Indoor track and field, which reigns as national champions in both the men’s and women’s categories, is listed at second and third, respectively, in the first USTFCCA’s preseason poll.
Florida begins the season atop both polls while Texas A&M sits at second just ahead of the Ducks on the women’s side. Pac-12 rivals Stanford and UCLA are also in the top 25 in both categories.
Individually, the Ducks appear in the top 25 of over twenty events.
Men’s distance runners jump off the page more than any other events for Oregon. The Ducks boast multiple athletes in the top ten for the mile, 3,000 meters, and 5,000 meters. Cross Country National Champion Edward Cheserek and runner-up Eric Jenkins, along with seniors Will Geoghegan and Parker Stinson, all appear in the top ten in at least two of the three events.
The women’s 4×400 meter relay team is ranked first in the country.
Jenna Prandini ranks in the top 25 in the 60 meter (No. 5), 200 meter (No. 13), and long jump (17). Devon Allen, reigning national champion in the 110 meter hurdles and wide receiver for football, checks in at 21 in the 60 meter hurdles. His status for the indoor season is unclear after suffering a knee injury in the Rose Bowl.
The poll is the first of nine to be released before and after the NCAA Championships, with weekly editions beginning on Jan. 26th. Oregon begins its season in the Washington Preview in Seattle on Jan. 17th.
Follow Jack Heffernan on Twitter @JHeffy13