Last week, the Oregon women’s track and field team participated in a spirited, though not very difficult, dual meet with Washington.
This week, the Ducks prepared for something entirely different. The women, and Billy Pappas from the men’s team, will face some of the toughest top-flight competition of the season at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in California.
But Mt. SAC is not the only meet for the Ducks this weekend.
Several athletes will also compete in the Azusa Pacific Heptathlon, the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational and the Long Beach Invitational, all in the vicinity of Mt. SAC. Some athletes will compete in more than one meet.
“We’re going to have people spread all over the map,” Oregon head coach Tom Heinonen said. “Morning, noon, night, three different venues over a three-day period.”
Senior hammer thrower Maureen Morrison is scheduled to compete today in the Pomona-Pitzer and Sunday at Mt. SAC. Like most of the Oregon athletes, she doesn’t quite know where she’s going, but she knows she’ll face top competition when she gets there.
“This meet is huge,” Morrison said. “I’ll be competing against women from all over the nation.”
Kicking off this weekend’s competition are Jenny Kenyon and Ann Sullivan in the Azusa Pacific Heptathlon today. Both will face stiff competition in the event for the first time this season, after qualifying for the Pac-10s earlier in the year.
Junior pole vaulter Niki Reed should also look forward to a deep field at Mt. SAC Saturday. Some of the nation’s top vaulters will challenge Reed, who is currently third on the national list.
“She should do well,” fellow vaulter and All-American Karina Elstrom said. “Even with the hard competition.”
Reed tied her own school record with a vault of 13 feet, 5 1/4 inches at the Washington Dual Meet Saturday and had close attempts at 13-9.
Several other athletes could get a boost at Mt. SAC this weekend. Freshman javelin-thrower Sarah Malone, who has gotten close to NCAA automatic distances this year, will compete Sunday at Mt. SAC. Malone is currently sixth on the national list.
Senior distance runner Hanna Smedstad could crack the NCAA Provisional list in the 5,000 today, after making the 10,000 list at the Washington Dual. Senior Holly Speight is looking to pole vault into better position on the NCAA Provisional list and will attempt to do that today at Mt. SAC.
Other than Smedstad, only four other racers will compete this weekend. Junior Cameo Davis will try to build on the momentum from her personal record in the 400 hurdles last weekend, as she will compete in that event and the 100 hurdles at the Pomona-Pitzer today. Eri Macdonald and Annette Mosey will both compete in the 800 at Mt. SAC Saturday.
All the athletes agree that the competition could lead to improved scores and will help them for the bigger meets later in the season.
“It’s going to be a real test on how I can react under pressure situations that will prepare me for other meets like the Pac-10 Championships and nationals,” Morrison said.
Pappas, the only entry from the men’s squad, will compete in the Azusa Pacific decathlon today.
The competition will conclude Sunday at Mt. SAC with the shot put, hammer, javelin and discus throws.