Oregon track and field is heading into a busy weekend, as the Ducks will be splitting the team between competing at the Don Kirby Elite and the Husky Classic, both two-day meets held Friday and Saturday.
The Don Kirby is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the Husky Classic is in Seattle, Washington. Oregon’s goal at both is to continue to qualify athletes for the Indoor National Championships. The Ducks are highly ranked, with the men at No. 1 and the women at No. 5.
“Last weekend we went to Arkansas and had a lot of good things happen there,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said.
The Ducks will be building on a performance that saw three new school record holders be crowned against some of the top competition in the country.
“We are all doing well,” redshirt freshman Blake Haney said. “From my point of view I think our team is in great shape.”
The throwing pair of Brittany Mann and Itohan Aikhionbare will be competing in the shot put, Edward Cheserek will run the 5000 and freshman Matthew Maton is entered in the 3000.
“Our freshmen are coming along fine,” Johnson said. “We are asking them to basically just learn the system — learn what it takes to be successful. Those are the only requirements we ask of those guys.”
The football players will also be showcasing their speed on the track, with Tony Brooks-James, Charles Nelson and Kirk Merritt all in the 60-meter dash.
Redshirt sophomore Devon Allen will also be sprinting the 60 meters, as well as the 60-meter hurdles.
“The plan is to just stay consistent and continue to work hard,” Johnson said. “We are starting to come together and gel as a team.”
The Don Kirby is set to begin Friday at 3 p.m. and the Husky Classic at 4 p.m.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur