Triple Crown Hopes Intact Despite Scares

Thursday, June 8

Eugene, Ore.

All Day

University of Oregon

NCAA Championships

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

06/08/17 | Track and Field, @GoDucksMoseley

Oregon had a few runners advance on time Thursday, but the bottom line is that the UO women have a strong contingent of finalists Saturday.

By: Rob Moseley

The penultimate chapter of Oregon's quest for a "Triple Crown" of women's NCAA championships included several dramatic turns Thursday, although there was no surprise twist at the end.

Several UO women had to qualify for Saturday's finals based on time in their preliminaries Thursday, including defending 100- and 200-meter champion Ariana Washington in both of her events. But ultimately the Ducks advanced essentially the exact contingent favored on form charts to win the team title at Hayward Field, and give the program a sweep in the 2016-17 academic year of cross country, NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor track and field championships.

"Lots of scares today," UO head coach Robert Johnson said. "Not the best day for us overall as a group. But our saving grace is, everybody got through."

Washington will be joined in the 100 and 200 finals by teammate Deajah Stevens, who also qualified for the 100 on time. Sasha Wallace advanced on time in the 100 hurdles, a final she'll run with teammate and heat winner Alaysha Johnson. Elexis Guster made the 400 final based on time as well, and already was looking ahead to Saturday's final.

"I'm blessed to have made it to the next round," Guster said. "And at that point, it's anybody's game."

Johnson said the weight of expectations may have been a factor in some of Thursday's close calls. One runner unfazed by that pressure was Brooke Feldmeier, who kicked to a comfortable win in her heat of the 800 in 2:03.43.

Feldmeier, who will join her teammate and the defending 800 champion Raevyn Rogers in Saturday's final, said afterward she had more in the tank. She proved it later in Thursday's session, stepping between competitors in the third turn of her 4x400 leg and giving the Ducks a lead as she handed the baton to Rogers, who closed out a first-place heat finish in 3:31.76.

Feldmeier said she incorporated longer runs into her training and competitive schedule this spring, setting the stage for such a powerful performance in her 800 heat Thursday.

"I just wished I'd have gone sooner (than her kick in the homestretch), because I was feeling good the entire race," Feldmeier said. "But there's definitely a lot left."

While Feldmeier was enjoying her breakout performance, Stevens and Washington were recovering from their narrow advancements in the 100, and preparing for the 200. Stevens rallied to win her heat in 22.31, and Washington was third in the heat in 22.60, moving both into Saturday's finals of both events — if just barely, in Washington's case.

"It was terrifying," Washington said of waiting to see if her times were good enough to make the finals. "That's never a good feeling. But we know what we did wrong, and we know how to fix it."

Both sprinters were slow out of the blocks in the 100, and Stevens said she allowed that slow start to occupy her mind the remainder of the race.

"It didn't go how I want to," Stevens said. "But I have another day."

Wallace was thrilled to make Saturday's final in the hurdles after missing much of this outdoor season due to a quad injury. She took third in her heat in 13.10, and was the final qualifier into the final.

Wallace said she "got a little cute" in the preliminaries, but also proved she was recovered enough from the injury to run fast against the nation's best. Saturday's final will be the senior's final race as a Duck.

"I'm putting it all on the line," Wallace said. "I can't tell you what exact number I can run, but I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do."

Earlier Thursday, freshman Katie Rainsberger got the Ducks off to a strong start. She was third in her heat of the 1,500 meters entering the homestretch, and held off some hard-charging competitors to finish fourth in 4:19.21, qualifying automatically for the final.

At that point, there was little indication of the drama that was about to ensue, as the UO women began their pursuit of the final jewel in the Triple Crown.

"We all know what's on the line," Rainsberger said. "We know it's going to take something special, and each of us needs to go out and do our job. … You can't get too caught up. It doesn't take a big chance. Just do what we've done all season."