Too often this season the list of those who have not competed for the Oregon track and field teams has drawn more attention than the list of those who have.
Luke Puskedra. Mac Fleet. Brianne Theisen. Sam Crouser. Alex Kosinski. Travis Thompson. Dakotah Keys. Up until recently, Melissa Gergel and Michele Williams were added to the list.
That’s a combined 33 All-America honors@@I checked this@@ left on the sidelines with various ailments. Backs have been an issue — Crouser, Kosinski, Theisen — in addition to the usual culprits of legs and feet.
Much as it pains me to say, injuries are a part of track and field. A fully healthy roster for a high-level team is a blessing. After enjoying good health in a runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last June for the No. 3 Duck women@@http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/trackfield-outdoor-women/d1@@ and a third-place finish for the the No. 20 Duck men,@@http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/trackfield-outdoor-men/d1@@ Oregon has not been similarly blessed this season.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4367&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204958902@@
Outdoor track season comes with great expectations, building upon the foundations laid during cross country and indoor seasons. For Oregon, that means ratcheting up the pressure to compete well — and keep healthy — to exponential levels.
The Duck men have won the last four Pacific-10 Conference titles in outdoor track, with six conference titles won since 2003. Oregon has finished either first or second at the Pac-10 meet every year for the last decade.
This season was to be a rebuilding year in many ways, with the graduation of Andrew Wheating and Ashton Eaton. Both are rising stars in the world of track and field, and both simply could not be replaced.
Life becomes more difficult when distance stars such as Puskedra and Fleet — and reliable role players such as Thompson — are not available to compete. Worse still, two members of the touted freshman incoming class that was expected to help fill the void — Crouser and Keys — have suffered setbacks.
The Oregon women, on the other hand, had higher aspirations — a third consecutive Pac-10 championship, followed by the school’s first NCAA outdoor championship since 1985. Those two goals were always in sharp focus.@@http://www.ncaa.com/history/trackfield-outdoor-women/d1@@
As seen last year, winning a national title requires luck and margin for error. The latter evaporated when Amber Purvis was disqualified in the 200 meters at the 2010 NCAA West Regionals after a false start. Purvis has yet to compete in an individual event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the Ducks.
The severity of Theisen’s injury will answer multiple questions. If she cannot compete at all going into NCAAs, Oregon remains a podium threat but will be hard-pressed to challenge Texas A&M — itself looking for a third straight national title outdoors — and LSU. Kosinski will be missed at 5,000 meters, a distance she was growing increasingly comfortable with last outdoor season.
The Ducks were the favorites walking away for the Pac-10 Championships, and remain so despite injuries. Theisen’s inability to compete in the heptathlon hurts initially but can be made up for with the outstanding depth of the team.
Naturally, silver linings exist on every cloud. Redshirt years will still be available, and the return of experienced veterans will coincide with across-the-board talented recruiting classes. Still, the men and women of Oregon dreamt big this season, and may not be able to deliver.
Luck, it is said, favors the prepared. Not so in this instance.