Notes: Oregon Hosts NCAA Track and Field Championships
This Week:
Oregon will host the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, June 10-13 at Historic Hayward Field with both the UO men’s and women’s teams in the hunt to win national championships. The meet will be carried on the ESPN family of networks with action beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 10 a.m. on Thursday, 4 p.m. on Friday and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Format:
There has been a change in the format of the NCAA Championships beginning this season with the men’s and women’s competition being separated into different days. The Men’s Championships will be contested on Wednesday and Friday with the women competing on Thursday and Saturday. The first two days consist of semifinal heats on the track (exception of the 10,000 final) with finals in the field events.
The multi-events will remain unchanged, with the heptathlon and decathlon being contested over the course of the first two days.
Coverage:
The ESPN Family of networks will carry all of the action over the course of the four days both online and on broadcast. Here is the breakdown of where to watch:
Wednesday – ESPNU (4-7:30 p.m.)
Thursday – ESPNU (4-5:30 p.m.); ESPN (5:30-8:30 p.m.)
Friday – ESPN (4:30-7 p.m.)
Saturday – ESPN2 (2-4:30 p.m.)
Wednesday-Saturday – ESPN3 (Field Events/Combined Events)
Live results will be available here.
Tickets:
Tickets for the 2015 NCAA Championships are still available can be purchased in person at the Bowerman Building (15th Avenue) or the ticket windows at Gate 9 (17th Avenue & Agate Street) when gates open to the public. Advance ticket sales will be available at the Bowerman Building.
Fans may also purchase tickets online (www.goducks.com) or via the phone (541-346-4461/1-800-WEBFOOT).
Free Shuttle:
As it has in the past, the University of Oregon is offering a free shuttle for those fans looking for the easiest way to get to and from the 2015 NCAA Track and Field Championships, which will be held Wednesday through Saturday at Historic Hayward Field.
Shuttles will depart from Autzen Stadium’s south side beginning two and a half hours prior to the first event of the day and will run continuously every 15 to 30 minutes throughout the competition. The last shuttle of the day will depart Hayward Field approximately 60 minutes after the final event.
Rankings:
The Ducks made a big jump in the rankings after qualifying the most athletes to the NCAA Championships. In the latest USTFCCCA computer rankings, the Oregon women’s team moved up to No. 1 while the men are No. 2.
Strength In Numbers:
Both the men’s and women’s teams lead the NCAA in entries. The men have 23 entries from 22 individual participants in 14 events. The women have 22 entries from 19 individuals in 15 events.
Quartets:
The Ducks have four entrants in two different events, with four men in the 5,000 (Edward Cheserek, Will Geoghegan, Eric Jenkins and Jake Leingang) and four women in the 1,500 (Alli Cash, Nikki Hiltz, Ashley Maton and Katie Porada). Those are two of three instances at the NCAA Championships this season with USC entering four women in the 100.
Oregon Championships History:
The Oregon men won their sixth NCAA Outdoor Championship in program history last season, the first since 1984. Oregon will look to repeat for the second time after doing so in 1964-65.
The Oregon women have one NCAA Outdoor Championship under its belt, won in 1985. The Ducks have finished in the top three, each of the last six seasons with four-straight second-place finishes from 2009-12 and two third-place finishes in 2013-14.
Last Year at the NCAA Championships:
In 2014, the Men of Oregon won their first outdoor title in 30 years with a modern-era meet record 88 points, 18 points ahead of Florida.
The women’s team place third with 59 points behind Texas A&M (75) and Texas (66).
The Ducks finished with six individual national champions, four on the men’s side (Sam Crouser, Edward Cheserek, Devon Allen, Mac Fleet) and two in the women’s race (Jenna Prandini, Laura Roesler).
Covering the Events:
Between the Oregon men and women, the Ducks cover 18 of 21 different events in outdoor track and field. The only events where Oregon will not be represented on either the men’s or women’s side is the 400 hurdles, pole vault and discus.
Prandini Triple:
Jenna Prandini is one of four people (three women) at the NCAA Championships competing in three individual events. Prandini is is entered in the 100, 200 and long jump.
Pac-12 Championships:
The Ducks swept the Pac-12 Championships meet once again, making it the seventh-straight season Oregon has won both the men’s and women’s championships. The women’s team has won seven-consecutive conference titles while the men have now won nine, a Pac-12 record.
The Men of Oregon won with a 31-point margin ahead of USC (152-121) while the women edged out USC by three points (185-182).
Todd Named Field Athlete of the Year:
Redshirt sophomore Jasmine Todd was named the Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Year after a tremendous performance at the Pac-12 Championships in Los Angeles. Todd, was the Pac-12 Championships Athlete of the Meet after accounting for 35 of Oregon’s 185 points, giving the Ducks a three-point win over second-place USC. She won the 100 meters and triple jump, also coming in second place in the long jump and fourth in the 200 meters. Todd also helped UO place second in the 4x100-meter relay.
Academic All-District:
In addition to their success in competition, Oregon track and field student-athletes Edward Cheserek and Jenna Prandini were named to the Academic All-District team. Cheserek holds a 3.34 GPA while pursuing a degree in pre-business administration while Prandini holds a 3.55 GPA on her track toward a degree in general social sciences.
