When a sprinter is coming off an injury, several things factor into his successful return to the track.
After patiently waiting for the injury to heal, staying healthy during and after the race is of the utmost importance. Secondly, finishing with a respectable time helps the athlete rebuild confidence.
Sophomore Matt Scherer accomplished these feats with ease Saturday, when he won the 400-meter dash (47.11 seconds) during the Oregon Invitational at Hayward Field.
Making his 2004 outdoor debut after nursing a right hamstring injury he suffered during the indoor campaign, the Sumner, Ill. native edged Highline Community College’s Melvin Jenkins (47.28) by .17 seconds.
“It was exactly what (sprints coach Dan Steele) wanted me to do and exactly what I wanted to do,” Scherer said. “I think my hamstring is fully recovered. I just wanted to come out here and give it a really good test.”
The key to Scherer’s success was his ability to put the injury out of his mind.
“It’s almost like you forget how to race (while sitting out with an injury),” Scherer said. “You have to go out there and think what the coach trains you to think. I’ve been really patient trying to get this injury gone and it just feels good to race again in front of the fans.”
Along with Scherer’s win, five other Ducks captured event victories for the Oregon men’s track and field team, during a meet that featured some of the West Coast’s to talents. Performing at the highest level was difficult, however, as winds gusted above three meters per second at times.
“Other than the 5,000 (the meet’s final event), everything on the oval was going to be affected by the wind,” Oregon head coach Martin Smith said. “Probably by this time of the year that can get a little frustrating. But I think you get good competition and you take that into account and you build off that. The wind was a factor, but it can be windy at a championship meet, so you don’t use that as an excuse and you turn your attention to competing.”
Along with Scherer, other winners on the track included freshman Travis Ramme in the morning session of the 100 (10.99w, w:2.4), sophomore Eric Mitchum in the 400 hurdles (52.30) and freshman Mike McGrath in the 800 (1:51.42).
Along with winning the 100, Ramme, a Eugene native, shaved .51 seconds off his season best in the morning session of the 200 (ninth, 22.19w, w: 2.5).
Mitchum’s victory in the 400 hurdles was his second at Hayward Field in three weeks. The Calumet City, Ill. native finished 1.07 seconds better than teammate Brandon Holliday (third, 53.37), who had been battling a case of food poisoning.
McGrath’s time dipped under the Pacific-10 Conference standard (1:51.44) and was just enough to edge Weber State’s Brad Osguthorp (second, 1:51.47).
In the field, Leonidas Watson won the triple jump (51 feet, 1 3/4 inches, w:2.7) with his second-best performance of the outdoor season. The junior transfer from St. Louis Community College bettered 50 feet on two of his three jumps, despite battling the wind and built up adrenaline from competing in the 4 x 100-meter relay earlier in the day.
Watson had so much momentum built up on his approach that he missed the board by three feet on his first attempt.
“The wind (made it difficult) Watson said. “After the 4 x 100 I’m so juiced up and I’m running down the runway so fast that my turnover is making me short of the board. I had to move up at least eight feet from my original mark.”
Sophomore Jeff Lindsey won the high jump (7-0 1/2) for the second time in three weeks at Hayward Field. The Mansfield, Texas native cleared 7-1 3/4 during the Pepsi Team Invitational on April 10.
Also in the field, senior Trevor Woods took second in the pole vault (17-1) and improved on his previous 2004 outdoor best of 16-9 1/4.
In relay action, the Oregon combination of Travis Anderson, Watson, Brian Paysinger and Ryan Gilliam took first in the 4 x 100 (40.72).