goducks.com Student Athlete of the Week- Andrew Wheating
Andrew Wheating has been named the goducks.com Student Athlete of the Week for 5/31-6/4.
Wheating advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 800m and 1500m this past weekend at the NCAA West Regional. Wheating accounts for two of Oregon's 16 men's entries for the NCAA Championships next week at Hayward Field.
Andrew Wheating won his 1500m heat in a personal-best 3:37.52. Moving behind early pace setter Luke Emanuel early in the race, the senior from Norwich, Vt., tucked in behind the New Mexico runner until the final turn, where he gradually outkicked Emanual to win in a time that was the fourth-fastest in school history. "I just didn’t want to get caught in the junk in the back of the race," said Wheating. "I felt really heavy before the gun went off, but then I was relaxed once the race started."
Wheating also advanced in the 800m. Teammate Travis Thompson took the pace out hard through the first 400 meters as UCLA's Cory Primm and Scott Crawford stayed in touch, while Wheating cruised along in fourth. Wheating then moved hard along the backstretch to get around Thompson and the UCLA runners, as Missouri's Blake Irwin also moved up. Wheating shifted into overdrive off the final curve and won in a nation-leading 1:46.44. Primm took second in 1:47.51 with Irwin third in 1:47.53 and Thompson fourth in 1:47.60.
