Oregon Track and Field’s debut on the University of Washington’s indoor track was a chance for veterans to get back into competition and new athletes to experience collegiate meets. Though it is far from the most competitive meet Oregon will have this season, it provided a chance for all competitors to get the rust off.
It was a mixed field of professionals and Division I schools, including Stanford, Washington and San Diego State.
The sprinters performed well on both the mens and women’s side. Braxton Canady set and indoor personal best (22.18 seconds) in the 200-meter to win his heat. He was also second overall in the 60-meter behind Aries Merritt and Olympic gold medalist.
Redshirt sophomore and reigning Pac-12 champions in the 60-meter hurdles Alaysha Johnson finished second overall and was the top collegian in 8.27 seconds.
Oregon had seven women in the top-12 for the 200-meter. Hannah Waller ran the second-fastest time in the meet and earned a new indoor personal best in 24.19.
Some of the Oregon men made their transition from cross-country to the track. James West, a redshirt junior from Kent, England, made is Oregon track debut in the mile and ran four minutes, four seconds. Sophomore’s Jack Yearian and Jackson Mestler also ran the mile, finishing first and second in their heat. Yearian ran 4:09.69 and Mestler finished in 4:10.64.
Ashlyn Hare made her Oregon debut and placed second overall in the high jump, clearing 5-foot-7-inches (1.70m). She was first for collegians.
Johnson said there were lots of good performances form the newcomers. “That’s probably what I was most excited about,” Johnson told GoDucks.com.
Head coach Robert Johnson estimated before the meet that Oregon would enter over 30 newcomers to the meet. Johnson said the normal amount of newcomers for a season debut is around eight or 10.
The next meet for the Ducks is the Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge in New York from January 26-27.
Follow August Howell on Twitter @howell_august