The women’s indoor track and field team won their fourth straight NCAA Indoor Track and Field national title Saturday night at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The team finished day one of the meet in 11th place and was able to overcome a deep deficit to take home the title once again.
The women sealed the win with their only event win of the Championships – the 4×400 meter relay . The Ducks secured the title with 56 points. Kansas was second with 44, with Louisiana State third with 43 and host Arkansas fourth with 42.5.
The team of English Gardner, Chizoba Okodogbe, Laura Roesler and Phyllis Francis won the 4×400 relay for the Ducks in a school record 3:30.22. Gardner put Oregon ahead on the opening leg and the Ducks never looked back. Gardner timed 53.64 on the opening leg, followed by Okodogbe’s 52.54, Roesler’s 52.64 and Francis’s impressive 51.42 as the Ducks won the indoor 4×4 crown for the second time in four years.
Oregon became just the second team to win four consecutive NCAA Indoor titles, joining LSU which won five straight from 1993-1997.
“All we could do today was control “Oregon”, head coach Robert Johnson told goducks.com. “We were the captain of our own fate.
“A tip of the hat to the way all of our Ducks not only came out and competed today, but also supported and cheered each other on. This was an outstanding team effort.”
Becca Friday also contributed to the Ducks victory with her gutsy performance in the mile. The senior rallied from ninth place to sixth on the final lap, crossing the tape in 4:39.23 for three team points.
“We fought for every point today,” said Friday. “We stuck together all the way through the 4×4.
“It’s a great team; it’s great to be a Duck.”
Also in the mile, a tired Anne Kesselring took 10th in 4:50.77.
Oregon also got support from Gardner and Jenna Prandini in the 60 meters. Gardner, the 2012 NCAA champion, was the runner-up in 7.15 seconds, finishing just behind Central Florida’s Aurieyall Scott, who won in 7.13. Freshman Prandini placed fifth in 7.38.
“For us as coaches, it’s always pleasing to have these young people step on the big stage,” said Johnson not only of Prandini, but of several of the younger Ducks. “It can be intimidating for someone who has never been at the national meet before, but all of our newcomers showed they can handle themselves and will only get better from here.”
However, it was Roseler who put the Ducks into the lead for the first time with her runner up finish in the 800 meters. The junior crossed the tape in an impressive 2:02.32, finishing behind only Natoya Goule of LSU (2:02.00). Roesler was critical in breaking up the LSU’s powerful Goule and Charlene Lipsey, who was third in 2:05.02.
Roesler’s runner-up finish also broke one of the oldest records in the Oregon history book. She took down the 31 year-old mark of 2:03.89 run by Leann Warren in 1982.
At that point in the meet, there were three events left: the triple jump, the 3,000 meters and the 4×4. Oregon led with 37 points, followed by LSU with 34 and Kansas with 33.
The Ducks responded with Jordan Hasay and Alexi Pappas in the 3,000 meter race. Both seniors led Oregon to the 2012 NCAA Cross Country title pushed the Ducks in front for good.
Hasay fought her way to a runner-up finish in 9:06.61. Pappas, a senior transfer from Dartmouth in her final appearance as a Duck, added another point for Oregon with her eighth place finish in 9:12.38.
That gave Oregon a 46-43 lead on Kansas heading to the 4×4, where the Ducks were able to seal their victory.
With the indoor and cross country titles now in hand, the Ducks have brought two of the three legs of the “triple crown” home to Eugene.
The men’s team tied for sixth with 22 points.
Arkansas won the team title with 74 points, followed by Florida (59), Wisconsin (33), Texas A&M (30), Texas Tech (28) and Oregon and Arizona (22).
Elijah Geer and Mike Berry had runner up finishes in the 400 meters. Greer also won the 800 meters in 1:47.13 to help the Ducks to their top ten finish.
Berry’s runner-up finish was the best ever for a Duck in the indoor 400 meters.
Greer became the first Duck ever to win an indoor 800 meter title.
Junior Boru Guyota was eighth in the 800 in 1:51.04.
“Elijah and Mike were just outstanding,” said Johnson. “To have them step up and perform like, what else can you say.”
Berry’s runner-up finish was the best ever for a Duck in the indoor 400 meters.
Also for the men, Johnathan Cabral earned a sixth place finish in the 60 meter hurdles. The sophomore finish in 7.73 seconds, tying his personal best and scoring three team points.
Dakotah Keys took ninth in the heptathlon, scoring a personal best 5,757 points. That was the third best total in school history.
“It was really encouraging to see our men come out and perform well,” said Johnson. “Getting back to being in the hunt for trophy at the national championships is huge for the development of our program and moving in the direction of what we’re trying to do.”