Along with three relay teams, including both the women’s distance medley relay and 4×400 teams and the men’s DMR, 16 Ducks have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Mar. 10-11 in 22 individual events.
In hopes of repeating their indoor title, the women will send 10 athletes in 13 individual events, along with the two relay teams. Oregon leads the NCAA by more than six seconds after the women’s DMR team broke the collegiate record. The rest of the teams are separated by their closest competitor by only two seconds.
After dominating the indoor season, the women’s 60 and 200-meters will feature the trio of Hannah Cunliffe, Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington. All three are major contenders for either title. Cunliffe is the top qualifier in the 60 and was runner-up to Stevens in the 200.
Hoping for her first indoor national title in the 60-meter hurdles, Sasha Wallace will enter the meet as the top qualifier by .06 of a second. She will be joined by Alaysha Johnson.
Raevyn Rogers is running in the 800-meter hoping for her fourth national title. Her season best time of 2 minutes, 1.75 seconds, is ranked third in the NCAA.
The women’s 3,000-meter will also be full of Ducks. Despite qualifying for the mile as well, freshman Katie Rainsberger will focus on the 3,000 where she will be joined by Samantha Nadel and Alli Cash. Maggie Schmaedick will be competing in the 5,000.
The men will send a smaller team of six athletes in nine events as they look for their fourth straight indoor title.
Edward Cheserek could make history as he searches for his 16th NCAA title, which would be the most anyone has ever won. After breaking the collegiate record in the mile last week, he is set to compete in that event as well as the 3,000 and the 5,000 meters, where he also holds the top time.
Sophomore Matthew Maton will join Cheserek in the 3,000-meter and the mile, ranking 13th in the NCAA for both events.
Western Kentucky transfer Kyree King has proven himself invaluable to the Ducks since his arrival this season. He is ranked 11th in the event after running the 60-meter in 6.62 seconds at the Columbia East-West Challenge.
Braxton Canady (ranked No. 10) will be the lone Duck in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. Damarcus Simpson is Oregon’s only jumper, set to compete in the long jump after marking the fourth-best distance.
After qualifying for the heptathlon at the MPSF Championships with a personal best score of 7,474 points, Mitch Modin rounds out the team.
Follow Hannah Bonnie on Twitter @hbonnie03.
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