Oregon track and field will face its toughest meet of the 2016 season in Fayetteville, Arkansas, competing in the two-day Razorback Invitational Friday and Saturday.
Competing schools in the meet represent some of the premier track programs in the country. Hosting will be Arkansas, with headliners like Florida, Georgia, Texas and Texas A&M.
Oregon junior and middle distance runner Alli Cash took the time to talk about the how the season has gone so far, the upcoming meet, and what her goals are this year:
Pretty good start to the season last week at the Washington Preview. Are you happy with how it went?
Yeah, I didn’t really know what to expect going in, because we have been doing a lot of strength-based stuff. And switching from cross I feel like the first track race is kind of a shock to your system, especially going from cross to indoor. So yeah, I was happy with it.
Is it a sign of good things to come for you this season?
I would hope so. The goal is to keep building on that, working forward and working hard.
Excited to run the 3,000 this weekend?
I ran it once last year and I got my feet wet a little bit — so I think it can be fun. I am most excited about the DMR (distance medley relay). I love the relay atmosphere and the team aspect really gets you going.
Who is on the DMR with you?
We have Annie (Leblanc), Raevyn (Rogers), Ashante (Horsley) and myself.
Lot of big programs coming to this meet. Is this a chance to test yourself against the top competitors in the country?
I think it’s another step forward. Last week was meant for everyone to have an opportunity to see where they’re at and bust some rust during the first meet. Moving forward from here we are trying to take a step in the right direction every time we race.
What are your goals for the season?
I think the DMR is a big thing for us. We have such a strong group of female athletes that we could put a lot of different people on any leg of the DMR and still have a great outcome. Our depth is going to play a huge role in that, so I am excited to see what we can do.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur