While sunny skies and spring-like weather have lured most of the Oregon track and field athletes outdoors, two Ducks will compete once more indoors.
Senior Katie Crabb and redshirt sophomore Jason Boness compete today through Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Crabb, a seven-time NCAA qualifier in cross country and track and field, is seeded eighth in the women’s mile in a field of 16 runners. Crabb’s personal best mile time of 4 minutes, 42 seconds ranks her fourth on the all-time Oregon record book and is the Ducks’ fastest mile time in 13 years.
Last season, Crabb placed seventh in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning her All-American status.
Crabb’s preliminary race is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. today (CT), with the final scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Saturday.
Boness owns the eleventh-best mark nationally in the high jump with a season-best 7 feet, 2 and 1/4 inches. Boness, a two-time All-American in outdoor track, won the Mountain Pacific Championships on Feb. 24 to qualify.
Boness competes at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
Three other Ducks earned NCAA provisional marks this winter but will not compete in Fayetteville.
Sophomore Jason Hartmann was invited to compete in the 5,000 meters after earning a No. 15 seeding, but declined so he could focus on his outdoor debut next weekend at Hayward Field. The All-American ran a 14:05 at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 9.
Seniors Rian Ingram and Holly Speight each earned provisional marks in the men’s shot put and women’s pole vault, respectively, but were not invited to the championship meet.
The outdoor track and field season begins March 17 at the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field.