The kind of success that Oregon track and field had last season will be difficult to replicate. Individuals shined on the national stage and championships were claimed.
Yet, with the start of the 2016 Indoor season just around the corner, the Ducks hope that this year will be just as memorable.
Last year, Oregon swept the Outdoor Track and Field Championships and nearly did it in the indoor meet as well, with the men winning and the women taking second. Many of the athletes who helped push the team to that level of success have returned to this year’s roster.
Star distance runner Edward Cheserek is back for a junior campaign in which he will look to add to his collection of accolades. Joining him are fellow returnees, junior Marcus Chambers (sprints), sophomore Nate Moore (jumps) and redshirt senior Greg Skipper (throws).
For the women, all eyes should be on redshirt junior Jasmine Todd (jumps), senior Annie Leblanc (middle distance), redshirt junior Brittany Mann (throws) and junior Sasha Wallace (hurdles).
Two surprising scorers from the outdoor championships — middle distance sophomores Blake Haney and Raevyn Rogers — should also be expected to take on bigger roles this season as they continue to progress.
One of the biggest questions will be seeing how Devon Allen looks on the track as he continues to recover from a knee injury that he suffered on the football field. The redshirt sophomore found success in the past from his speed between hurdles, but if that is limited in any way, he may need to focus more on his technique going over them to make up for his lack of explosiveness.
Of course not every member of last year’s team is back. The biggest loss comes on the women’s side in the form of star sprinter Jenna Prandini, who decided to forgo her senior season as a Duck in order to jump-start her professional career. Prandini was the difference maker in the outdoor championships. The Bowerman Trophy recipient scored 26 points to help win the first title for the women since 1985.
The athlete most poised to take over her levels of production is Todd — a role she’s familiar with after filling in for a sick Prandini at last year’s Pac-12 Championships. Todd gained plenty of valuable experience at the USA Track and Field Championships this past summer, finishing third in the 100 meters, and should be able to carry that momentum into the new season.
On the men’s side, one of the keys will be finding new distance runners to score points alongside Cheserek, as Eric Jenkins and Will Geoghegan are both gone. Two highly touted freshmen, Matthew Maton and Tanner Anderson, could be the answer as they develop under the nation’s best runner.
The Ducks will compete in five meets before heading up to Seattle to partake in the Mountain Pacifc Sports Federation Championships on Feb. 26. Of those meets, the Razorback Invitational (Jan. 29-30) and the Don Kirby Elite (Feb. 12-13) should have some of the stiffest competition.
The season will conclude with the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama on March 11-12.
Early expectations for this program should be, for both the men and women, to finish in the top three at the Championships. Despite losing talent, a school like Oregon always has incoming groups to fill the void.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

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Ryan Kang

Oregon’s Edward Cheserek points as he finishes first in the men’s 3000 meter run. The University of Oregon hosts the Oregon Twilight track and field meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on May 8, 2015. (Ryan Kang/Emerald)