Relay Crew Poised To Make Noise As Individuals
04/12/17 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley
Oregon's fabulous female sprinters set two NCAA relay records in their outdoor debut, and return to the track this week in southern California.
Oregon track and field is competing under the motto "Tougher Together" this season, and the Ducks proved themselves to be that as they opened the outdoor season two weeks ago.
The UO women, fresh off an NCAA Indoor team title, set collegiate records in the 4x100 and 4x200 relay. The Men of Oregon made some noise as well, running the second-fastest 4x100 in school history.
This weekend, the Ducks will attempt to demonstrate a little toughness individually. Oregon's exceptional crew of women's sprinters leads a large contingent in the Mt. SAC Relays beginning Thursday, one of three southern California meets in which the program has entries this week.
"I think it's a good time to see where we are," said Ariana Washington, the defending NCAA champion at 100 and 200 meters. "Especially at Mt. SAC – this track is fast, and I think we're going to race fast."
Washington, Hannah Cunliffe and Deajah Stevens will make their outdoor season debuts at 100 and 200 this weekend. The fourth member of the record-breaking relay squads from the Florida Relays two weeks ago, Makenzie Dunmore, is entered in the 200 and 400 along with Elexis Guster, Ashante Horsley and Hannah Waller.
Edward Cheserek and Sam Nadel lead the distance teams entered in the 1,500 and 5,000 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. About a dozen more Ducks in the field events and women's 800 will compete at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif.
Spreading the teams out will be a "logistical nightmare" for the UO staff, head coach Robert Johnson joked. "Somehow, we'll make it work," he said.
Just get the sprinters to the starting blocks, and they'll do the rest.
Not only is Washington defending two NCAA titles, Stevens was a finalist in the 200 at the Summer Olympics, and Cunliffe set the collegiate record at 60 meters during the indoor season. With both the Pac-12 and NCAA championships to be staged at Hayward Field later this spring, the UO women are setting the stage for a memorable championship season in Eugene.
"We have a special group of ladies in that group, and they demonstrated their prowess indoors," Johnson said. "And you're seeing the fruits of those labors outdoors. … I can't say enough about those girls. They're doing a fantastic job."
Cunliffe (10.99), Washington (11.18) and Stevens (11.19) boast three of the top six 100-meter times in school history. This weekend at Mt. SAC the field will also the three women above them in the record books, including Jenna Prandini and Jasmine Todd – who share the school record of 10.92 seconds – and English Gardner, who is entered this weekend in the 200.
In addition, Washington will see family and friends as she races in her native southern California. She's hoping to put on a show with her teammates.
"I'm really excited to see what not only I run but the other two, too, Hannah and Deajah," Washington said. "I think we're going to shock ourselves, possibly, with how fast we can run this early."
The Ducks certainly opened some eyes in Florida with their collegiate record times. But fast starts are nothing new for the UO women's sprinters – a year ago at Mt. SAC, the quartet of Todd, Stevens, Cunliffe and Washington set a school record in the 4x100.
"This is kind of the way we do business, par for the course for us," Johnson said. "We'll see how we progress this weekend."
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