Oregon coaches were predicting the meet’s winner would be decided by the 4×400 meter relay, the final event of the day, but it was decided long before then as the Ducks never surrendered a lead in their 94-69 win over third-ranked UCLA at Hayward Field on Saturday.
Oregon won 10 of the 11 running events, 13 events in all, and the 94 points were the most the Ducks have scored in the 16-meet history between the two teams.
“I think UCLA realizes what they have to bring next year,” Oregon track and field director Vin Lananna said. “And, I think they will be in for a surprise because Oregon just might have the best team they have ever had next year.”
The Ducks started the meet with a sweep of the javelin throw and the meet didn’t get much better for the Bruins from there. Although the Bruins were favored to win all but one of the field events, and ended up winning five of the eight, some Ducks rose to the occasion to win.

“Some people just compete better,” UCLA discus thrower Greg Garza said, citing the Oregon hammer throwers that threw personal-best marks by around 10 feet. “That’s unheard of in track and field. That’s amazing.”
UCLA head coach Art Venegas certainly didn’t expect the hammer to be in Oregon’s favor.
“My hammer thrower got ambushed pretty good,” Venegas said. “It made the O.K. Corral look like nothing.”
Speaking of ambushes, Oregon used team tactics in the 1500m to allow runners A.J. Acosta and Jordan McNamara to gain the lead toward the end of the race, forcing UCLA’s Laef Barnes into third, only tenths of a second behind the two Ducks.
“I gave myself a shot to make a big move in the last 300 and made sure we picked up the first five (points),” Acosta said. “We did a great job of teamwork, making sure no one passed us.”
Oregon had the meet won after sprinter Marcus Dillon won the 200m in 21.58, getting to the 82-point mark the team needed.
With his team badly beaten under the sleet of Oregon hail and rain, Venegas guaranteed that his Bruins would be victorious in next year’s dual meet.
“We will take it to the Ducks with no mercy shown,” Venegas said. “Nobody will be held out. We will go no matter the weather.”
Oregon associate head coach Dan Steele was happy to hear it.
“Good,” he said. “We hope it’s a dogfight next year and I’m sure the weather’s going to be fantastic, just like this year.”
So fantastic that Lananna believes that it’ll bring collegiate track into the limelight.
“Everything needs to start someplace, and I think this dual meet is a return back to the big time,” he said.
[email protected]