Oregon track and field has officially stepped into defense mode.
This coming weekend, the Ducks will host the NCAA track and field championships. Both the Oregon men’s and women’s teams won titles last year, and this year they boast 32 total entries in the competition.
“We’re excited to be going home and get that Hayward Field magic,” head coach Robert Johnson said in an interview with GoDucks. “We have a tough road ahead of us and we’re going to need all of the Eugene faithful over those four days.”
The Ducks have 15 total women’s entries and 17 men’s entries. Although the women’s qualifiers are spread across the board, sprints is overwhelmingly Oregon’s strongest discipline on the women’s side.
Between the 100 and 200 meters, the Ducks have two entries per race, including Hannah Cunliffe, who has the fastest 100 time in the field, 11.13. The team is also in the top 10 in both the 4×100 and 4×400 meter relay.
The short relay team of Danielle Barbian, Deajah Stevens, Cunliffe and Ariana Washington has the fifth-fastest time in the field, 43.75. It would have the fastest time among competitors had the Ducks’ regular team, which included Jasmine Todd, been in effect.
Todd announced her departure from the team in an Instagram post at the end of May.
In the women’s 800, Raevyn Rogers, Annie Leblanc and Brooke Feldmeier will compete for the Ducks. Rogers is the defending champion in the event and holds the record for the fastest 800 time by a freshman in the history of the NCAA.
Speaking of defending champions, Edward Cheserek will be competing in two events for the Ducks this coming weekend. Despite a rough mid-season, the 14 time All-American will compete in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Cheserek holds the fastest time in the field for the 10,000 meters, 29:45.41.
In men’s mid-distance, the Ducks keep things strong. Sam Prakel, Matthew Maton and Blake Haney will run in the 1,500 meters.
Devon Allen joins Cheserek as another multi-event competitor for Oregon. The dual-sport athlete will run the 110 hurdles and 200 meters, as well as compete in the 4×100 meter relay. Allen holds the Pac-12 record in the 110 hurdles, and was named Pac-12 men’s athlete of the year for 2016.
For the women’s hurdles, Alaysha Johnson and Sasha Wallace will compete for Oregon in the 100 hurdles. Two weekends ago, Johnson set a school record in the event, 12.97.
“For Alyasha to be able to break a school record is a huge accomplishment and I’m excited about where she can go from here,” Johnson told GoDucks after the race.
On the field events side of the meet, watch for Greg Skipper in the men’s hammer throw and Brittany Mann in the women’s shot put. Skipper has the fifth-best seed mark in the competition while Mann has the third-best.
Pole vaulter Cole Walsh will also be making his championship debut; he is tied for the third-highest vault.
“Anytime you go through a championship meet there are going to be ebbs and flows,” Johnson said to GoDucks. “But to come out of it and have 32 entries going back to Eugene is great.”
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01
