Oregon looks to win it's fifth consecutive track title and third indoors

Published by Adam Schneider/DyeStatCollege.com on January 8th, 2015

Last year the Oregon men swept the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles for the second consecutive year. Junior Edward Cheserek will once again lead the Ducks after leading Oregon to a NCAA cross country team trophy. Florida has looked spectacular during these years but things have not worked out for them when it has come to NCAA championship time. 

Nine-time NCAA champion Cheserek attempted a very difficult schedule last year and anchored Oregon to the distance medley relay title and won the mile title but lost to teammate Eric Jenkins for the 3000m title. He will likely try the same feat this year. Jenkins has graduated but steady development should have a deep squad helping Cheserek to another team title. 

Junior Marcus Chambers had a breakout outdoor season with a second-place finish at the NCAA meet (45.59). His 45.21 outdoor pr is one of the fastest among returnees. He is likely to lead an experienced group and talented freshman group of relay runners into the NCAA meet for the 4x400m relay. Senior Greg Skipper seemed to finally get comfortable with the weight implement (35lb) last year and peaked at the right time for a school record 73-7 1/4 at MPSF for second and a fifth place finish (72-6 1/2) at the NCAA meet. 

Sophomore Blake Haney redshirted indoors but finished third at the NCAA meet and won both the US and Pan Am Junior Championships. Sam Prakel was 10th at the NCAA outdoor meet in 2014 but missed most of last year.  Both are likely to compete for scoring positions in the mile along with freshman sub-4 high school miler Matthew Maton. They along with sophomore Nikki Franzmaier make a solid group to join Cheserek in defending their distance medley relay title. 

Jeramy Elkaim, senior, comes into the season as the top seed in the 3,000m (7:48.48) and he and #7 seed junior Jake Leingang (7:53.82) join Cheserek as a solid group. 2014 US Junior long jump champion Travonn White (26-4 1/2 pr) joins the Ducks for his sophomore year and he will team with 2014 US high school long jump and triple jump (#18 returnee) leader Nate Moore for his sophomore season for a solid 1-2 punch in the horizontal jumps. 

Freshman Ben Milligan (7-1 1/2) has one of the top outdoor prs among returning high jumpers but lacks competition experience. Sophomore Tatum Bernard-Taylor transferred to Oregon after running 6.59 at altitude and he is #4 all-time among high school runners over 60m at 6.63 which puts him among the top 11 of returners. Junior Mitch Modin just missed making the NCAA championships last year after scoring 5543 and he is the #14 returnee. 2014 NCAA and US outdoor champion Devon Allen is back after his injury in the 2015 Rose Bowl but he does not look like the same athlete yet. If he gets back to where he was in 2014 he is the NCAA favorite. 

Florida has had very rough luck the last few years. At times the Gators have been the most impressive team in college track but injuries, mistakes and bad luck (Oregon has been very good at the same time) have kept them from winning NCAA titles. This year they have to replace points lost by the graduations Marquis Dendy and Dedrick Dukes. 

Seniors Arman Hall (45.28) and Najee Glass (45.34) are the favorites over 400m. Glass is the top returnee from the final after finishing third last year but a healthy Hall will make quite a race. Hall is also #1 seeded over 200m (20.58). Junior Andres Arroyo is the #2 seed in the 800m (1:46.78) and Ryan Schnulle finished 7th last year and he is the #7 seed (1:47.29). Sophomore KeAndre Bates was a double indoor all-American in his first season with Florida. He was third in the long jump and comes back as the #3 seed (26-3 3/4). In the triple jump he was seventh and returns as the #5 seed (53-10 1/2). Ryan Clark (10.18 100m pr) and Anders Ericsson (220-2 hammer throw pr) lead a talented freshmen class that could contribute in their first year.

Senior Ryan Crouser comes into the indoor season (no outdoor seasons left) looking for his fourth NCAA shot put title and second indoors. He is the only collegian that has thrown over 21m. Last year he was second indoors and fifth outdoors due to lingering injuries. Texas has developed a sprint group that could help them win a title. Junior Aldrich Bailey Jr had to sit out last year after transferring from Texas A&M. He is the #2 seed in the 200m (20.66) and #6 in the 400m (46.07A) behind #5 senior Zack Bilderback (45.98) who was sixth last year. The Longhorns were third last year in the 4x400m and the addition of Bailey could make them the favorite. Junior Senoy-Jay Givens was fourth in the 60m last year and he is the #5 returner (6.57). Wolf Mahler enters his junior season as a an eight seed in the Heptathlon after finishing sixth last year (pr 5747)

The Longhorns have a few competitors that did not score last year but are in position to help Texas trophy and possibly win an NCAA team championship. Senior Reese Watson did not score last year in the pole vault but he comes into the season as the #2 seed (18-1). Junior Nick Phynn is the #13 seed coming into the season in the triple jump (52-1 3/4). Senior Basil Fares comes in as the #10 seed (25-6 3/4) in the long jump.  

Virginia Tech and Arkansas come into the season with a few athletes capable of scoring. Virginia Tech has sophomore Patrick Joseph #4 in the mile, senior Thomas Curtin #4 in the 3000m and #2 in the 5000m, Manuel Ziegler #2 in the triple jump (54-6), Tomas Kruzliak #9 in the weight throw, and last year’s New Balance Indoor champion freshman Deakin Volz (17-11 1/2). Arkansas returns one of the top contenders for the Bowerman Award in senior Jarrion Lawson #1 in the long jump (27-1 3/4) and he was third in the 100m outdoors, junior Ken Legassey #8 in the high jump (7-2 1/4), junior Clive Pullen #8 in the triple jump (52-5 1/4) and a deep roster of competitors including Frankline Tonui, Marqueze Washington, Austin Dalquist, Jack Bruce, Alex George, Christian Heymsfield, and freshman Rashad Orange who will likely generate enough points to challenge for a trophy.