The 2009 NCAA West Regionals was Galen Rupp’s last home meet in an Oregon uniform. Rupp will participate in the U.S. Outdoor Nationals meet this summer at Hayward Field, but he may opt against an Oregon singlet.
Rupp, the 2008 NCAA Cross Country individual champion, competed in three races (5,000m, 10,000m, distance medley relay) at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships during the winter; he won both individual races and anchored the relay team to victory. Rupp qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, to be held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark., in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m. Rupp told reporters he may do all three if the team needs him.
Oregon Daily Emerald: After running a 1,500m preliminary heat earlier in the day, are you satisfied with the way you finished the 5,000m? (Rupp pulled away from the lead pack with three laps remaining to seize control of the race and win the regional individual title.)
Galen Rupp: Yeah. I let up the last lap a little bit to save energy for tomorrow’s 1,500m, but if I need to go harder at the end, I have more left in the tank.
ODE: What are your feelings on the Ducks possibly completing the Triple Crown (national titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field in the same season)?
GR: It’d be cool, you know, if we could pull it off. Outdoors is definitely the hardest leg, and we all know that. It’s gonna take every point we can get. Whether that means me running whatever combination of events – we’ll still go over those form charts over and over again, but I guess this weekend’s all about keeping my options open, whether I run 15-5 (1,500m and 5,000m at nationals), all three (1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m) or 10-5 (10,000m and 5,000m) You know, just see what happens.
ODE: Do team members talk about it amongst themselves, or does it remain unspoken?
GR: No, we talk about it. We’re not going to lie to ourselves or try to push it under the rug. We know it’s there; we know people are thinking about it. Everybody here talks about it. Even in cross country, people mentioned how great it’d be to win a Triple Crown. We got to indoors and kept it going. We know what it is, but at the same time we can talk about it and then, in a second, turn it off and go back to taking care of business.
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Q&A with Galen Rupp
Daily Emerald
June 1, 2009
Mike Perrault
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