Faithful Oregon track and field fans will not be surprised by the lack of entries running, jumping and throwing for the Ducks at Hayward Field this weekend.
A reduced number of Oregon athletes will compete at the Oregon Twilight on Saturday, typical for Oregon’s last regular-season home meet. The first event starts at 3:30 p.m.
The Twilight will give athletes an opportunity to prepare for the quickly approaching Pacific-10 Conference Championships May 7-8 and the NCAA West Regional May 27-28. A significant portion of Oregon’s competitors who already own regional qualifying marks opted to rest this weekend.
Senior Sofie Abildtrup is slated to run the
200-meter with the intention of improving her future 400-meter times in the postseason.
“Sofie is doing her’s as a tune-up for the 400 — that’s the only reason she’s running,” Oregon assistant coach Rock Light said. “Hardly any of the kids that I coach are competing this weekend.”
Duck seniors Clarice Hayward-Lee (triple jump), Maegan Traver (triple jump) and Rachael Kriz-Wallace (high jump) will strive for regional qualifying marks in their respective events.
Oregon senior Katie Kersh, redshirt athlete
Britney Henry and senior Brittany Hinchcliffe are scheduled to throw the hammer and are expected to be the only female throwers competing for the Ducks on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a really light week,” Oregon throws coach Lance Deal said. “We’re just going to be training well (in practice).”
Deal said senior javelin thrower Sarah Malone will not compete in her last Twilight although she had previously expressed interest.
In the distance races, senior Laura Harmon will use the 1,500 to work on her speed and to get another race under her belt, even though she already owns a qualifying mark in the 5,000.
“It’s nice to get it out of the way,” Harmon said about the qualifying time she recorded at the Oregon Invitational. “That way I don’t have to scramble at the last second to try to hit that mark.”
Sophomore Mandi Fitz-Gustafson is expected to be Oregon’s lone competitor in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Senior Magdalena Sandoval set
to make her season debut in the
3,000. The Los Alamos, N.M., native holds Oregon’s indoor 5,000-meter record. Her personal record in the 3,000 is 9:33.56.
Ducks to have a low showing at Twilight
May 5, 2005
Oregon senior Laura Harmon, who has a regional qualifying mark in the 5,000-meter, will race in the 1,500 at the Oregon Twilight to work on her speed.
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