Notes: Ducks Travel to Seattle and Albuquerque

Friday, February 10

Seattle, Wash.

4:00 PM

University of Oregon

Husky Classic

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

02/07/17 | Track and Field

Notes Entries - Husky Classic

OREGON WILL SEND 29 ATHLETES TO HUSKY CLASSIC AND 20 TO DON KIRBY ELITE SEEKING QUALIFYING MARKS

By: Nate Krueger

WEEKLY NOTES

This Week: Oregon track and field enters its final weekend of the regular indoor season this week, competing at the Husky Classic in Seattle and the Don Kirby Elite in Albuquerque, N.M., before the start of post-season competition with the MPSF Championships on Feb. 24-25. The Ducks will send 29 athletes to compete at the Dempsey Indoor Facility in Seattle this weekend, and 20 to the ABQ Convention Center in Albuquerque, looking to secure qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 10-11).

Coverage: Both meets will be streamed live on FloTrack.com with a premium subscription, and links to live results for each meet will be available on the track and field schedule of goducks.com. Updates from both meets will be provided via Twitter on @OregonTF.

Entries - Husky Classic: The distance runners of the Men and Women of Oregon will head north this weekend along with the Ducks' throwers.

Fifteen-time national champion Edward Cheserek will run the mile and the 5,000 meters for the first time in 2017, leading talented young groups for the Ducks in both events. Two-time all-American Matthew Maton and Tim Gorman will also join Cheserek in the mile, and Tanner Anderson will run the 5,000 meters alongside Cheserek.

On the women's side, Samantha Nadel and standout freshman Katie Rainsberger will run the 3,000 meters, while Alli Cash and Maggie Schmaedick will compete in the first 5,000 meters for the Women of Oregon this season. Six Ducks will run the mile, led by Lilli Burdon, and Brooke Feldmeier will look to improve her mark in the 800 meters.

In the throws, the Men of Oregon will enter senior Ryan Hunter-Simms and freshman Sebastian Barajas in the shot put and Max Lydum and Cullen Prena in the weight throw, and the women will have RS freshman Ronna Stone in both events and Madeline Middlebrooks in the weight throw. Multi-event athlete Joe Delgado will compete in three events as part of his heptathlon training.

Entries - Don Kirby Elite: The name of the game will be speed for the Ducks in Albuquerque, as the sprinters of Oregon will head south to try and build on their current 2017 marks. The 60 and 200 meters will be loaded for the Women of Oregon, as 2016 Olympians Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington will join standout junior Hannah Cunliffe in both events. Talented freshman Makenzie Dunmore will also run the 60 meters, and Alaysha Johnson, Ashante Horsley and Sasha Wallace will also be featured in the 200. Senior transfer Elexis Guster leads a trio of Ducks in the 400 meters, and Wallace brings her NCAA-leading time to New Mexico in the 60 hurdles along with Johnson and freshman Rhesa Foster.

For the men, RS senior Kyree King will lead the Ducks in the 60 and 200 meters, while senior Marcus Chambers headlines the 400 meters. Freshman Braxton Canady will look to put the Ducks in qualifying contention in the 60 meter hurdles.

The Ducks will also travel a few jumpers to the high altitude down south, including Damarcus Simpson in the long jump, who is coming off setting the UO school record two weeks ago in New York. Ben Milligan (high jump) and Cole Walsh (pole vault) will try to build on their marks, as well. For the women, Foster will compete in the long jump and sophomore transfer Chaquinn Cook will go in the triple jump.

Oregon Dominates in NYC: Competing in the Columbia East-West Challenge two weeks ago at the Armory Track and Field Center, the Men and Women of Oregon dominated with 19 total event wins while setting multiple program records and one collegiate record. The women's distance medley relay team of Lilli Burdon, Ashante Horsley, Raevyn Rogers and Katie Rainsberger smashed the all-time NCAA record by winning in 10:48.77 to headline the meet for the Ducks. The Women of Oregon went 1-2-3 in both the 60 meters and the 60 hurdles, with Hannah Cunliffe and Sasha Wallace winning with NCAA leading marks, respectively. The DMR team of Matthew Maton, Cameron Stone, Mick Stanovsek and Edward Cheserek kicked things off for the men with a win in 9:30.86, and Kyree King wrapped up the first day by winning the 60 meters in a blazing 6.62 seconds to tie the school record.

The second day of competition saw the Ducks win 14 total events. Deajah Stevens ran the 200 meters for the first time since the Olympics and broke the Armory record in a PR time of 22.65 seconds, and freshman Makenzie Dunmore won the 400 meters in 53.10 seconds. Raevyn Rogers was stellar in her first 800 meters of the year, flying to the top of the NCAA list in 2:01.75, Samantha Nadel won the mile in 4:37.48 and Maggie Schmaedick won the 3,000 meters (9:16.59). The women also claimed two wins in the jumps, courtesy of Chaquinn Cook (TJ, 12.82m/42-0.75) and Rhesa Foster (LJ, 6.33m/20-9.25). For the men, Cheserek won the 3,000 meters (7:46.85) to open his 2017 season, and Marcus Chambers won both the 200 and 400 meters while setting the UO record in the 200 (20.78). Junior transfer Damarcus Simpson flew to the top of the Oregon all-time list for the long jump in his Oregon jumping debut (8.01m/26-3.5).

Ducks Lead NCAA in 6 Events: After two weekends of indoor competition to open 2017, the Ducks have landed six NCAA-leading times entering this week, with five coming on the women's side. Hannah Cunliffe leads in the 60 meters (7.13), Deajah Stevens leads the 200 meters (22.65), Raevyn Rogers leads the 800 meters (2:01.75), Sasha Wallace leads the 60 meter hurdles (7.91) and the women's distance medley relay team took over the NCAA lead two weeks ago while setting the all-time collegiate record (10:48.77). The Ducks also lead the nation in the men's DMR (9:30.86). Additionally, the Ducks are in the top five in five other events and the top 10 in 11 more events.

Rankings: The Women of Oregon remain as the top-ranked team in the latest USTFCCCA computer rankings, while the Men of Oregon stay as the No. 2-ranked men's team.

Bowerman Watch: After landing three Ducks on the preseason watch list for the top award in the sport, the Women of Oregon made history in the February edition by landing a record five athletes on the list. Raevyn Rogers, Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington remained on the watch list from the preseason, and Hannah Cunliffe and Sasha Wallace joined them in the latest edition after tremendous starts to their 2017 season.

On the men's side, Edward Cheserek remains from the preseason list, but his inclusion impacted history as well. Cheserek made his 23rd career appearance on the Bowerman watch list, the second-most in the history of the award and only one behind the all-time record.