Oregon distance runner Steve Finley summed up the weekend of NCAA West Preliminary Rounds — held Thursday through Saturday at Hayward Field — as best as anyone could.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4367&SPID=243&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205155913&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Finley had just qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, having won his heat of the event in 8:47.82. Said Finley, a senior transfer from Virginia, upon securing his spot in the national meet:
“This type of regional system is very, very stressful. Nerve-wracking, even.”
A new kind of stress is now borne upon the 24 individuals (13 women, 11 men) and two relay teams competing for Oregon in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 8-11. The Duck contingent for NCAA outdoors was pared down from 43 individuals and three relay teams, as the top 12 competitors in each event would move on. Athletes were subjected to downpours and strong winds, in addition to intense competition, through all three days. Those who survived were strong, and lucky.@@http://www.ncaa.com/championships/trackfield-outdoor-men/d1@@
To the dismay of the partisan crowd, Oregon did not emerge unscathed. Senior Jamesha Youngblood suffered a knee injury during the first round of the triple jump and failed to qualify in the event. (She did run the anchor leg of the women’s 4×100-meter relay on Saturday, helping it qualify for a trip to Des Moines.)@@http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2011/05/oregon_big_guns_amber_purvis_a.html@@
Junior Amber Purvis suffered a right hamstring injury in the 100 meter quarterfinals on Saturday, then stopped mid-race in her heat of the 200 meters later in the day due to discomfort.
“We hope it’s just a cramp,” assistant athletic director Vin Lananna told reporters following Friday’s events. “The medical group is still working on her, so we don’t have any real significant update at this point. We’re anticipating she will be able to come back tomorrow in the 4×1, but we’ll see.”
Purvis did not return for the relay, and her status for Des Moines is questionable. It is also not known if Youngblood is 100 percent.
The Duck women have made no secret of their goal of an outdoor national championship this season. Their margin for error, however, dropped significantly over the course of the weekend. While some Oregon athletes were surprise qualifiers — most notably Bronwyn Crossman at 10,000 meters and Chizoba Okodogbe at 400 meters — there is a difference between showing up to the national meet and scoring team points.
Still, the Ducks turned in a number of positive performances. Sophomore Jordan Hasay successfully qualified through in her bid to double at 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. English Gardner ran well on a sodden track, qualifying with ease in the 100m. Oregon will send two runners at 800 meters — Anne Kesselring and Laura Roesler — and the 3,000-meter steeplechase — Claire Michel and Lanie Thompson — that are threats to score big.
“It was good to have a fast race before we go to the big time,” said Roesler, one of six Duck freshmen making their first appearances at NCAAs this year. “All that matters is making NCAAs, because that’s where we’re going to do our damage.”
The Oregon men have no team national title hopes, and a finish on the podium seems out of the question. None will compete in more than one event.
They will not, however, be short on individual title competitors. Freshman Michael Berry (400m), sophomore Elijah Greer (800m), seniors Matthew Centrowitz and A.J. Acosta (1,500m), Finley (3,000m steeplechase) and Alex Wolff (javelin) will have the best chance at such glory.
Wolff, in particular, stood out during Friday’s first round competition. The sixth-year senior javelin thrower from Newberg, who had failed to score at last year’s NCAAs, finished fourth in the event with a throw of 241 feet, 10 inches, and salvaged a chance at redemption.@@http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports/26299790-41/oregon-field-ncaa-wolff-acosta.html.csp@@
“I just knew I needed to throw well today to make it to NCAAs, and I just dug deep,” Wolff said. “As soon as it let go, I knew I was punching my ticket for NCAAs.”
Can the Oregon women secure the school’s first outdoor track and field national title since 1985? Can the Oregon men string together some special performances?
“Expect the unexpected,” Gardner said, “and hopefully we’ll put on a show for you (at NCAAs).”
Oregon track and field sends 24 individuals, two relay teams to NCAA Outdoor Championships
Daily Emerald
May 29, 2011
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