By the beginning of their high-altitude training camp in Sunriver, Oregon, the Ducks cross country team had seen a variety of drastic changes over the summer.
Hayward Field was torn down just weeks after the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
Distance coaches Andy and Maurica Powell, who helped accrue more than a dozen NCAA championships in over a decade-long tenure, were hired by the Washington Huskies in June.
Four Oregon All-American distance runners joined the Powell’s at Washington, while coaches Helen Lehman-Winters of the University of San Francisco, and Ben Thomas of Virginia Tech, joined the Ducks followed by transfer students from USF.
Despite the reshuffled team and a new set of coaches, the season has provided a new perspective and heightened sense of morale for head coach Robert Johnson and the cross-country squad.
“Just to see them come to work with a smile on their face and see the things that they have at their disposal is something that is refreshing and new to me,” Johnson said. “I think they’ve done a good job acclimating, getting the kids ready to go, and getting them to buy in.”
Changes from Thomas for the men’s team have included higher mileage weeks, more time spent in the weight room and “lots of skills and drills that we’ve never asked them to do since I’ve been here,” according to Johnson.
“Compared to what it was the last four years, it’s completely different for me,” said redshirt senior Blake Haney regarding the impact coach Thomas has had on the team. “It’s not that we didn’t trust the Powell’s, there’s just a vibe around the team that everyone has bought in and everyone is willing to go for it.”
Senior and reigning NCAA 1500-meter champion Jessica Hull became an integral part of the hiring process in the offseason. Johnson said he communicated with her regularly to ensure they were making the decision that was best for the team.
“I was still at home in Australia when Helen first called me on the phone,” Hull said. “I put it out there what my goals are for the next 12 or 18 months. There was no hesitation. I knew she was all in.”
The team operates as a family, said Hull, doing cooperative group style workouts and chatting about their daily lives and brunch plans rather than the grind of the season.
“It’s incredible to look back and think we’ve only been together for six or seven weeks,” said Hull, “I think we can all bring a lot to the table.”
Weronika Pyzik, a fifth-place finisher at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Isabelle Brauer, a 15th-place finisher, followed coach Lehman Winters from USF over the summer.
“Isabelle has such a kind heart, and Weronika is my queen of the tempo grind,” Hull said, giggling because tempo workouts are not her strong suit but says Pyzik helps her embrace it.
As for the Ducks who left for Washington, neither Hull nor Haney feel any animosity towards their old teammates and coaches.
Email Bryce Dole at [email protected]