The outdoor track and field season is barely underway, and already the men and women Ducks are beginning to flex their NCAA muscles.
Competing at the Stanford invitational on Saturday and Sunday., four Ducks came away with NCAA qualifying marks.
Pole vaulter Niki Reed’s clearance of 12 feet, five inches put her in contention to win a third All-American honor. The sophomore’s vault tied her for first place with Washington State’s Janette Martus, and Reed won the jump-off.
Karis Howell scored her second qualifying mark of the season with a 166-4 throw.
Also in the pole vault, junior Holly Speight equaled the NCAA provisional standard of 11-11 3/4. Junior All-American Karina Elstrom struggled at the meet, finishing 12th with a height of 11-5 3/4.
On the men’s side, Andrew Bliss ran a 17-second personal best in his first track race in more than a year, finishing 19th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14 minutes, 6.49 seconds, edging the NCAA provisional standard or 14:07.00.
Jason Boness notched his first NCAA mark of the outdoor season, equaling the NCAA provisional standard of 7-1 3/4 and finishing in second place.
The Ducks’ next meet is the Hayward Relays on April 8.