The Oregon track and field teams enjoyed a break from the usual competition with their appearances in the prestigious Penn Relays.
The Duck men and women entered a number of middle-distance and distance runners in the Relays’ signature distance events — the 4xMile relay, the 4×800-meter relay and the distance medley relay. Oregon brought home two wagon wheels — first-place trophies — in the men’s 4xMile relay and men’s distance medley relay, and the women’s relay teams finished no lower than third in any event.
“It was a lot of fun. I had a great time,” senior Andrew Wheating said. “There was nothing to qualify for, nothing to lose, only to gain. We just had a lot of fun.”
Wheating’s first outdoor races of the season in the distance medley relay and the 4×800-meter relay were marred by his anchor leg in the latter race. Robby Andrews of Virginia, who outkicked Wheating in the 800-meter final at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, again outkicked him to deliver the victory for the Cavaliers. Wheating finished second.
“I made a dumb move,” he said. “I got impatient. I should have just waited and waited and stayed on (Andrews’) shoulder.”
Competing at Hayward Field — the site of the Oregon Relays, which begin today at 3 p.m. — is a welcome respite to the No. 3 Oregon women and the No. 9 Oregon men after intense competition in an unusual format. But no one on the Ducks may be more relieved to be in Eugene than Zoe Buckman.
Buckman, a native of Canberra, Australia, competed in the Australian National Championships two weeks ago and finished third at 1,500 meters. She is now eligible for October’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, an international competition between former British colonies and Great Britain.
Buckman’s travels have taken her from Eugene to Sydney to Perth for the national championships, back to Eugene via Sydney, and then to Philadelphia with a day’s turnaround for the Penn Relays.
“I felt pretty terrible, especially the day before,” Buckman said. “I’m coming around. I want to compete (in the Oregon Relays).”
Like the Penn Relays, the Oregon Relays will feature competitions between all levels, from high school athletes to professional athletes. This mix features prominently in events such as the men’s 1,500 meters, where assistant athletic director Vin Lananna expects the collegiate record (3:35.50, set by Sydney Maree of Villanova in 1981) to be challenged.
British national champion and two-time indoor mile national champion Lee Emanuel of New Mexico is entered alongside Wheating, Matthew Centrowitz, A.J. Acosta, and Oregon Track Club Elite runners Will Leer and Stephen Pifer.
“It’s a good field,” Lananna said. “There’s about 12 guys that are good. All have broken four minutes (in the mile). I think (the collegiate record) is certainly doable.”
Rupp may make run at record
Former Oregon distance runner and 2008 Beijing Olympian Galen Rupp may attempt a run at the American record in the 10,000 meters Saturday.
Rupp, whose coach is former Oregon distance runner Alberto Salazar, would be chasing a mark of 27 minutes, 13.98 seconds, set by Meb Keflezighi in 2001. The Portland native’s personal best, set three years ago, is 27:33.58.
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