History is primed to be made at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships this weekend in Berkeley, Calif.
For the first time since 1988, all 10 schools will field both men’s and women’s teams. Oregon State, which dropped track and field 22 years ago but brought back a distance running-focused women’s program in 2004, will enter football players Obum Gwacham (high jump), Jordan Bishop (high jump), Keynan Parker and Markus Wheaton (100 meters, 200 meters).
For the first time in school history, the Oregon men — ranked No. 2 in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association — have a legitimate shot at winning a fourth consecutive Pac-10 title and the sixth in eight years.
The Ducks’ senior class, having never experienced a different outcome to the conference tournament, is taking it upon themselves to deliver that fourth victory.
“We’re a winning team at Pac-10s,” senior Chad Barlow said, “and we want to keep it that way ‘til we graduate.”
UCLA won five consecutive Pac-10 men’s titles from 1992 to 1996, the longest such streak in the current Pac-10. USC won eight straight titles from 1948 to 1955 in the Pacific Coast Conference. In 1956, however, the Bruins clipped the Trojans by 2.5 points to win the PCC title; USC responded by winning the next eight — five of those after 1960, when the Pacific-8 Conference was formed.
Depending upon who’s asked, Oregon’s chances range from very good to a near-lock. Oregon assistant athletic director Vin Lananna, wary of the burden of high expectations at championship events, asks for reconsideration.
“I think it’ll be a close meet,” Lananna said. “Everybody comes into the meet going for all the marbles, this year in particular. It’s not times or distances (that matter), it’s competition.”
The No. 3 Oregon women are looking for a second straight Pac-10 title, matching a feat last accomplished in 1991-92. The Ducks were four-time winners of the NorPac Conference Championships from 1983-1986; the Pac-10 championship for women’s track and field was contested the next year. Oregon had gone without a conference title in women’s track and field in those 17 years between titles.
“When it actually happened, it was amazing,” senior Nicole Blood said. “One of the greatest experiences in my life.”
In casting off the shadow of the men’s program, the women want to build on the NCAA indoor national title from March with strong performances in the postseason meets.
“On the women’s side, I think we’re good. I think we’re excited,” Lananna said. “I think we’re poised for a challenge. I think we have our athletes placed in all of the appropriate events, and I think they will maximize their points for us.”
Oregon starts the weekend with an edge after last weekend’s multi-event competition. Seniors Ashton Eaton and Marshall Ackley finished first and third, respectively in the decathlon for 16 points; junior Brianne Theisen and senior Erin Funkhouser finished first and fifth, respectively, in the heptathlon for 14 points.
The multi-event athletes will return for other events on Saturday, but how much work they’ll put in won’t be determined until then.
“It’s kind of up in the air,” Theisen said. “High jump for sure. It could be some relays, it could be some hurdles, some long jump. We’ll take a look at the schedule and see how
I feel.
“Last week was a little tougher for me. The energy there (in Berkeley) was not what we’re used to. I felt like I had to use some energy just to get myself excited, so that was kind
of hard.”
Theisen was referring to the Berkeley crowd, which was much more sparse than last year’s Pac-10 multi-event competition at Hayward Field. But the lack of fan energy cannot deter the Ducks from getting up to defend their dual crowns.
“We’ve been talking about it since the beginning of the season,” senior Andrew Wheating said. “Losing isn’t an option.”
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