After almost two days, it took the experience of a sophomore to finally get the Oregon men some points at the 2002 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Sophomore Jason Hartmann scored the Ducks’ first points of the national meet Thursday night when he ran to fourth place in the 10,000-meter race in Baton Rouge, La.
Hartmann finished third at the NCAA Championships in Eugene last year but said Thursday’s race was still a good learning experience.
“Although I finished third my freshman year, I feel like I took a big step in realizing that I can run with these guys,” Hartmann said in a telephone interview. “I’m not intimidated by them. Hopefully they’re intimidated by me a little bit.”
Hartmann said the race unfolded oddly, with three runners setting the pace early.
“The first three guys took it out, and they separated pretty quickly,” Hartmann said. “Then there was a pack of 10 of us fighting for the fourth spot, and thank God I finished fourth.”
Hartmann’s time was 29 minutes, 28.80 seconds, which was 37.80 seconds slower than his personal best in the event. Eastern Michigan junior Boaz Cheboiywo won the race in 28:32.10, breaking a Bernie Moore Track — the LSU facility where the championships are being staged — record that had stood since 1981.
“I think there’s more juice in my lemon,” Hartmann said. “I’m pretty happy about the race, but I know that I can go somewhere.”
Hartmann’s fourth-place finish gave the Ducks five points in the team race. Only one other Oregon athlete had a chance to score Thursday, but Duck sophomore Nick Bakke didn’t make the finals of the javelin throw. Halfway through the meet, Oregon is in 15th of the 26 teams that have scored points.

Senior Micah Harris did advance in the preliminary heat of the 110 hurdles, which sent him to the NCAA semifinals for the second-straight year. Harris finished third in his heat, ninth overall on Thursday afternoon.
“I felt my race was clean, it was good,” Harris said. “I only hit one hurdle.”
Harris’ time of 13.81 seconds was 0.14 seconds slower than his personal best, but was good enough to propel him into the finals. Harris finished only 0.03 seconds behind Prairie View’s Lewis Edmonson, who took second.
“A lot of guys really brought their ‘A’ game,” Harris said.
But the senior said he’s confident of his chances in today’s semifinal heat.
“It doesn’t take a superman to win the championship, you just have to be consistent all the way through,” Harris said.
In the javelin, Bakke — who was the last thrower into the meet after winning the Pacific-10 Conference title two weeks ago — finished in 16th, four spots higher than his projected finish of 20th.
“Going into the meet I had nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Bakke said. “I gave it everything I had, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Bakke launched his best throw of 211 feet, 1 inch on his first attempt. On the second attempt, he tweaked his shoulder and couldn’t match his first distance. His third throw also fell short.
“I was pretty happy with that first throw, but after that my shoulder was hurting,” Bakke said.
Kansas senior Scott Russell won the event with a heave of 262 feet. In order to make the finals, Bakke would have needed a throw of at least 230 feet. His Pac-10 winning throw was 210-7.
“I was kind of hoping to make (the finals),” Bakke said.
But Bakke is just a sophomore, and has the possibility of more NCAA trips in his future.
Harris, however, is a senior and will not get another shot if he fails to advance in the hurdles today. The same could be said for Billy Pappas, a senior who will compete in preliminary decathlon events today. Pappas will compete in five events today — the long jump, high jump, shot put, 100 and 400 — before finishing on Saturday with the discus, pole vault, javelin, 110 hurdles and 1,500.
Pappas, Harris and sophomore pole vaulter Trevor Woods are the only Ducks who haven’t finished their events. Woods will have perhaps the best chance of the three to score points. He ranks fifth nationally heading into this afternoon’s pole vault competition, and is looking to avenge his no-height performance at the 2001 NCAA meet.
The NCAA Championships conclude on Saturday night.