Sarah Malone has taken it upon herself to assume a leadership role on the Oregon women’s track and field team this season.
As the new era of the women’s program began under head coach Martin Smith, Malone believed it was important for the women to realize what being a team really is. She felt it was an element that was nonexistent the past few years.
“I never really had that team feeling the first couple years I was here,” Malone said. “I took it upon myself to try to bring this team together.”
Since the Pepsi Team Invitational three weeks ago, Malone has organized team meetings a couple days before each meet to discuss goals for the ensuing weekend. The discussion goes around with each athlete sharing their goal for the upcoming competition. They also state how each teammate can help fulfill them, such as help encourage crowd support.
“I started it as a pep rally of sorts,” said Malone, a redshirt junior and javelin thrower. “I really think we needed it.” The Newberg native has generally received positive feedback from her teammates. The impact of those meetings was immediately felt when the Oregon women won the Pepsi Invite over Colorado, Minnesota and Washington. The Ducks conjured up seven event wins and set seven new personal bests during that meet.
At Hayward Field’s Oregon Twilight this past Saturday, the women placed first in nine events and broke seven more personal records.
“I haven’t had any criticism,” Malone said. “I asked them if this is dumb, then tell me. I think they really enjoy it, especially before that Pepsi meet. I think it was a little special and it got people fired up.”
Kirsten Larwin, a senior and Eugene native, is appreciative of the job Malone has done off the track to create a better camaraderie around the team.
“I’m really happy with what’s going on with our team this year,” Larwin said. “In years past, our team hasn’t been that close. Sarah is somebody that has really stepped up and tried to start bringing us together.” Larwin said the importance of feeling a part of a team directly correlates to their success.
“We’re never going to be at the level we want to be at unless we start becoming a team,” Larwin said.
With the Pacific-10 Conference Championships beginning this weekend and continuing into next week in Tucson, Ariz., Larwin said she hopes to see each athlete support one another for the benefit of the entire squad.
“It’s really easy for people to let track become an individual sport and in some respects it is,” Larwin said. “But if we want to be competing at the Pac-10 level, then we got to have that support and closeness.”

Senior Day at Hayward
This past Saturday’s Oregon Twilight was the last meet at Hayward Field for many of the Oregon seniors. After the last event was over, each graduating athlete took their final victory lap around the track while they hurled T-shirts into the about 4,000 in attendance.

Despite the uneven competition with many of the participants from Lane Community College and Willamette, head coach Martin Smith said he was still proud of his team’s success.
“For the seniors, it was their last meet and there were a lot of people here, which was a lot of fun for the kids,” Smith said. “I know the competition wasn’t Pac-10 or national level. It was kind of to do the best we can.”
Redshirt senior Abby Andrus led the senior contingent with her two event wins. Andrus, a Peoria, Ariz. native, triumphed in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.16 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 59.9 seconds. Both times were season bests and Pac-10 qualifiers.
Senior C’Rel McAllister also ended her Hayward Field career with a win as a part of the 4×100 relay team, which triumphed with a time of 47.97 seconds.