Oregon track and field head coach Robert Johnson is unsure of what to expect next weekend during the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be hosted at Historic Hayward Field. This uncertainty has nothing to do with his team — all of the work and training has culminated in them being ready to fight for the titles. Instead, his doubt is focused on the format of the meet itself.
The NCAA is trying out a new system in which all of the men’s finals will take place on Friday and the women’s will occur on Saturday. By splitting up the events, the hope is that it will result in two action-packed days, making it easier for fans and the tight television schedules to follow all the action.
Johnson has his doubts.
“It’s one of those things that has its pros and its cons,” Johnson said. “Before I try to formulate an opinion, idea or philosophy — just try to wait and see how it works out.”
The biggest concern from a competition standpoint is the stress it will add to any athlete attempting to compete in multiple events. With most of the finals happening on the same day, it will make transitioning from events very difficult, especially for sprinters where most of the finals occur within a one long hour time window.
“As coaches those things are thrust upon us, so we got to find a way to figure it out and be successful in that model,” Johnson said. “We have been tinkering and trying some things in order to do that.”
In training for the past couple of weeks, the coaches have been inserting rest intervals, attempting to simulate bouncing from one event to the next. They also will have to decide how to proceed with making athletes show up on their off-day, balancing rest with the supportive culture surrounding the team.
While the new format is raising some concerns, the depth of athletes Oregon has going into the Championships instills confidence. The Ducks have 45 athletes, 23 men and 22 women, who were able to qualify. That is more than any other school, and provides lots of opportunities for potential scorers.
“I think we have great momentum coming off Pac-12s and regionals,” redshirt junior Molly Grabill said. “We are just trying to continue that momentum for a national title.”
Grabill will be competing in two events at the Championships, the 5,000 and 10,000.
For Oregon runner Daniel Winn, the happiness of making it through as a qualifier in the 1,500 is special because it was his last chance to be a part of it. The redshirt senior from Portland has worked hard as a member of the team ever since walking on, and unlike last year, he won’t just be watching from the stands.
“It’s a huge difference to try to be contributing than just be a fan,” Winn said. “Hopefully I can score some points and help us out there.”
The Oregon men will be looking to defend their National Championship from last year, while the women will attempt to join them for the sweep.
“I am really excited,” Grabill said “It will be fun.”
The NCAA Championships will begin Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur