Oregon teams prevail in wet, windy weather at Hayward Field

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor 

EUGENE -- Strong winds were joined by unrelenting rain Saturday at Hayward Field and the Oregon Pepsi Team Invitational pressed on as athletes did their best to get through it. 

For some newcomers, especially for the home-standing Ducks, it was an eye-opening first competition at Hayward Field. 

INTERVIEWS

Freshman Shae Anderson, who hails from the sunny Southern California town of Norco, said she had never been in a race while it was raining. A sprinkle back home would have meant canceling practice, she said. The freshman got a healthy first dose of Oregon springtime weather, running to third place in the 200 during the day-long spring storm. 

"It's raining. If I complain about it, it's just going to give me negative thoughts," said Anderson, who celebrated her 19th birthday. "I just kept thinking positive."

Transfer Sabrina Southerland, who won an NCAA indoor title in the 800 before ever taking her first competitive steps at Hayward Field, stood by a fence at the south end of the track and took in the sight -- and the blustery skies -- before her first 1,500 meters of the season. She was 10th. 

"It was exciting being at Hayward for the first time in a Duck uniform, but it would be nicer if it was better weather," Southerland said. "I could have done better. It was pretty evident that it wasn't my best race today."

Oregon was playing host to three other teams that are accustomed to not complaing about the weather -- Washington, Washington State and Brigham Young. 

The Ducks swept the team titles, although the team race was competitive. The Oregon men scored 171 points to BYU's 160. Washington State was third with 157 and Washington scored 153.

Tristan James, a native Oregonian from West Salem High and Lane Community College, was unfazed. He scored 20 points for Oregon with strong marks in the long jump (25-0.50) and triple jump 51-6.50. 

Ducks coach Robert Johnson singled out praise for both James and another Oregonian, Venessa D'Arpino, who swept the 100 and 200. D'Arpino ran a wind-aided 11.33 (4.9w) in the 100 and won the 200 from the slow section, running a legal 23.45.

"Everyone had to share in this misery to a degree," Johnson said. "There were still a lot of good marks there. Tristan James had a great double in the long jump and triple jump with good marks. ... On the women's side, it was a great meet by Venessa D'Aprino, winning the 100 and 200 and anchoring the 4x4."

The weather was so bad, with rain flying in sideways from the south and lifting chunks of roofing tiles on the East Grandstand, that the pole vaults were removed from the infield to a dry spot under the West Grandstand. 

Oregon's Maddie Rabing threw a career best in the hammer, 194-10, into blustery wind before the rain hit. 

Washington State's Vallery Korir positioned herself behind the lead and waited for her moment to seize control of the women's 3,000 meters, which she won in 9:51.38, less than a second ahead of BYU's Ashleigh Warner. 

Oregon newcomer Susan Ejore edged out teammate Jessica Hull in the 800 meters, splashing through rain in 2:10.22.

BYU's Abraham Alvarado outkicked Oregon's Mick Stanovsek in the men's 800, 1:52.04 to 1:52.21. Connor McMillan and Rory Linkletter went 1-2 for the Cougars in the 3,000.

Colby Gilbert of Washington, sporting a handlebar mustache, fought the headwind on the homestretch just a bit better than Oregon's James West in the men's 1,500, winning in 3:48.64 to 3:48.92.