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Sarah Baxter Expected to Lead Unattached Runners From Eugene - Willamette Invitational 2015

Published by
DyeStatCOLLEGE.com   Mar 27th 2015, 5:27pm
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Sarah Baxter Expected to Lead Unattached Runners From Eugene

Published by Adam Schneider March 27, 2015

This weekend the Oregon distance runners that did not run at the NCAA indoor meet will debut at the Willamette Invitational on Saturday. Competitors will run 1500 meters, 3000 meters Steeplechase, and 5000 meters. All of the Duck entrants are competing as unattached competitors.

The news of greatest interest to national track and cross country fans is the debut of one of 2014's top high school recruits, Sarah Baxter from Simi Valley High School in California. Sarah was expected to make a major difference with University of Oregon's cross country team this fall but initial training kept her from debuting until this meet. Baxter came to Oregon still dealing with injuries that caused her to miss a month of her high school season and then kept her from racing and potentially winning her fourth consecutive CIF state meet 3200 meters title. The two-time NXN cross country champion will run her first race of her collegiate career as an unattached entrant in the 1500 meters. Her personal record (PR) of 4:49.33 is over 1600 meters but she is better known for her performances over 3200 meters (10:06.74 PR) and cross country races at 3 miles (15:57 PR).

Normally, Oregon competitors that did not compete at the NCAA meet indoors would debut at the Oregon Preview but that meet was cancelled. Oregon sprinters, jumpers and throwers competed in LA at the USC Trojan Invitational and put up three national leaders (Sam Crouser in the javelin, Oregon women's 4x100 meter relay, and Annie Leblanc in the 1500 meters). Coach Robert Johnson and his assistants have decided to race several competitors at the Willamette Invite as unattached entrants.

Freshman Blake Haney will make his debut on the track as a collegian in the 1500 meters (3:44.69 PR from the World Youth Championships in 2013). He started his collegiate career as an unattached entrant in the Willamette Invitational 8000 meter cross country race this fall and finished in a first place tie with fellow unattached Duck entrant Johnny Gregorek. Haney will be joined in this race by Sam Prakel, 2014 NCAA 1500m finalist (ran his PR of 3:41.04 to finish tenth).

Recent Duck transfer Emma Abrahamson (2014 SEC cross country freshman of the year with a 4:47.39 mile PR), sophomore Maggie Schmaedick (4:29.85 PR) and sophomore Frida Berge (4:18.66 PR) will join Baxter in the 1500 meters.  

Sophomores Chris Mulverhill (9:15.22 PR) and Jackson Darland (9:13.03 PR) and recently graduated four-time all-American Megan Patrignelli will run in the 3000 meters steeplechase (10:03.82 PR).  

In the 5000 meters Duck cross country regulars junior Matthew Melancon (PR 14:09.37), freshman Travis Neuman (15:06 cross country PR from 2011), and senior Cole Watson (no listed PR) will try to improve on their personal records. Senior Casey Campbell (14:23.70 PR) and freshman Bryan Fernandez (15:00.58 PR) will run the 5,000 meters along with their teammates.  

Also running the 1500 meters will be junior Trent Warren (3:47.73 PR) and freshman Kelly O'Neill. 

RunnerSpace.com will have on-demand video of the races available for viewing.



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2 comment(s)
Adam Schneider
I announced at this too and I hope I covered Alaska Anchorage well enough. I didn;t see as many runners from the school this year
KBU
Thank you for covering this meet! Parents in Alaska are appreciative!
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