Top-ranked Oregon women’s track and field will begin its quest Friday to win a third-straight NCAA Indoor Championship at Jacksons Indoor Track outside Boise, Idaho. The women remained No. 1 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll, meaning they have sat atop the rankings for eight consecutive weeks — the entirety of the indoor season.  @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205393382@@
Boise State is the host institution as the NCAA indoor meet moves close to home; Nampa is located a mere 25 miles from the Oregon border. Both the men and women will be making their 15th appearances in the NCAA Indoor Championships. The men won the NCAA indoor title in 2009 for the first time in school history, but have only three entries for the 2012 championships.
Associate athletic director Vin Lananna admitted that the team is prioritizing the outdoor season and taking a cautious approach to the meet. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=243&SPSID=4363@@
“The thing I feel good about going in is I don’t think we’ve done anything that is too risky with either the men or women,” Lananna said. “We have taken a relatively conservative path when people have had things wrong with them. We’ve either not competed them, or we’ve competed them at a limited basis. I think if we really tried to kill the indoor season, I think we really could score a lot off points. But we’ve chosen consciously not to do that in preparation for a big outdoor season.”
That being said, he didn’t deny that the Ducks could make history this weekend.
“We have a good team, and I don’t think there’s been any tremendous effort to put together that type of team,” Lananna said. “I just think it’s what happens when you do all the preparation. I‘m in a position where I really do like where we are for both the men and women for the outdoor season. Looking at the meet this weekend in Boise, that may add up to something really special.”
The women bring back an impressive number of performers from their 2011 championship team. Oregon’s top point-scorers will likely include 11-time All-American Jordan Hasay (champion, mile and 3,000 meters, distance medley relay), eight-time All-American Brianne Theisen (two-time champion, pentathlon), nine-time All-American Amber Purvis (4×400-meter relay), and six-time All-American Anne Kesselring (mile, distance medley relay). The Oregon women will also send Chizoba Okodogbe (4x400m relay, distance medley relay), Becca Friday (distance medley relay) and Laura Roesler (4x400m relay) from last year’s team. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=243&SPSID=4365@@
“My legs feel great, everything is rested and I’m ready to go,” Theisen said. “As far as expectations, obviously I expect to win — I wouldn’t be satisfied with not winning. Points — I just usually don’t think about point scores so much. I just go in there with a positive attitude looking to have solid marks in each event.”
Also competing for the Ducks are English Gardner (the No. 2 seed in the 60 meters), Alex Kosinski (No. 5 in the 5,000 meters) and Bronwyn Crossman (No. 9 in the 5,000m). Other entries include Phyllis Francis (No. 12 in the 400 meters) and Laura Roesler (No. 12 in the 800 meters).
Like the 2011 meet, the mile could again be paramount to Oregon’s success. Last season, the Ducks — led by Jordan Hasay’s win — went 1-3-4 to boost the team to a title. Hasay is back in the mile as the No. 7 seed (4:37.29), while Anne Kesselring comes in at No. 2 with a school-record 4:32.61. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205393382@@
“Last season was long, but it’s just about coming back and getting excited again,” Kesselring said. “And every time you step on the track — no matter if it’s been a week or four months — it’s exciting. So far it’s been going well and we’ll see what happens at NCAAs.”
The men’s three entries in the championships are Mike Berry (seeded No. 6 in the 400 meters), Parker Stinson (No. 6 in the 5,000 meters) and Trevor Dunbar (No. 11 seed in the 3,000 meters).
Record setters

So far, the 2012 season has seen 11 Ducks set indoor school records, with Brianne Theisen leading the pack with three on her own. Theisen broke the Oregon (and NCAA and Canadian) record in the pentathlon Jan. 27 at Texas A&M with 4,555 points. During that meet, she also set the Oregon indoor high jump record. Also this year, sophomore sprinter English Gardner set the school record in the 60 meters (7.19) and Anne Kesselring set the University standard in the mile (4:32.61). @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205392522@@