Track & Field Team Splits Between Seattle and Fayetteville This Weekend

EUGENE ? Nearing the halfway point of the indoor track and field season, the University of Oregon teams face a busy weekend of action this Fri. -Sat., Feb. 15-16 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. 16 in the Husky Classic, held in the Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle, Wash. Action will run approximately from 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 areas 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 approximately 10 a.m. ? 4:45 pm. (CT). More meet information is located at the www.ladybacks.com and www.hogwired.com websites.

DUCK TEAM PREVIEW - FAYETTEVILLE

Oregon's Fayetteville squad features a pair of NCAA qualifiers, including automatic qualifier in the heptathlon sophomore Ashton Eaton (long jump) and provisional qualifier sophomore Keshia Baker (400 meters, 20th), and NCAA veteran senior Irie Searcy (200 meters). This group will be joined by 2007 regional qualifiers Philip Alexander (400 meters), Marcus Dillon (400 meters), Jared Huske (60 meter hurdles) and Pac-10 qualifier Chad Barlow (400 meters). Freshmen Amy Skofstad (long jump), Mandy White (60 meters, 200 meters) and Jamesha Youngblood (long jump, triple jump) round out Oregon's Tyson Invitational participants.

Eaton and Youngblood will compete in the championship sections of the long jump against some of the world's best athletes in these events. The Ducks will also field both men's and women's 4x400 relay teams in the championship sections of the invitational.

DUCK TEAM PREVIEW - SEATTLE

The Seattle travel party squad includes returning All-American sophomore A.J. Acosta and NCAA veteran junior Michael McGrath.

Also slated to compete in Seattle this weekend are six current NCAA provisional qualifiers, including Acosta (3,000 meters, 19th). Oregon's five other provisional qualifiers competing in Seattle include sophomores Zoe Buckman (800 meters, 17th) and Kenny Klotz (5,000 meters, 3rd), and freshmen Melissa Gergel (pole vault, 10th), Matthew Centrowitz (mile, 25th) and Alexandra Kosinski (Mile, 6th).

For updated rankings, visit www.trackshark.com/rankings/collegiate_lists.php.

UO's tentative travel party for Seattle (listed alphabetically and subject to change) includes:

Men

60m ? Zach Ancell, Bret Johnson, Derrick Jones, William Taylor

200m ? William Taylor

400m ? Zach Ancell, Eric Hersey

800m ? Alexander Casteel

Mile ? Andrew Acosta, Matthew Centrowitz, Matt Dettman, Chad Hall, Michael McGrath, Kevin McNally, James Withers

3,000m ? Andrew Acosta, Chad Hall, Kenny Klotz, Daniel Mercado, Diego Mercado, Isaac Stoutenburgh, Scott Wall

5,000m ? Kenny Klotz, Scott Wall

60m Hurdles ? Marshall Ackley, Eric Hersey, Alexey Shkuratov

High Jump ? A.J. O'Connell, Vernell Warren

Pole Vault ? Marshall Ackley, Brian McGinty, Alexey Shkuratov, Colin Witter-Tilton

Long Jump ? Marshall Ackley, Elvis Akpla, Andre Crenshaw, Bret Johnson

Triple Jump ? Alex Schley

Shot Put ? Randall Horns, Mark Lewis, Scott Penny

Weight Throw ? Randall Horns, Steven Johnson, Scott Penny, Jordan Stray

Women

60m ? Ashley Bridenbeck

200m ? Ashley Bridenbeck, Kourtney Parks

400m ? Kourtney Parks

800m ? Zoe Buckman, Erin Funkhouser, Kasey Harwood

Mile ? Elizabeth Bies, Alexandra Kosinski

3,000m ? Claire Michel, Zoe Nelson

60m Hurdles ? Erin Funkhouser, Kalindra McFadden

High Jump ? Jasmine Kelly, Kalindra McFadden

Pole Vault ? Melissa Gergel, Tara Rhein, Liddell Steele

Long Jump ? Erin Funkhouser, Kalinda McFadden

Weight Throw ? Megan Maloney

NCAA QUALIFYING UPDATE

The Ducks currently have one women's and one men's NCAA automatic qualifiers, eight individual provisional qualifiers (5 women / 3 men) and one men's and one women's distance medley relay provisional qualifying teams for the NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for Fri.-Sat., March 14-15 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 bests and current collegiate rankings follows:

Men's NCAA Indoor Automatic Qualifier

Ashton Eaton, So., Bend, Ore., Pentathlon, 2^nd, 5,859, 2/1-2/2

Women's NCAA Indoor Automatic Qualifiers

Nicole Blood, So., Simi Valley, Calif., 3,000 meters, 2^nd, 9:08.44, 2/2

Men's NCAA Indoor Provisional Qualifiers

Matthew Centrowitz, Fr., Arnold, Md., Mile, 25^th, 4:03.08, 2/2

A.J. Acosta, So., Oceanside, Calif., 3,000 meters, 19^th, 8:02.26, 2/2

Kenny Klotz, So., Portland, Ore., 5,000 meters, 3^rd, 14:06.34, 2/1

McGrath, Barlow, Wheating, Acosta, Distance Medley Relay, 1^st, 9:36.21, 2/1

Women's NCAA Indoor Provisional Qualifiers

Keshia Baker, So., Sacramento, Calif., 400 meters, 20^th, 54.25, 2/2

Zoe Buckman, So., Canberra, Australia, 800 meters, 17^th, 2:08.70, 2/2

Nicole Blood, So., Simi Valley, Calif., Mile, 5^th, 4:42.74, 1/19

Alexandra Kosinski, Fr., El Dorado Hills, Calif., Mile, 6^th, 4:42.79, Mile, 1/19

