The Oregon women secured the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track and field championships on Saturday on the Washington campus, with the men placing fourth.
However, the championship crown came secondary to preparation for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships — and some stellar performances indicated the Ducks are close to ready.
Amber Purvis won the 60-meter dash in a school-record 7.23 seconds, the nation’s fourth-fastest time. For the second time in the past two weeks, Purvis has lowered her own mark in the event.
Melissa Gergel won the women’s pole vault on Saturday with a clearance of 14 feet, 3.5 inches, tying her own school record.
The Oregon women looked particularly strong in the 800 meters on Saturday, as five of the eight scorers were Ducks. Anne Kesselring (2:04.70) and Laura Roesler (2:04.93) finished second and third, respectively, with the second- and third-fastest times in school history.
On the men’s side, the distance medley relay team won in the second-fastest time in NCAA history. Mac Fleet, Michael Berry, Elijah Greer and Matthew Centrowitz flew around the track at Dempsey Indoor Facility in 9:26.78, breaking the school record of 9:29.39 set in 2009. Only Texas in 2008 (9:25.97) has run a better relay in NCAA history.
[email protected]