As Oregon track and field heads into a busy weekend, a phrase keeps coming up in interviews and on social media — ‘Champions do Extra.’ This saying has become the slogan for what the Ducks have been trying to do this year, and has become a real hit with the team.
“The extra part is the little things — the eating better, the sleeping right, encouraging your teammates, caring about one another,” head coach Robert Johnson said. “As far as ups or downs, its part of the process.”
Those little things are what separate an elite program from the rest, and this weekend Oregon will be able to prove its commitment towards taking those extra steps. Historic Hayward Field will play host to the Oregon Twilight on Friday as a small contingent of athletes will be sent down to Los Angeles to participate in the Pac-12 Multi Championships as well. The Twilight will also serve as senior night for the Ducks.
“To have 25 (seniors) that we are able to thank and give flowers to while they are here is something we have traditionally done and will continue to do,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a fitting way for them to be recognized in their last home track meet.”
One senior who won’t be honored at the Twilight is decathlete Dakotah Keys. He will instead be leading the group of multi-sport athletes in at UCLA — the host of the Pac-12 meet.
“What he has done for our program has been invaluable,” Johnson said. “He is a calming voice in the heat of battle for our other kids.”
There is a lot on the line for Keys as the meet will serve as his chance to sweep the Pac-12 Championships in the decathlon, potentially capping his career with a fourth-straight title. This is something that not even world-record decathlete Ashton Eaton was able to do in his time wearing the ‘O”.
“I put in a lot of hard work towards it, and if it happens it happens,” Keys said.
The scoring boost from the multi-events can help shake out the landscape of the Pac-12 Championships, and if Oregon is able to collect points in both the men’s and women’s team competition it will go a long way towards claiming yet another conference sweep.
Before the multi-events can go, however, the focus will be back on Eugene where current and former Duck greats will gather. Oregon has made an effort in the past couple of years to bring back more alumni to fill out the start lists. This year the competitors feature several Duck all-stars.
“We want to build and continue to have good relationships with the people who come here,” Johnson said. “We have 20 or so Ducks that have come back home to roost — no pun intended.”
Some of the notable former Duck women include Phyllis Francis (100), Brianne Thiesen-Eaton (200) Becca Friday (1500) and Laura Bobek (discus).
For the men Ashton Eaton (100, 400), Matthew Centrowitz (800), Andrew Wheating (800) and Mac Fleet (1000, mile) are all listed as returning Oregon competitors.
With all of the returning talent, much of the attention will still be directed towards the talented senior class. One of them, Jillian Weir, will be competing in the hammer along with receiving her bouquet.
One of those seniors will be thrower Jillian Weir, who will be competing in the hammer throw.
“I’m really excited to go out there and wave to the crowd,” Weir said.
Athletes from George Fox, Pacific, Oregon State, Portland and Portland State will all be competing in the Twilight as well.
The action will begin with the Twilight at 3 p.m. on Friday — with attendance free to all students. The Pac-12 Multi Championships will start the following afternoon at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur
Oregon will honor seniors at Oregon Twilight as Dakotah Keys hunts for his fourth Pac-12 title
Christopher Keizur
May 6, 2015
Ryan Kang
Two Oregon athletes qualified for the Olympics and one Oregon athlete suffered a devastating defeat on Monday during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. During the javelin final, Cyrus Hostetler pumped up the crowd at Hayward Field by beginning to clap before he was about to take his fifth …
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