Oregon track and field sprinters — both men and women — have dominated this. But after the Pac-12 Championship meet, it was clear that the women have truly taken center stage.
The women’s team earned its eighth straight Pac-12 title last weekend with 185 points, more than 70 points ahead of second place USC.
“It’s always been about the Men of Oregon, and we just got tired of it, honestly,” sprinter Ariana Washington said in an interview with Pac-12 Networks. “We just work really well as a unit.”
While Raevyn Rogers (800 meters), Frida Berge (steeple), Sasha Wallace and Alaysha Johnson (100 hurdles) contributed crucial points to the women’s cause, the 4×100 relay team of Jasmine Todd, Deajah Stevens, Hannah Cunliffe and Washington were the keys to Oregon’s success.
At the Saturday preliminaries, the short relay team set a track record with their first place finish, 44.38, only to crush that time the following day in the finals. The women ran 42.71 Sunday for a Pac-12 meet record and victory over USC.
“For them to come here and put on display what we worked so hard for in Eugene is definitely special,” head coach Robert Johnson said to Pac-12 Networks. “This thing has been building for a while.”
This season, Todd has been running the opening leg for the short relay team, a transition from her position last year. But with Todd at the start, the team has seen results.
“Feeling that difference has me really excited,” Todd said. “Anywhere they can put me to help out on that four by one, I’m willing to learn it.”  
Todd handed off to Stevens at second who kept the speed on the back stretch for Oregon. Women’s Athlete of the Meet Cunliffe took over the final corner for the team before handing off to Washington who finished off as anchor for the Ducks.
But after the relay win, the women weren’t finished … not by a long shot.
Cunliffe, Washington and Stevens went one two three in the 100 meters to add 24 points to the Oregon women’s total after their record setting short relay. To top it off, the women also swept the top three in the 200 meter finals where Cunliffe finished in first again, 22.49.
“She’s filling in a big role,” Todd said of her teammate Cunliffe. “ We lost Jenna Prandini last year, so to gain Hannah and Deajah within this year is very exciting for our team.”
The next step for the ladies is the NCAA West Preliminaries at the end of the month in Kansas. If the group can advance to the finals, they will return to Eugene for the NCAA Championships in June.
“We’re trying to make our mark,”  Rogers said in an interview with Pac-12 Network. “The men have done their part, but now we’re trying to do ours to make history as the Women of Oregon.”
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01