Melissa Gergel, Fr., Glenwood, Ill., Pole Vault, 10^th, 4.11m (13-5 3/4), 2/2

Hall, Buckman, Blood, Kosinski, Distance Medley Relay, 6^th, 11:10.48, 2/1

LAST WEEKEND'S REWIND

Last weekend in the UW Invitational, University of Oregon sophomore Ashton Eaton won the heptathlon competition, shattering the school record and eclipsing the NCAA Track & Field Championships automatic qualifying mark by more than 200 points. Sophomore Nicole Blood also posted an NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the 3,000 meters, while six other Ducks eclipsed NCAA provisional marks.

TOP WOMEN LAST WEEK

SEATTLE (2/1-2/08) -- Sophomore Keshia Baker eclipsed a school record, finishing first for the second time in two outings during the young indoor season. She won the 400 with a NCAA provisional qualifying time and personal best of 54.25. Blood's NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 9:08.44 in the 3,000 meters bettered her own personal best by almost 21 seconds. Other provisional NCAA qualifiers included sophomore Zoe Buckman in the 800, as she finished seventh with a time of 2:08.70. The 4x400 relay quartet of Leah Worthen, Kavina Hall, Jamesha Youngblood and Baker won their heat with the fastest time of the day in 3:42.70. Jamesha Youngblood also placed third in the women's long jump with a leap of 19-8 ?.

TOP MEN LAST WEEK

SEATTLE (2/1-2/08) -- Aside from Eaton's record-setting weekend, Freshman Matthew Centrowitz made a successful collegiate debut by posting a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the mile run, finishing sixth in 4:03.08, as did sophomore A.J. Acosta in the 3,000 (8:02.26) and Portland sophomore Kenny Klotz in the 5,000 meters (14:06.34). The men's 4x400 relay team of Phil Alexander, Jared Huske, Marcus Dillon and Chad Barlow paced Oregon to a winning time of 3:11.96. Jared Huske was third in the men's 60-meter hurdles in 8.18 seconds and Phil Alexander finished fourth in the men's 400 in 47.41.

LAST YEAR IN FAYETTEVILLE/SEATTLE

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (2/9-10/07) ? In last year's Tyson Invitational, the women's 4x400-meter relay quartet of Kavina Hall, Rebekah Noble, Leah Worthen and Keshia Baker finished third overall and second in their heat in a time of 3:38.92. That time easily broke the former Duck school record (3:44.55) by 5.63 seconds. Lauryn Jordan also claimed a school record in the long jump (third, 20-4 1/2) and again easily eclipsed the NCAA provisional mark of 20-0 1/4 (6.10m).

SEATTLE (2/10/07) - Galen Rupp and Britney Henry scored indoor school records and were among nine Ducks (6M / 3W) that claimed NCAA track and field qualifying marks. Rupp rewrote his school indoor record in the 5,000m thanks to a whopping 9.51-second personal best (second, 13:38.62). Rupp comfortably ducked under the NCAA automatic qualifying standard (13:48.00). In the field, Tommy Skipper cleared 18 feet for the third time in as many meets to win with another NCAA automatic mark (18-1 (5.51m)). Skipper cleared a half-inch season best (18-1) on his second attempt of the competition. Brian Richotte was only a quarter-inch off his school weight throw record with his runner-up finish (second, 67-4 (20.52m)). The NCAA provisional qualifier easily again topped the provisional standard (63-11 3/4 (19.50m)). Also in the distances, Michael McGrath dipped below the NCAA provisional mark (4:04.00) for the first time in the season (11th, 4:03.12), and was one of five Ducks that also ran season or personal bests ? Andrew Wheating (4:04.77), Duke Wasteney (4:06.15), James Withers (4:08.38) and Chris Winter (4:09.43). In the sprints, Phil Alexander sped to his first NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 400m (second, 47.18) and moved to third all-time for UO in the event. Marcus Dillon anchored a come-from-behind victory over Washington in the 4x400m relay (3:09.95), and teamed with Alexander, Chad Barlow and Ashton Eaton, with all their splits between 47.2-47.5 seconds unofficially. The Ducks' time was a 4.99-second season best, their first NCAA provisional mark of the year and easily met the 3:10.40 standard, and not far off the all-time top-five list (fifth is 3:07.55). On the women's side, Britney Henry placed third in the weight throw (65-6 (19.96)) and improved her school record by 5 feet 4 3/4 inches over the previous mark (61-1 1/4). Henry's mark easily met the NCAA provisional mark of 62-4, and was slightly more than three feet shy of the NCAA automatic mark (68-10 3/4). Also in the field, the Ducks added a pair of NCAA provisional marks from Emily Enders and Eniko Eros, who tied for eighth with final clearances of 12-11 3/4 and missed attempts at 13-3 3/4 (4.06m). Enders bettered the NCAA provisional mark (12-11 1/4) for the first time in '07. On the track, Keara Sammons made her debut on the oval for UO, and won the second section of the 3,000m (9:44.70). Sammons led most of the race and was barely 10 seconds off the NCAA provisional mark (9:34.00).

LOOKING AHEAD

After two weeks off from competition, the squads return to Seattle for the Mountain Pacific Championships, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 29-March 1 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.

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.godrakebulldogs.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