There’s just something about Texas that makes the Oregon women that much better.
After ending the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on Saturday in Austin, Texas, the Ducks had accumulated five first-place finishes, with two more athletes taking second place in their respective events.
Mary Etter even made history.
The junior became the first woman in the history of the Texas Relays to win both sections of the same event, monopolizing the discus throw.
Etter took discus “A” with a throw of 173 feet 6 inches, edging out Nebraska’s Becky Breisch by less than three centimeters. She followed that win with another in the “B” section of the event, this time earning a mark of 172-7, and taking the event by almost four feet.
“It really was a fun day, but it was a long one,” Etter said. “After a while I got tired, and that ended up being a good thing, because it relaxed me somewhat. I was pulling really well through the discus and had a great sense of balance going. It was one of those days when everything seemed to click.”
Making her day even better, Etter took second in the shot put, losing to Louisiana Tech’s Mariela Guante by less than one inch. Her mark of 49-9 1/4 did not fulfill her goal, but it was good enough to become her career best and earned Etter another NCAA provisional mark.
“Although (Guante) got me by a little, we both got personal bests, and it was neat that she got her first provisional mark,” Etter said of her friendly rival. “I was more disappointed that I didn’t quite get my goal of 50 feet, but a PR is a good way to start off.”
In all, the Oregon women took control of the field events in Texas and earned impressive marks, including personal bests and season bests.
As expected, the Ducks’ javelin squad made the competition look as though it was held at Hayward Field.
Sophomore Sarah Malone, already in mid-season form, upped her career best by more than five feet. Her mark of 179-2 easily gave her the win. She threw 13 feet farther than the second place winner, teammate Elisa Crumley.
“I’m fired up,” Malone said. “I felt really quick and relaxed on the runway. This is also a fun meet to compete at, because it’s like an NCAA Championship with its crowd and multi-day format.”
Of course, Texas did host the 1985 NCAA Championships, which was the last time the Oregon women finished first in the country. Mike A. Myers Stadium, the site of the 75th Texas Relays, was not built until 1999 but must’ve felt like home to the Oregon field squad.
Crumley helped further perpetuate that feeling by placing second in the event with a mark of 166-1, a career best for the freshman from Hillsboro.
“Today was a great experience, because I was excited to see what I could do against a great field,” Crumley said. “We were ready for the headwinds and brought the correct javelins and were ready for big marks.”
A day earlier, on Friday, sophomore Charyl Weingarten started off the Oregon women with a big mark. Her throw of 155-1 was good enough to take the javelin “B” section and was just five inches short of her personal best.
Weingarten’s throw, a season best and one that earned her a NCAA provisional mark, easily defeated the rest of the field, outdistancing Angelo State’s Amber Miller (144-11) and Nevada’s Sara Coleman (144-9).
“I’m moving forward, and that’s what you’re supposed to be doing this time of the year, but there’s more to work on with my technique,” Weingarten said. “My arm wasn’t in a straight sideways position — I need to get my arm a little longer and wider — then again, I can’t complain about my strength and speed.”
In what may be a vital sign of Oregon’s season, junior Becky Holliday earned her first mark of the outdoor season, taking the pole vaulting competition with a height of 13-7 1/4, easily defeating Texas A&M’s Erica Boren (12-5 1/2). The throw claimed Holliday an NCAA automatic mark, and sets in motion what could easily be an All-American season for the transfer from Clackamas.
After no-heighting last week at Arizona State, Holliday was happy to get back on track.
“I haven’t no-heighted in two years, so I needed to adjust some things,” she said. “I went from an eight-step approach, to switching to a nine-step approach this week, and everything seemed to click.”
Rounding out the day for Oregon, sophomore Kirsten Riley vaulted at a height of 11-11 3/4 to take seventh in the event.