On Saturday, Oregon track and field will face stiff competition in its first home meet of the season at the 23rd Annual Pepsi Team Invitational.@@http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports/27858220-41/track-women-meet-pepsi-ducks.html.csp@@
Both the women’s and men’s teams will face Texas A&M, the defending national champion in both realms of competition.@@see link above@@ The women sit No. 1 in the most recent USTFCCCA poll, versus the No. 5 Aggies; the men’s side, ranked No. 16, will take on the No. 6-ranked Aggies.@@http://www.ustfccca.org/rankings/division-i-rankings#otfd1ranks@@
The meet begins at 10:15 a.m. with the women’s javelin. The first running event is the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, taking place at 12:35 p.m.@@http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports/27858220-41/track-women-meet-pepsi-ducks.html.csp@@
The Oregon men will be competing without former standout Matthew Centrowitz,@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4365&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=925196&Q_SEASON=2010@@ who forewent his senior years of eligibility in outdoors competition in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics.@@http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700221470/Centrowitz-follows-in-fathers-footsteps-on-track.html@@ Also missing from last year’s team are A.J. Acosta, Danny Mercado, David Klech, Alex Wolff, Jordan Stray, Steve Finley, Justin Frick and Vernell Warren.@@names checked    http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4365&SPID=243&DB_OEM_ID=500&Q_SEASON=2010@@
The Ducks will instead rely on burgeoning stars Mike Berry@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4365&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204977356&Q_SEASON=2011@@ and junior Elijah Greer,@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4365&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=3759253&Q_SEASON=2011@@ along with a smattering of seniors led by Luke Puskedra.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4365&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1554572&Q_SEASON=2011@@
The majority of points for the women will be won by junior distance runner Jordan Hasay and six-time national champion heptathlete Brianne Theisen. Junior middle-distance runners Anne Kesselring, the reigning NCAA 800-meter champion, and Becca Friday, a member of the school-record distance medley relay team, will anchor the Ducks in the 800 and 1,500 meters. Sprinters English Gardner, last year’s Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year, and nine-time All-American Amber Purvis will also play major roles on the women’s side.