Oregon track and field added six more event wins and a pair of school records to close out the action at the Razorback Invitational Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“Winning can do wonders for your confidence and it solidifies what you do on a day-to-day basis,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said in a press release. “Now we can build on that momentum, go back home, and get better.”
Edward Cheserek returned after a sub-four-minute mile during day one of the meet to add another event win. Running in the open mile alongside teammate Blake Haney, Cheserek pulled away on the final lap to record another impressive time of 3:57.38. Not to be outdone Haney crossed the line second in 3:59.10 — becoming the 16th Duck athlete to break the four-minute barrier.
All-American Sasha Wallace surpassed her own school record in the 60 hurdles. The junior crossed the line in 8.05, which is the second-best in the NCAA this season.
The 800 was another strong event for the Ducks, with a pair of runners turning in historic marks. On the women’s side it was Mississippi transfer Brooke Feldmeier who dominated her race while cruising across the line in 2:05.18 for the fifth-fastest mark in school history and the eighth-fastest time in the NCAA this season. In the men’s race Grant Grosvenor finished strong to record the sixth-fastest time in school history with a time of 1:49.26.
The women’s 4×400 relay team — consisting of Ashante Horsley, Deajah Stevens, Feldmeier and Raevyn Rogers — finished in 3:33.34, which is the second best time in the nation.
Ryan Hunter-Simms broke the second school record of the day for the Ducks after he won the shot put with a throw of 58-11.5.
The women’s distance runners put in a strong showing, with Annie Leblanc taking second in the mile with a personal record (4:36.61) and the duo of Molly Grabill and Waverly Neer finished first and second in the 3000. Grabill crossed the line in 9:23.31 while Neer finished in 9:23.48.
A good sign for Oregon was the return of Devon Allen, who has been recovering from an injury that kept him away from the track for 18 months. Allen looked to be back in form, as he took second in the 60 hurdles, setting a personal record of 7.74.
“It’s a work in progress,” Johnson said about the sophomore hurdler. “I’m sure the time is not quite where he wants it to be, or where it will be at the end of the season, but it’s a great start and he’s trending in the right direction.”
Click here for a complete list of results.
The next meets on the schedule for Oregon is the Husky Invitational and the Don Kirby Elite, both which will take place February 12-13.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur