Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
T&F Preview: Men's Jumps and Combined Events
01/03/18 | Track and Field
Previewing the Oregon track and field program by event groups entering the start of the 2018 indoor season (Jan. 13)
Head coach Robert Johnson: "This has been a fun group to work with over the fall; I'm excited to see how they continue to progress. We are thrilled to add Seth Henson as our vertical jumps and multi-events coach, and recruiting coordinator, and I am excited to see the impact he will bring to our team both in recruiting and developing talent."
MEN'S HORIZONTAL JUMPS (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Who's back: Damarcus Simpson returns for his final year of eligibility to lead the Ducks in the horizontal jumps after claiming the Pac-12 title in the long jump last spring in his first year at Oregon. Simpson also scored for the Ducks at the NCAA Indoor Championships, placing seventh in the long jump to earn all-America honors. Drew Russert is also back for the Ducks after transferring from Lane Community College and sitting out last year, and he will focus on contributing in the triple jump.
Who's new: Johnson has a trio of new faces in the horizontal jumps this year after bringing in a pair of transfers and one freshman. Spenser Schmidt (below), a transfer from Portland State with two years of eligibility remaining, could prove to be a big pick-up in the long jump. A Eugene native, Schmidt was the 2016 Big Sky indoor champion in the long jump and the runner-up outdoors, and he finished his career at PSU second in program history with a top leap of 24-7. The Ducks added another junior transfer and Oregon native in Tristan James, who won both the long jump and the triple jump at the 2017 NWAC Championships for Lane Community College after thriving at West Salem High School. Robert Brooks is the lone freshman jumper for the Ducks, a Brophy College Prep dual-sport athlete in football and track who can also compete in the high jump and short sprints.
MEN'S VERTICAL JUMPS (High Jump, Pole Vault)
Who's back: Ben Milligan is back for his junior season in the high jump. The fourth-place finisher in the Pac-12 Championships in 2016, Milligan will look to get back into scoring position for the Ducks under Henson's guidance. Henson will look to add depth to this group next year and moving forward.
Who's new: Robert Brooks could compete in the high jump in addition to the long jump, but Oregon does not have any other newcomers in the vertical jumps.
MEN'S COMBINED EVENTS (Heptathlon, Decathlon)
Who's back: The Ducks lose a pair of all-Americans in the heptathlon and decathlon, with defending Pac-12 champion Mitch Modin and fellow all-American Joe Delgado, last year's Pac-12 runner-up, both graduating. There are no other returning multi-event athletes on the roster for the Ducks.
Who's new: The Ducks do add one newcomer to work with Henson in the combined events, bringing in junior Austin Torres out of Lane Community College. Torres was fifth in the 100 and 200 meters, eighth in the long jump and 10th in the high jump at the 2017 NWAC Championships.
2018 Oregon Track and Field Previews
Jan. 2 - Men's Sprints and Hurdles
Jan. 3 - Men's Jumps and Combined Events
Jan. 4 - Men's Throws
Jan. 5 - Men's Distance
Jan. 6 - Women's Sprints and Hurdles
Jan. 7 - Women's Jumps and Combined Events
Jan. 8 - Women's Throws
Jan. 9 - Women's Distance
Head coach Robert Johnson: "This has been a fun group to work with over the fall; I'm excited to see how they continue to progress. We are thrilled to add Seth Henson as our vertical jumps and multi-events coach, and recruiting coordinator, and I am excited to see the impact he will bring to our team both in recruiting and developing talent."
MEN'S HORIZONTAL JUMPS (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Who's back: Damarcus Simpson returns for his final year of eligibility to lead the Ducks in the horizontal jumps after claiming the Pac-12 title in the long jump last spring in his first year at Oregon. Simpson also scored for the Ducks at the NCAA Indoor Championships, placing seventh in the long jump to earn all-America honors. Drew Russert is also back for the Ducks after transferring from Lane Community College and sitting out last year, and he will focus on contributing in the triple jump.
Who's new: Johnson has a trio of new faces in the horizontal jumps this year after bringing in a pair of transfers and one freshman. Spenser Schmidt (below), a transfer from Portland State with two years of eligibility remaining, could prove to be a big pick-up in the long jump. A Eugene native, Schmidt was the 2016 Big Sky indoor champion in the long jump and the runner-up outdoors, and he finished his career at PSU second in program history with a top leap of 24-7. The Ducks added another junior transfer and Oregon native in Tristan James, who won both the long jump and the triple jump at the 2017 NWAC Championships for Lane Community College after thriving at West Salem High School. Robert Brooks is the lone freshman jumper for the Ducks, a Brophy College Prep dual-sport athlete in football and track who can also compete in the high jump and short sprints.
MEN'S VERTICAL JUMPS (High Jump, Pole Vault)
Who's back: Ben Milligan is back for his junior season in the high jump. The fourth-place finisher in the Pac-12 Championships in 2016, Milligan will look to get back into scoring position for the Ducks under Henson's guidance. Henson will look to add depth to this group next year and moving forward.
Who's new: Robert Brooks could compete in the high jump in addition to the long jump, but Oregon does not have any other newcomers in the vertical jumps.
MEN'S COMBINED EVENTS (Heptathlon, Decathlon)
Who's back: The Ducks lose a pair of all-Americans in the heptathlon and decathlon, with defending Pac-12 champion Mitch Modin and fellow all-American Joe Delgado, last year's Pac-12 runner-up, both graduating. There are no other returning multi-event athletes on the roster for the Ducks.
Who's new: The Ducks do add one newcomer to work with Henson in the combined events, bringing in junior Austin Torres out of Lane Community College. Torres was fifth in the 100 and 200 meters, eighth in the long jump and 10th in the high jump at the 2017 NWAC Championships.
2018 Oregon Track and Field Previews
Jan. 2 - Men's Sprints and Hurdles
Jan. 3 - Men's Jumps and Combined Events
Jan. 4 - Men's Throws
Jan. 5 - Men's Distance
Jan. 6 - Women's Sprints and Hurdles
Jan. 7 - Women's Jumps and Combined Events
Jan. 8 - Women's Throws
Jan. 9 - Women's Distance
Players Mentioned
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Jumps
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