University of Oregon
NCAA Championships
Ducks Win Three Titles on Day One
03/14/15 | Track and Field
FAYETTEVILLE ? The multi-talented Jenna Prandini was all over the Randall Tyson Track Center during the first day of the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, Friday, helping the Ducks in their hunt for a sixth-straight NCAA Indoor Title. Prandini earned one of three Oregon NCAA titles on the day with a win in the long jump while Eric Jenkins and men's distance medley relay ended the day with championships as well.
Prandini added Oregon's first indoor long jump title to go with the one she earned last spring at Hayward Field, setting a school record with a jump of 21-10 (6.65m) on her second attempt. With a busy day ahead she passed on her final four attempts in order to prepare for the prelims of both the 60 and 200, where she did not disappoint.
The newly minted national champion set a personal best of 7.15 in the 60, winning the first heat to advance to tomorrow's final along with teammate Jasmine Todd who finished second in the second heat in a time of 7.17. The two now both have personal bests of 7.15 set this season, tying them for second on the Oregon all-time list and tenth in collegiate history.
In Prandini's last event of the day, the 200, fatigue was still out of the question. The junior ran to a 2015 world-leading mark of 22.52 which vaults her to No. 6 on the collegiate all-time performers list. She will be joined in the final by freshman Ariana Washington who won her heat in a personal-best time of 23.21.
“I don't' really think about (the hectic schedule) that much,” Prandini said. “I just listen to my coaches. I've done it all in high school and I got a lot of experience with it last year at Pac-12's and outdoor nationals so I was pretty comfortable with it.”
“Jenna is absolutely phenomenal,” said head coach Robert Johnson. “For her to be able to maintain and manage her energies correctly was big coming into this meet.”
Senior Eric Jenkins was part of a patient 5,000 group which included teammates Parker Stinson and Will Geoghegan. The three stayed connected throughout a tactical race with many position changes. With 400 meters remaining, Jenkins broke free and held off Arkansas' Kemoy Campbell to win his first NCAA Championship in 13:48.36. Stinson repeated his third-place finish (13:52.79) from 2014 while Will Geoghegan tacked on two more points to total 18 with a seventh-place finish (13:56.11).
“We had a cohesive team race plan coming in,” said Geoghegan. “All three of us knew what we had to do. We knew we could work together as a team. Parker and I were going to kind of key off Eric and he did a fantastic job of executing.”
The Ducks finished the day on the highest note possible, as Colby Alexander, Marcus Chambers, Niki Franzmair and Edward Cheserek rallied to win the DMR in 9:30.53. Alexander and Chambers put Oregon in the middle of the pack before Franzmair moved up to third during an outstanding 800-meter carry, handing the baton off to the five-time NCAA Champion. Cheserek made up the gap on leaders Iowa State and Georgetown before creating a gap of his own en route to a win by nearly two seconds.
While in the hunt for a team championship, where every point is vital, the Ducks outperformed the dope sheets with key showings from Greg Skipper and Lauren Crockett.
Skipper grinded his way to a fifth-place finish in the weight throw. The redshit junior secured the final spot in the finals, sitting in ninth and one point out of scoring position. On his final throw, he flew up the leaderboard to fifth, unleashing a mark of 72-6.50 (22.11m) for four points to become Oregon's first Indoor All-American in any men's throwing event.
Crockett, who finished ninth at the Championships a year ago, started the day for the Ducks by picking up 3.5 points while tying for fifth in the high jump. The senior only missed one attempt on her way to a successful clearance of 6-0.50 (1.84m), picking up her third All-American honor in the process.
The Men of Oregon lead the team race after five scored events with 32 points, nine ahead of second-place Arkansas. The women have 13.5 points after the first day and trail first-place Georgia by half a point.
The Ducks were nearly perfect in qualifying, advancing nine of ten athletes to finals of their events tomorrow.
Edward Cheserek (3:58.69) and Johnny Gregorek (3:58.75) went 1-2 to open the competition in the mile, securing their spot in the finals with a surge down the home stretch. Daniel Winn followed in the next heat, making it 3-for-3 while qualifying in second place with a time of 3:58.50.
Nikki Hiltz advanced to the final in the women's mile, qualifying on time in a personal best 4:37.90.
Sophomore Sasha Wallace will be looking for redemption in the 60 hurdles after she did not finish in the indoor finals last year. Wallace advanced on Friday, finishing in 8.18.
The Ducks will begin the second day at 1:45 p.m. PT with Brittany Mann starting things off in the women's shot put. The meet will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Players Mentioned
