The Oregon track and field team, ranked No. 4 in the nation for indoors on the men’s and women’s sides, is splitting up today for the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Husky Classic in Seattle, both to be held today and Saturday.
In Fayetteville, the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay teams will compete for the Ducks, with members of both participating in other events. Chad Barlow, Ashton Eaton, Matt Butcher and Travis Thompson make up the men’s foursome; Eaton will also compete in the 60-meter dash, Butcher and Barlow in the 200 meters, Barlow in the 400 meters and Thompson in the 800 meters.
Keshia Baker, Mandy White, Michele Williams, Amber Purvis and Jamesha Youngblood will make the trip for the women. Purvis and White are both scheduled to compete in the 60m and 200m, while Baker is also entered at 200m. Williams will compete at 400m, and Youngblood will participate in the long jump.
Seattle’s meet will be a benchmark for many of the Ducks’ NCAA-qualified athletes, though three notables are scheduled to make their 2010 debuts: Andrew Wheating has been entered in the 800m, Oregon running back LaMichael James in the 60m and freshman Ben DeJarnette in the 3,000 meters. Automatic qualifiers Melissa Gergel (pole vault), Nicole Blood (5,000 meters) and Brianne Theisen (entered in 200m, 60-meter hurdles, long jump and shot put) are also expected to compete.
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