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday Central Time, and again on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4:45 pm. (CT).
The Ducks will also send four men and women to compete in the USA Cross Country Championships, in Boulder, Colo., on the Flatirons Golf Course. The Ducks entered one woman and three men in Saturday’s junior 6,000m and 8,000m events, respectively, and more event information is available at the www.usatf.org website.
DUCK TEAM PREVIEW - SEATTLE
The Seattle travel party squad includes one NCAA champion – four-time pole vault victor Tommy Skipper – and two other returning All-Americans – senior Brian Richotte and sophomore Galen Rupp – along with five other NCAA veterans in seniors Emily Enders and Colin Veldman, juniors Kasey Harwood and Michael McGrath and redshirt sophomore Kalindra McFadden.
Also slated to compete in Seattle this weekend are five current NCAA qualifiers, including Skipper who is the Ducks’ lone NCAA automatic qualifier of the early season (pole vault, third, 18-0 1/2). UO's four other NCAA individual provisional qualifiers headed to Seattle include Galen Rupp (5,000m, second), Brian Richotte (weight throw, eighth), and Ashton Eaton (heptathlon, 14th) and Eniko Eros (women’s pole vault, 15th).
UO’s tentative travel party for Seattle (listed alphabetically and subject to change) includes:
Men
60m – Patrick Chung, William Puaa, Jonathan Stewart
200m – Marshall Ackley, Chad Barlow, Marcus Dillon
400m – Philip Alexander, Tanner Targett
800m – A.J. Casteel, Kevin McNally, Ryan Waite
Mile – Michael McGrath, Duke Wasteney, Andrew Wheating, Chris Winter, James Withers
3,000m – Michael McGrath, Jon Thomas, Carlos Trujillo, Scott Wall
5,000m – Galen Rupp, Jon Thomas
60m Hurdles – Marshall Ackley, Ashton Eaton, Jared Huske, Walter Thurmond III
High Jump – Ashton Eaton
Pole Vault – Marshall Ackley, Brian McGinty, David Moore, Tommy Skipper, Colin Witter-Tilton
Long Jump – William Puaa
Shot Put – Mark Lewis, Scott Penny
Weight Throw – Mike Hill, Steven Johnson, Scott Penny, Brian Richotte, Colin Veldman
Women
60m – Ashley Bridenbeck
200m – Ashley Bridenbeck
800m – Kasey Harwood
Mile – Nicole Blood, Dana Buchanan, Zoe Nelson
3,000m – Nicole Blood, Dana Buchanan, Keara Sammons
60m Hurdles – Erin Funkhouser, Kalindra McFadden
4x400m
High Jump – Erin Funkhouser, Kalindra McFadden
Pole Vault – Emily Enders, Eniko Eros, Tara Rhein
Weight Throw – Britney Henry, Megan Maloney
DUCK TEAM PREVIEW - FAYETTEVILLE
Senior Lauryn Jordan continues her quest for her first NCAA indoor invitation and will compete in the long jump in Fayetteville, Ark., this weekend. The Stockton, Calif., native broke her school record by 1 1/2 inches in Seattle two weeks ago with her NCAA provisional leap of 20-1. On the track, returning NCAA outdoor 800m champion Rebekah Noble will make her first indoor appearance of '07 in the 800m on the banked Tyson Center track in an elite section of the event. The Spokane, Wash., native finished a narrow second place last year in the NCAA indoor event at the same location. The Ducks will also likely enter a several women’s sprinters, and a women’s 4x400m along with sophomore decathlete Alexey Shkuratov in the long jump. The Minsk, Belarus native leaped 23-3 1/2 in his only indoor event appearance last year.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
National collegiate rankings are updated Wednesday, and are available through the STATISTICS dropdown statistics link on the www.GoDucks.com track and field main page or at the following URL address ( http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4366&SPID=243&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=233544 ).
NCAA QUALIFYING UPDATE
The Ducks currently have one NCAA men’s automatic qualifier and nine provisional qualifiers (6 men / 3 women) for the NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for Fri.-Sat., March 9-10 at the University of Arkansas. The two-day meet will feature 284 athletes in each of the men’s and women’s competitions, and invitations are based on athletes’ indoor season best marks. Each NCAA individual event typically has between 10-12 relay entries and 12-20 entries in individual events, based on size limitations and each event’s ability to handle more or less athletes based on lane, section and flight assignments. Athletes that meet each event’s automatic mark are guaranteed positions in the NCAA field, and the next best marks from the NCAA provisional list are used to fill remaining slots in the field by the NCAA Championships selection committee. More NCAA Indoor Championships information is available at the www.NCAAsports.com , www.HogWired.com and www.LadyBacks.com websites.
