Each week, the press release for the Oregon women’s track and field team includes a list of the Ducks’ season bests from the weekend before.
Each week, that list gets larger.
From top to bottom, the Oregon athletes are improving their marks in every meet they participate in. Now, the only challenge for the Ducks is to raise those marks slightly and start qualifying for the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field May 30-June 2.
The Ducks have only five athletes on the NCAA provisional or NCAA automatic lists, the least number of athletes of any Pacific-10 Conference school. That number may be deceiving because the Pac-10 is one of the deepest track and field conferences in the country.
“We’re struggling a little bit with injuries right now but hoping to improve our marks,” freshman javelin-throwing standout Sarah Malone said. “We’re hoping to peak at the right time.”
The good news for Oregon? Those five Ducks that have qualified are high on their respective lists. Malone is third nationally in the javelin, Mary Etter is fifth in the discus and Niki Reed is eighth in the pole vault. Hanna Smedstad is 20th nationally in the 10,000, but she has qualified for the NCAA Championships for four straight years.
Some of the Oregon athletes will have a chance to raise their marks once again at the Steve Scott Invitational in Irvine, Calif., on Sunday. Ducks head coach Tom Heinonen will take a contingent of 16 athletes to the meet, including Etter and Reed. Smedstad will run in the 5,000 at the Cardinal Invitational Friday. Eri Macdonald will also compete Friday.

You’d think she was a senior
Sarah Malone is knocking down the records — and the opposition — like bowling pins. The freshman set a school record in the javelin toss last week at the Oregon Invitational, and is confident in her ability to win the Pac-10 title in the event.
“I want to take that throw from last weekend and build on that,” Malone said.
The Newberg native said that while breaking the record was nice, her next goal is to break the old school record of 202-3. Malone’s record of 169-3 is with the new implement, which has been used for three years.
“It’s going to mean more to me to break the old record,” Malone said.
Malone, currently third on the national list, will continue her assault on the rankings this weekend at the Steve Scott.

Vaultin’ in Style
The only Oregon squad with two NCAA-qualified athletes and four qualified for the Pac-10 meet is the pole vaulting crew. The top vaulter is all-American Niki Reed, but also making some noise are Holly Speight, Kirsten Riley and Georgette Moyle. Reed is eighth nationally, while Speight ranks 45th.
Riley and Moyle stole a piece of the limelight from Reed and Speight last weekend when both cleared personal-best heights of 12-1 1/2. Those marks qualified the two athletes for the Pac-10 Championships.
“I’m really excited that we’re both jumping high,” Moyle said of herself and Riley. “Kirsten definitely pushes me.”
Riley said that the talent at the top of the team helps them. Besides Reed and Speight, former All-American Karina Elstrom, who is currently recovering from a back injury, is slowly getting back to top form.
“Having so much talent to look up to motivates me to work as a hard as I can,” Riley said.
Both Riley and Moyle said that the squad is loose and fun, and that helps them both in practice and at meets.
“We don’t really talk about marks we need to hit,” Riley said. “Mostly we just focus on technique and having fun with it.”
“We have a really good time,” Moyle said. “It’s motivation to work hard when you have a group of friends to work out with.”
All the vaulters, from No. 1 through No. 5, have ultimate confidence in the team.
“I think we all have the potential [to make the NCAAs],” Moyle said.
Reed, Speight and Riley will compete at the Steve Scott this weekend, while all the vaulters could make the Pac-10 meet May 19-20.