Sofie Abildtrup hopes to recover from tightness in her hamstring in time for the NCAA Regionals this weekend.
The minor injury had hampered her running ability in the days leading up to the Pacific-10 Conference Championships two weeks ago.
However, Abildtrup shook it off to place fifth in the finals of the 400-meters in her second-fastest career time of 53.22 seconds. In the event’s qualifying round, the Denmark native finished with a new personal best at 52.92.
Abildtrup said she continues to get treatment for her hamstring and is confident she will be ready this weekend.
“I had some problems with it,” Abildtrup said. “It got worse and worse, but I think it’s on the way down and I’m ready. I definitely feel better than the week before Pac-10s.”
In addition to achieving a new personal record, Abildtrup attained a new Danish record in the 400 meters. The first-year Duck also surpassed expectations; she was rated 12th among Pac-10 sprinters going into the event. UCLA’s Monique Henderson ended up winning the event by more than a full second with a meet record of 50.90.
“I was really happy about (my performance),” Abildtrup said. “I was really excited to be in the final with all of those girls who ran some of the fastest times in the world this year. I think we did a good job in the 4×400 relay too.”
Abildtrup later anchored the relay team to a season best time by more than four seconds at 3.42.23.
Despite helping score points for the Ducks, Abildtrup admitted Oregon’s seventh-place finish was a little disappointing. She said the individual performances were the highlight of the meet; several Ducks achieved personal records.
“It’s not where we wanted to be ideally,” Abildtrup said. “But I think that we got a lot of good results and I think the coaches were really satisfied with that.”
All year long, the coaches said they have been impressed with the work ethic Abildtrup has brought every practice. Head coach Martin Smith said she has been a model of consistency and is someone all of the athletes can look up to.
“Sofie’s a really fine leader,” Smith said. “She is a talented student and talented athlete. She’s a very special person and I think she’s been a superb asset to the environment and attitude toward the whole team.”
Abildtrup does not plan on coming back to Oregon next year, as she heads back to her native Denmark to continue her architecture studies.

Rivals meet again
At the Pac-10 Championships in Tucson, Ariz., Kayla Mellott reunited with one of her old high school rivals to compete at the 400-meter hurdles.
The junior from Bellingham, Wash., met up with Washington’s Cambrielle Jensen in the event after the two had several heated encounters against one another before college. Mellott said they both greeted each other with a handshake and nothing more.
“We’re always cordial with each other,” Mellott said. “But we definitely have been competitors since high school, so we’re not the best of friends.”
Mellott ended up having the last laugh, finishing one place ahead of Jensen in seventh place at 61.27. Jensen, a junior from Arlington, Wash., placed eighth with a time of 61.95.
“I was really happy I accomplished several goals that I set out to do,” Mellott said. “I made it to the finals in (the 400 hurdles) and I was a Pac-10 scorer. I qualified for Regionals and I beat my high school rival that I have never beaten before.”