A complete list of Duck NCAA qualifiers, season/personal bests and current collegiate rankings follows:
Men’s NCAA Automatic Qualifier
Tommy Skipper, Fr., Sandy, Ore., Pole Vault, 3rd, 5.50m, 18-0 1/2 (Indoor Personal 18-8 3/4, 2004, ’06)
Men’s NCAA Provisional Qualifiers
Galen Rupp, So., Portland, Ore., 5,000m, 2nd, 13:58.09, 12/1/06 (Indoor Personal Best 13:48.51, 2006)
Distance Medley Relay – A.J. Acosta, Marcus Dillon, A.J. Casteel, Michael McGrath, 2nd, 9:41.64, 1/26/07
Distance Medley Relay – Duke Wasteney, Phil Alexander, Ryan Waite, Andrew Wheating, 9:42.06, 1/26/07
Brian Richotte, RSr., Berkeley, Mich., Weight Throw, 8th, 20.53m (67-4 1/4), (Personal Best 69-4 1/4, 2006)
Ashton Eaton, Fr., Bend, Ore., Heptathlon, 14th, 5,370 points (IPR), 1/26-27/07
A.J. Acosta, Fr., Oceanside, Calif., 3,000m, 38th, 8:04.71 (IPR), 1/27/07
Women’s NCAA Provisional Qualifiers
Eniko Eros, Fr., Budapest, Hungary, Pole Vault, 15th, 3.96m (12-11.75), 1/27/07 (Indoor Personal Best 4.15m (13-7.25), 2006)
Lauryn Jordan, RSr., Stockton, Calif., Long Jump, 18th-tie, 6.12m (20-1), 1/26/07 (School Record)
Lauryn Jordan, RSr., Stockton, Calif., Pentathlon, 33rd, 3,718, 2/2/07 (Indoor Personal Best 3,894, 2006)
U.S. HARRIER FINALE MAKES BOULDER DEBUT
Four Duck freshmen will head to Boulder, Colo., for junior events (women's 6,000m / men's 8,000m) in Saturday's USA Cross Country Championships, and will compete for positions on the U.S. team for the upcoming 35th World Cross Country Championships, in Mobasa, Kenya (3/24).
Freshman Bria Wetsch ranked top-four for the Ducks in both of her cross country appearances last fall in the Pac-10 and West Regional Championships (22nd/34th) and ranked second on the team in the latter event. The Chaska, Minn., native also competed in the USA Cross Country Championships junior race in 2006 (eighth) and ’05 (10th), and the former prep state champion was also an eighth-place finisher in the 2005 Foot Locker Championships.
Freshman A.J. Acosta was a cross country redshirt for the Ducks last fall, and competed unattached in two races. The Oceanside, Calif., native was a Foot Locker prep harrier champion in 2005. Freshmen Isaac Stoutenburgh and Kenny Klotz were also Foot Locker harrier veterans as seniors in 2005, and the duo also ran the USA cross country junior event in 2006 and finished eighth and 15th, respectively. This past fall for UO, both competed in the postseason in various events and combined for six, top-eight finishes for the Pac-10 and West Regional champion squad that also tied for fifth in the NCAA Championships.
Also set to compete Saturday in the men’s senior open race are former Duck All-Americans Jason Hartmann of Nike and Eric Logsdon of Team XO. Hartmann was a three-time cross country for UO All-American in the NCAA Championships (37th in 1999, 35th in 2000 and 20th in ’02), while Logsdon claimed similar honors in 2002 (41st) and ’03 (29th).
More event information about this weekend’s event is located at the www.USATF.org website at the http://www.usatf.org/events/2007/USAXCChampionships/entry/status.asp URL link.
LAST WEEKEND’S REWIND
Last weekend in the Husker Invitational, a pair of Ducks scored NCAA qualifying marks to lead scaled-back squads in the University of Nebraska-hosted meet. UO also made its first appearance at the famed Millrose Games in New York City since 1983, although the men’s 4x800m relay faced the misfortune of a dropped baton on the opening leg.
TOP WOMEN LAST WEEK
LINCOLN, Neb. (2/2-3/07) – Redshirt senior Lauryn Jordan notched the seventh NCAA provisional pentathlon mark of her career (third, 3,718). The Stockton, Calif., native logged marks of 9.08 in the 60m hurdles, 5-6 1/2 in the high jump, 40-3 1/4 in the shot put, 20-1 in the long jump and 2:40.69 in the 800m. Redshirt sophomore Kalindra McFadden also added a four-point season best (fifth overall, 3,656) and her individual marks included 9.09 in the 60m hurdles, 5-3 in the high jump, 36-7 3/4, 16-11 1/2 in the long jump and 2:20.45 in the 800m. Comparing their marks to the rest of the field, Jordan posted the best pentathlon mark in the shot put and long jump, and McFadden ran the second-fastest 800m. The pole vault duo of senior Emily Enders and freshman Eniko Eros both ended with final clearances of 12-3 1/2, and tied for third and fifth, respectively.
