Two weeks ago the Duck men and women both won titles at the Pac-10 Track and Field Championships. It wasn’t only that this was first time both programs won in the same year, but it was also how they won. The men scored an all-time best 158 points, well ahead of USC with 117. The women also set a team record with 165.5. After the first day the Oregon women led Stanford by nine, but they ended up blowing away the competition as Stanford finished second with 138. The men won the competition for the third year in a row and fourth in the last five years, and the women won for the first time since 1992.
The NCAA West Regionals, happening this Friday and Saturday at historic Hayward Field, should be more relaxed. The top five finishers in each event go Nationals, and the top scorers are focused more on getting a spot in that meet June 10-13 than trying to win at this one. For the men, keep an eye on Galen Rupp in either the 5,000 meters or 10,000 meters, Ashton Eaton in the decathalon, and Andrew Wheating in the 800 meters. All are favored to win their individual events at Nationals. On the women’s side, look out for Brianne Thiesen in the heptathalon, Keshia Baker in the 400 meters, and Rachel Yurkovich in the javelin. Both programs could make serious waves on the national scene.
The Duck men and women bask in Pac-10 Championship glory
