The 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Round kicks off this weekend in Austin, Texas and Oregon’s men and women’s track and field teams look forward to the competition.
Motivation for the athletes is certainly at an all-time high, as the postseason is well underway. However, many athletes, including redshirt senior pole vaulter Austin Ouderkirk, see the June 5-8 NCAA National Championships in Eugene as their ultimate goal.
“I think the fact that Nationals are going to be here in Eugene this year is pushing a lot of people to want to come back and compete at their home track,” Ouderkirk said.
Junior Parker Stinson, an Austin native who will run the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races noted that Oregon athletes’ strategy is to qualify for nationals, not to win their events.
“My coach says there’s no winners, there’s just losers at this meet. All you’re trying to do is to qualify. Honestly if you did win, you might be the biggest loser because you might run bad (at Nationals),” Stinson said.
Distance coach Andy Powell said his team is focusing on the next race and nothing more.
“We just take it one race at a time. If you look too far ahead to what’s maybe going on at Nationals, you can sometimes miss the boat,” Powell said.
Head coach Robert Johnson echoed Powell’s thoughts, saying that the team is focusing on the next task at hand and has a “win or go home” mentality.
“You could be the top kid in the country and have something go wrong that day, and the next day you’re sitting in the stands being a cheerleader,” Johnson said.
Each event has 48 competitors. The top 12 finishers will move on to Nationals.
Aside from the meet, the athletes and coaches also have the Texas climate on their minds. The hot, arid weather in Austin was the subject of discussion for Johnson.
“It’s going to be warm,” he said with a smirk.
The coach and former two-time all-American in the triple jump couldn’t be more correct. Highs for this weekend at the University of Texas are expected to reach 93 degrees.
Johnson noted that the abnormally warm spring in Eugene has aided preparation, stating, “This weather has been absolutely beautiful,” while standing in the sun taking questions at Hayward Field.
Misting fans, tents and cold towels will be in ample supply for the Ducks in Austin, according to Johnson.
Stinson said that a tough mental approach to the meet is necessary to handle the weather.
“With the bad weather you got to be ready for the toughest race of your life,” Stinson said.
The meet begins Thursday at the University of Texas and wraps up Saturday afternoon.