Ducks Add Seven to International Competition
EUGENE, Ore – Oregon athletes continued their success at the third day of the USA Track and Field Championships, Saturday, adding seven more representatives at either the IAAF World Championships or the Junior Pan-American Games later this summer.
Matthew Centrowitz powered his way to a win in the men’s 1,500, a race that was filled with Ducks. Centrowitz made a big move to shake up the field with 600 meters remaining. At the bell, he led a pack of three with recent Nike signee Will Geoghegan on his shoulder, but it was Centrowitz who proved to be too much and won handily in 3:37.25.
"This is my third one and it only gets better,” Centrowitz said of his win. “I wanted to win this one the most.”
Oregon seniors Daniel Winn and Geoghegan made valiant efforts, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Former Duck Andrew Wheating took fifth ahead of the pack of Winn, Geoghegan, Jordan McNamara (9th) and senior Colby Alexander (10th).
“It was a learning experience to really feel what it was like,” Winn said. “It will take a little more to get into that realm of being able to handle all of those moves.”
Jasmine Todd qualified to the IAAF World Championships in her second event, Saturday, finishing fourth in the long jump after taking third in the 100 on Friday. Todd’s school-record mark of 22-5.25 (6.84m) put her in fourth, but because defending World Champion Brittney Reese was in the field and finished in qualifying position, an extra American competitor made the national team, benefiting Oregon’s redshirt sophomore. With a spot on the team in hand and a big first jump, Todd said the pressure was off.
“I only went out there to see what I could do,” Todd said. “I made the team (in the 100) so there was no pressure for me there. It was solely to go out there and have fun and I got a PR out of it.”
Todd now joins Galen Rupp as the only two Oregon athletes to ever qualify for the World Championships in two individual events. Rupp qualified in both the 5,000 and 10,000 in 2007 and 2013 and has a chance to add his third double in tomorrow morning’s 5,000.
Oregon added two more U.S. Champions in Raevyn Rogers in the junior women’s 800 and Blake Haney in the junior men’s 1,500. The pair of Oregon freshman were coming off breakout performances at the NCAA Championships where Rogers became the second freshman to win an NCAA title in the event’s history and Haney placed third in the 1,500.
As has become typical, Rogers got out to an early lead and held it the entire race. With 100 meters remaining there was no separation from the field but that quickly changed as Rogers dusted the field and won by nearly two seconds in 2:06.64.
Haney also used a late kick while running his last 400 in 52.9. With 200 meters left Haney showed his strength in a very competitive field to win a tactical race in 3:58.16.
“When you’re going against one of the best fields I think it definitely makes you focus and gets your best out of you,” Haney said. “So that’s what this did and I’m happy with the result.”
The two will represent the U.S. at the Pan-American Games in Edmonton later this summer as will fellow freshman Nate Moore who took second in the triple jump with a wind-aided 52-1.25 (15.88m). Moore will also compete in the long jump after finishing as the silver medalist in the event on Friday.
It was a remarkable closing charge that earned Oregon alum Phyllis Francis a spot in the 400 in Beijing, taking Oregon fans back to her legendary finish in the 4x400 a year ago at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Francis crossed the finish line in 50.67 to make her first World Championships team.
Jenna Prandini, who is already in the 4x100 relay pool for the IAAF World Championships, opted for 200 instead of the long jump in another attempt to make the national team as an individual. The redshirt junior ran 22.18 in the opening round to win her heat and cruise to tomorrow’s semifinals.
Marcus Chambers finished sixth in the men’s 400 final with a time of 45.38 and will have a chance to compete at the World Championships as part of the 4x400 relay pool.
The final day of competition at the track will begin Sunday at 10:20 a.m. with the women’s 5,000. The men’s 5,000 will follow at 10:45 a.m.
