Oregon track and field will be in two places at once this weekend as the Ducks continue their indoor season work.
A large long-distance and middle-distance contingent will compete in Seattle Friday and Saturday at the Husky Invitational, held at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility. A sprinter/jumper contingent will make its way east to Fayetteville, Ark., and the Tyson Invitational, held at Arkansas’ Tyson Track Center.
Oregon will be represented well in the men’s and women’s mile and 5,000-meter races. Mac Fleet, last year’s NCAA runner-up in the mile, returns after offseason foot surgery to compete with freshmen Ben DeJarnette and Cole Watson. Senior Danny Mercado and freshman Parker Stinson will run the 5,000 meters.
All-American Alex Kosinski and Bronwyn Crossman will compete in the women’s 5,000m, while the Ducks have stacked the women’s mile with Jordan Hasay, Anne Kesselring, Claire Michel, Becca Friday, Melanie Thompson and Taylor Wallace.
The Husky Classic will also mark the indoor season debuts for football players LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and Dior Mathis. All three will be competing in the 60-meter dash.
In Fayetteville, All-Americans Amber Purvis and Mandy White are competing in the 60m with junior college-transfer Lauryn Newson, while All-American Jamesha Youngblood is competing in the long jump and triple jump. For the men’s team, freshman Michael Berry (200 meters, 400 meters) and senior Vernell Warren (long jump) will look to hit NCAA qualifying marks.
The Husky Invitational begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues at 9 a.m. Saturday. The Tyson Invitational begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time both days.
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