The Oregon track and field men won the NCAA Indoor Championship thanks to a strong showing in day two of the competition Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Heading into one of the last events of the day — the men’s 3000 — the Ducks needed just 11 points to break a first place tie with Florida and clinch the championship. They were able to easily meet that requirement, sweeping the event 1-2-3.
Eric Jenkins was able to follow up yesterday’s impressive win in the 5k by doubling in the 3k, crossing the line in 7:58.81. Sophomore Edward Cheserek was second (7:59.42) and Will Geoghegan was third (8:00.44).
The Oregon men finished with a total of 74 points, putting them comfortably ahead of second place Florida (50) and third place Arkansas (39).
The Oregon women also looked strong, finishing second with 46.5 points — a school record for an NCAA meet. The Razorback women, who entered the meet as the favorites, won with 63 points.
Winning has become common for the Duck men, as the Indoor Championship this year marks the second in a row for them. They also were able to win the Outdoor Championships last spring.
The Ducks made an early move in the men’s mile, where they were able to bring in 18 team points. Cheserek finished first (3:57.94), Johnny Gregorek came in fourth (4:04.30) and Daniel Winn placed sixth (4:04.44).
The win by Cheserek in the mile brings the sophomore’s total individual NCAA titles to an impressive six earned in his short career at Oregon.
Brittany Mann threw well in the shot put. She didn’t let any pressure get under her skin, stepping into the ring to launch her final attempt 57-1. That distance not only pushed her from eighth to third, but also broke her own school record for the second time in the meet.
Jenna Prandini had a busy final day, taking part in both the women’s 200 and 60 meters. She finished second in the 200 (22.74) and fourth in the 60 (7.24). Finishing just ahead of her in the 60 meters was teammate Jasmine Todd, who crossed in 7.22.
Freshman Ariana Washington also ran well in the women’s 200. She was able to put together a strong race to take sixth in 23.07.
Click here for all of the final events.
Oregon track and field will next compete on March 20, when they will travel down to Los Angeles for the USC Trojan Invitational.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur