For the Oregon seniors and women’s head coach Tom Heinonen, Saturday isn’t just the Oregon Twilight.
It’s the last regular-season meet before Pacific-10 Conference Championships.
It’s the last time the veteran Ducks will compete in an Oregon uniform on Hayward field.
And it’s the last meet for Heinonen at Hayward Field after 27 years.
“It doesn’t seem like a big deal,” Heinonen said. “It adds on an extra dimension, but we still have all the big meets ahead.”
The action begins at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and although the meet isn’t as big as the Oregon Invitational, nine schools from around the region will descend on Eugene.
For many, it is the last chance to tune up before postseason competition, while others chase marks to make it past the weekend.
On the men’s side, freshmen Matt Scherer and Travis Anderson will stretch to reach regionals in the 400-meter dash. Scherer, at 47.54 seconds, and Anderson (47.59) are mere inches from the qualifying mark of 47.45.
Another Duck duo of freshmen Ryan Flaherty (1:51.64) and Jan Olszowy (1:50.40-indoors) are less than one second from the regional qualifying mark in the 800 meters of 1:51.15.
Off the track, senior James March will have his final chance at Hayward to zero in on a Pac-10 qualifying mark in the shot put, with his personal best only 2 1/4 inches away.
“We’re trying to build toward the Pac-10 championships,” Oregon head coach Martin Smith said. “We can build on (the Oregon Invitational) and we’ll try to build at the Oregon Twilight.”
The women’s team will also say farewell to a few while others try to close in on postseason marks. Two-time discus All-American and senior Mary Etter will make her final appearance at Hayward and will try to add one more win to her tally of 38 in her career.
The All-American sophomore javelin duo of Elisa Crumley and Roslyn Lundeen return from injuries after missing last week’s competition.
“I’m really excited and hoping to work some kinks out,” Crumley said, as she will use the full 11-step approach on Saturday. “I’m excited to throw, and I’m looking to go for it.”
Lundeen and Crumley have already reached conference and regional qualifying marks, yet their marks this season have fallen nearly 10 feet short of their personal bests.
On the oval, redshirt sophomore Laura Harmon will try and reach the regional qualifying standard (4:31.00) again this week as she is less than a second shy.
“This is a really good meet for Laura to get the mark,” Heinonen said. If Harmon doesn’t get the mark, Heinonen plans to take her to Stanford next week to try and qualify her for the 5,000 meters.
Oregon’s pole vault arsenal will begin by praying for better weather after last week’s competition was won by redshirt senior Niki McEwen at 13-1.
“It really wasn’t good weather and it’s hard to compete in that,” McEwen said. “I hope it doesn’t rain. And it’s my last home meet as a Duck, and of course, I’d like to jump well.”
After the meet is over Saturday, more than 100 past athletes who were under Heinonen’s tenure will come to honor him in the Bowerman Building.