Ducks Out in Force at USA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – Former Oregon star Galen Rupp headlined the USA Track and Field Championships on Thursday, winning his seventh consecutive 10,000-meter title while a big collection of current and former Oregon athletes had standout performances.
Rupp capped the night with his performance in the 10,000, winning in 28:11.61, well ahead of second-place Ben True in 28:14.26. Rupp gapped the field with 600 meters remaining and never slowed up.
“It’s fun to race,” Rupp said. “That’s why we train, that’s what we do. Obviously when we get a meet like the national championships, it’s extra special. I was just happy to be back out on the track racing again in front of these great fans.”
While Rupp is now locked in for his fifth World Championships appearance, Sam Crouser is still on the verge of his first after he finished third in the men’s javelin with a throw of 249-1 (75.93m). The mark will extended Crouser’s season by putting him in contention to make the World Championships Team. The Oregon senior will still have about a month to chase the meet standard of 82.00m which is necessary to qualify.
“I’m more excited about the place than the distance,” Crouser said. “But now that I got through I can chase the “A” Standard so my season is still going.”
Oregon athletes will make up half of the men’s 1,500 final after six current or former Ducks qualified through to the semifinals. Current Ducks Colby Alexander, Will Geoghegan and Daniel Winn will join graduates Matthew Centrowitz, Jordan McNamara and Andrew Wheating.
The tradition was not lost on Winn, who just missed scoring at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago.
“It’s incredible,” Winn said after hearing the news that he advanced on time. “I warmed up with Centro and those are the guys that I looked up to and tried to model myself after. It’s cool to be part of a great Oregon team currently and also be part of this nice alumni group that’s really impressive.”
Oregon will have three competitors in the women’s 100 semifinal led by Honda Award Winner for Track and Field, Jenna Prandini. The redshirt junior was back on the home straight for the 100 after a busy NCAA Championships where she won the event and finished second in both the 200 and the long jump. She ran a wind-aided 10.90, her fastest all-conditions time, to win the first heat and was followed by English Gardner who won her heat in a wind-aided 10.92 and Jasmine Todd who ran a wind-aided 10.87 while finishing second in her heat.
The fast time was key for Todd who was looking to rebound in the event after the NCAA Championships where an uncharacteristic slow start in qualifying kept her out of the final.
“That was absolutely outstanding for me because I felt so much better about myself after NCAA’s,” Todd said. “So I’m really happy to come here and make it to the semis so it’s a great feeling.”
Marcus Chambers continued his stellar sophomore season by winning his heat of the men’s 400, just missing a lifetime best with his time of 45.27. Chambers finished second at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago, which he said helped give him the confidence to compete with nation’s best.
“Your confidence has to be really high if you want to race against these guys,” Chambers said. “And I think I can race with anybody. I’m just going to go out there confident and run my race.”
Chambers will compete Friday in the semifinals as will former Ducks Mike Berry, who finished with the third fastest time of the day in 45.13, and Phyllis Francis who finished second in her heat of the women’s 400 with a time of 51.82.
The World’s Greatest Athlete, Ashton Eaton, did not compete in the decathlon Thursday, but by taking part in the long jump he solidified his spot at the World Championships as an automatic qualifier in an event still must take part at the USA Championships.
Brittany Mann made her debut at the USA Track and Field Senior Championships and broke her own school record with a mark of 56-7.25 (17.25m) to finish 11th.
Blake Haney made a strong move at 200 to lead his heat of the junior men’s 1,500 before he was able to coast across the finish line for the win in 3:52.65 and safely advance to Saturday’s final.
A pair of young Oregon decathletes are currently sixth in their respective events following the first day of competition with sophomore Mitch Modin in the senior meet and freshman Liam Henshaw in the junior meet. Modin is will enter day two with 3,972 points and Henshaw with 3,655.
The second day of the USA Track and Field Championships will begin Friday at 9:15 a.m., at Hayward Field.