TOP MEN LAST WEEK
LINCOLN, Neb. (2/2-3/07) – Senior Tommy Skipper claimed UO’s first NCAA automatic mark of the indoor campaign (first, 18-0 1/2 (5.50m) with a first-attempt clearance at his opening height of 18-0 1/2 (5.50m) – then missed his subsequent attempts at 19-0 1/4 (5.80m). His mark exactly met the NCAA automatic standard and was his 14th career indoor meet with a mark of 18 feet or better. Skipper’s appearance was his second of the season after he also cleared 18-0 1/2 in the Pole Vault Summit exhibition in mid-January. In the sprints, sophomore Jared Huske ran a .07-second personal best in the 60m hurdles prelims (8.11) and is now ranked fifth all-time for UO. Other top marks came from seniors David Moore (pole vault, fifth, 16-6 3/4) and Colin Veldman (weight throw, 10th, 58-8 3/4), juniors Phil Alexander (60m, 18th, 6.98; 200m, sixth, 21.78, 21.67-prelim) and Marcus Dillon (60m, 22nd, 7.01; 400m, 10th, 48.92), and freshmen Chad Barlow (400m, sixth, 48.47, season best 48.12-prelim), Ashton Eaton (long jump, fourth, 23-6 1/4), Steven Johnson (weight throw, 16th, season best 51-8 3/4) and Colin Witter-Tilton (pole vault, 10th-tie, season best 15-11).
LAST YEAR IN SEATTLE/FAYETTEVILLE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (2/10-11/06) – In last year’s Tyson Invitational, pole vaulter Tommy Skipper notched a then-season best with his first NCAA automatic mark of the season (fifth, 18-0 1/2) as the top collegiate finisher in the elite section. On the track, then-senior Eric Mitchum took second in the 60m hurdles final and tied his season best (NCAA prov. 7.78), and the six-time All-American was only .09 seconds off the then-school record (7.69). On the women’s side, senior Lauryn Jordan took 13th in the long jump (18-7 3/4) with her only legal mark on her third preliminary try after two fouled attempts.
SEATTLE (2/11/06) - A quartet of UO athletes scored NCAA provisional marks in one of the nation’s top distance meets of the year. Michael McGrath ran a 1.23-second then-indoor mile personal best (11th, 4:02.30) and easily eclipsed the NCAA provisional standard (4:04.90). The Portland, Ore., native came back for the opening 1,200m leg of the distance medley relay which ran UO’s then-third fastest mark ever (second, 9:49.38). In the field, Colin Veldman boomed a 1 foot, 5 inch then-personal best in the weight throw (fifth, 60-3 3/4) and moved up one spot to fourth all-time for UO. Veldman later uncorked a 1 foot, 11 inch then-personal best in the shot put (sixth, 56-11 1/4) that moved him to third all-time for UO indoors. On the women’s side, miler Dana Buchanan ran a 1.58-second indoor then-personal best (seventh, 4:46.71) and moved to fifth all-time for UO and dipped below the NCAA provisional standard (4:47.00) by .29 seconds. Then-graduate student Amber McGown added a personal best in the 3,000m late in the afternoon (sixth, 9:32.57). The Melfort, Sask., native’s first 3K race in six years moved her to fifth all-time for UO, and was 2.43 seconds under the NCAA provisional standard (9:35.00). Kalindra McFadden posted a 2 1/2-inch then-personal best in the high jump (fourth, 5-7) – and was only one inch from UO’s all-time top-five list. The Bozeman, Mont., native also lowered the team’s then-season best in the 60 hurdles by .01 seconds earlier in the day (8.98) and remained fourth all-time for the Ducks - only .02 seconds behind UO’s second-ranked all-time hurdler. McFadden came back in the afternoon with a .05-second season best in the 200 meters (25.43). At the end of the evening, she ran a 400 meter leg on the distance medley relay that won (11:33.59) on a come-from-behind anchor by Rebekah Noble.
LOOKING AHEAD
After a week off from competition next week, the squads return to Seattle for the Mountain Pacific Championships, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 23-24 to take on many of the best teams from the Pac-10 and Big West Conferences. A tentative meet schedule is available at the www.GoHuskies.com website, and more information on the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is available at the www.mpsports.org website.
