Oregon freshman Sarah Malone finished seventh in the javelin with a heave of 164-9.
For the first time since 1985, the Pacific-10 Conference was represented as the winner of the NCAA women’s track and field title.
In fact, the Pac-10 dominated the women’s NCAA Track and Field Championships with the top-three team finishers, one more top-10 finisher and two more top-20 finishers. All this came at Hayward Field, home of the Pac-10’s Oregon Ducks.
The Ducks, though, were nowhere to be found this week.
Four Oregon athletes qualified for the NCAAs at Hayward, but only one scored points for the Ducks, who finished tied-for-60th-place overall.
Even those two points came in disappointing fashion, as Sarah Malone finished seventh in the javelin despite being ranked second in the nation before the event.
Oregon’s bad luck began Wednesday, when sophomore discus thrower Mary Etter failed to make the finals of that event. Etter fouled her first two throws, then threw one 139 feet, 2 inches. That toss was well below her season best of 175-9 and her Pac-10 Championships throw of 168-8.
Friday was equally unkind to the Ducks. Junior Niki Reed started the pole vault competition with some pressure as Oregon’s best-ever vaulter and school-record holder. Reed passed at 12-3 1/2, then missed three attempts at 12-9 1/2 for a no-height.
“I felt like I was running and taking off well,” Reed said. “I just started rocking back, and I wasn’t getting into positions I needed to get to.”
Reed’s season-best also tied her own school record, at 13-5 1/4, and her Pac-10 Championships jump was 12-11.
Freshman Malone had perhaps the highest expectations heading into the championships. She was ranked second in the nation, had a throw nearly as long as the national leader and has thrown well at Hayward all season.
“You win some and you lose some,” Malone said. “I’m disappointed today, but I’m not disappointed with my season.”
Malone threw her best distance of 164-9 on her first throw, but said she wasn’t happy with it and knew she probably wasn’t going to do much better.
“Usually, if I don’t get a big throw on my first or second chance, I know it’s not going to happen,” Malone said.
Sophomore Charyl Weingarten also threw in Friday’s javelin competition, finishing 19th overall. Weingarten tossed the implement 136-8 in her first throw, then fouled twice and failed to make the final. That throw was short of her personal best of 155-6.
“I can’t speak for [Weingarten] but I know we’re both disappointed with our throws,” Malone said.
Disappointment was the common theme for the Ducks at this year’s NCAA Championships, but the team that head coach Tom Heinonen has always called “young” will have another shot for success at next year’s NCAAs in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.