2007 SEASON PREVIEW
The Ducks return nine All-Americans in '07 – four men and five women – that have already combined for 20 All-America honors in their careers (13 men / seven women). Team-wise in ‘06, the UO women scored their third top-25 NCAA indoor team finish in school history, while the men’s sixth-place NCAA finish tied their best ever and was their third, top-10 finish in five years. Outdoors, the UO women tallied their highest Pac-10 point total (97 points) in a decade, then placed 11th in the NCAA Championships and featured five All-Americans – their highest tallies in both NCAA categories since 1993. The men opened the outdoor postseason with their fifth consecutive top-two finish in the Pac-10 Championships for the first time ever, then added 12th place in the NCAA Championships for their fifth top-15 team finish in six years.
TOP MEN’S RETURNEES
For the Men of Oregon, senior Tommy Skipper has already won four NCAA pole vault titles indoors (2005, ’06) and outdoors (2004, ’06) and was also an NCAA runner-up as a freshman indoors in ’04. Sophomore Galen Rupp staked honors indoors in the NCAA Championships in ’06 in the 3,000m (sixth) and 5,000m) and outdoors in ’05 in the 10,000m (second), and senior Jordan Kent and sophomore Derrick Jones teamed for honors outdoors last spring (4x100m, seventh) while Kent was also honored in ’05 in the 4x100m (sixth) and in the 4x400m in both ’05 (third) and ’06 (sixth). Other Ducks with NCAA experience include senior Colin Veldman (hammer, outdoors ’06) and redshirt junior Michael McGrath (mile, indoors ’06)
TOP WOMEN’S RETURNEES
On the women’s side in ‘06, sophomore Rebekah Noble became the first freshman to win the NCAA outdoor crown in the 800m last spring after she was a narrow runner-up indoors. Senior Dana Buchanan and redshirt junior Irie Searcy ran on UO’s first-ever indoor distance medley relay indoors (seventh), while seniors Britney Henry (hammer, sixth) and Lauryn Jordan (heptathlon, seventh) and sophomore Rachel Yurkovich (javelin, seventh) claimed All-America honors outdoors in ’06. Other Ducks with NCAA experience include senior Emily Enders (pole vault, outdoors ’04, ’06), junior Kasey Harwood (400m hurdles, outdoors ’06) and redshirt sophomore Kalindra McFadden (heptathlon, outdoors ’06).
RECRUITING COUPS
The UO men's and women's recruiting classes give continued hope for further success and were ranked third and eighth nationally by Track and Field News magazine. The Duck men signed one of its deepest classes of newcomers ever, founded by a trio of national junior champions in the distance events, while the women’s list of additions is equally balanced in its quality and quantity.
COACHING STAFF
Associate Athletic Director / Director of Track and Field Vin Lananna returns for his second season and welcomes back a staff that includes assistant coaches Kelly Blair LaBounty (Multi-Events, Women’s Hurdles - Second Year), Lance Deal (Throws - Fifth Year), Robert Johnson (Jumps, Women’s Sprints - Second Year); Andy Powell (Middle Distances, Distances - Second Year), Dan Steele (Men’s Sprints-Hurdles, Pole Vault - Fifth Year) and volunteer coaches Jennifer Ashcroft (Pole Vault - First Year), Cody Fleming (Multi-Events - First Year), Kayla Mellott (Sprints, Hurdles - Second Year); Maurica Powell (Distances - Second Year) and Cari Soong (Throws - First Year).
ONLINE TRACK RESOURCES
For more Oregon track and field coverage, four area newspapers provide in-depth track and field coverage and include the local Eugene Register Guard ( www.registerguard.com ) and Oregon Daily Emerald Student Newspaper ( www.dailyemerald.com ) , along with The (Portland) Oregonian ( www.oregonlive.com ) and the Salem Statesman-Journal ( www.statesmanjournal.com ).
Links to other collegiate, national and international track and field-related websites follow:
Pacific-10 Conference: www.pac-10.org
Mountain Pacific Sports: www.mpsports.org
NCAA Championships: www.ncaasports.com
NCAA Indoor Host: www.hogwired.com / www.ladybacks.com
NCAA Outdoor Host: www.HornetSports.com
NCAA: www.ncaa.org
Collegiate Track Results: www.TrackShark.com
USA Track and Field (USATF): www.usatf.org
USATF Oregon: www.usatf-oregon.org
United State Olympic Committee (USOC): www.olympic-usa.org
IAAF (International Track & Field): www.iaaf.org
High School T&F Info: www.dyestat.com
Oregon Track Club: www.oregontrackclub.org
Prefontaine Classic: www.preclassic.com
World Rankings: www.tilastopaja.net
Runner’s World Magazine: www.runnersworld.com
Trackwire NCAA Team/Individual Predictions: www.trackwire.com
Track and News Magazine: www.trackandfieldnews.com
- www.GoDucks.com -
