Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

Folders

Featured (1014)
All (1388)
 

 

Oregon Strings Together Six Wins On The Way To Dominant Men's Team Title

Published by
DyeStat.com   Mar 14th 2021, 3:05am
Comments

Early Wins In Triple Jump and 60m Dash Start The Snowball For Ducks, Who Win Fifth Men's Indoor Title

By Lori Shontz for DyeStat

As Oregon teammates Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare were preparing for the 3,000 meters Saturday at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, they got briefed on what it would take for the Ducks to clinch the team title.

“Our coach told us we needed six points to win,” Teare said. “We said, ‘How about 18?’”

And that’s just what the duo delivered. Hocker outkicked his teammate and training partner in the final stretch, and their 1-2 finish capped a dominating performance by the Ducks, who won their fifth indoor team title and first since 2016. 

The finish also capped a big day for Hocker, who, an hour earlier, had won the mile in a meet-record time. He became the first man to sweep the mile and the 3,000 since Lawi Lalang of Arizona in 2013, and in addition, at age 19, he became the youngest man to win the NCAA indoor mile. (Jim Ryun was a few weeks older in 1967.) 

MEN'S BIG BOARD | RESULTSVIDEOSMORE PHOTOS

“Compared to last year, I’m undoubtedly a different runner,” said Hocker, who attributed his improvement to competition with his teammates in practice and associate coach Ben Thomas’ training plan.

The Ducks won six individual titles, and their 79 points was the second-highest total in NCAA indoors history, behind only the 1994 Arkansas team that scored 94 points. Those six titles came in a variety of ways, from the jumps and sprints to Oregon’s traditionally strong distance races, and by margins from a comfortable cushion to a lean at the finish.

“My team is ridiculous,” said freshman Micah Williams, the 60-meter champion. “I don’t think any team in the U.S. could hang.”

To Williams’ point, LSU finished second with 56 points, the best total in its history and a total that would have given the Tigers the team title in each of the past three years. But no one could match Oregon’s overall depth.

“Usually you nickel-and-dime these championships,” Oregon coach Robert Johnson said. “To have six individual champions is pretty special.”

While Hocker and Teare technically clinched the team victory in the next-to-last event, the Ducks’ fast start set the tone.

Redshirt freshman triple jumper Emmanuel Ihemeje opened the day by besting his personal record on three of his first four jumps, with the fourth jump of 56-7.50 (17.26m) giving him the victory by a foot over TCU senior Chengetayi Mapaya

“What I aimed for was to get a medal and also as much points as I can for my team to finally get the team title,” Ihemeje said. “I did more than what I was expecting. I feel blessed.”

Johnson, who was a triple jumper, attributed Ihemeje’s astounding improvement — three feet greater than his previous best — to a change in his approach. 

Then in the mile, Hocker ran away from the field, blazing through the final 200 meters in 25.87 to win in a meet record 3:53.71.

Williams followed up in the next event by winning the 60 meters, equaling his personal-best 6.49, despite a relatively slow start.

“It was probably nerves,” he said. “I definitely got out there slower than in the prelims. But I was able to finish.”

The Ducks picked up fifth-place finishes in the mile and the 60 meters, as well, giving them 38 points in about 30 minutes.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,” Johnson said. “Just really good stuff there in a hurry.”

LSU then won the 400 and the 60 hurdles, and it was at this point, Johnson said, that he had to “calm down” after the fast start. It wasn’t long, however, before he was able to get excited again.

Charlie Hunter used a furious kick and a sprinter-quality lean to win the 800 meters in 1:45.90, .01 ahead of Miami Ohio’s Finley McLear.

“I’ve been doing a bit of bench press lately,” Hunter deadpanned. “So I just relied on that.”

Hunter had run two hard 800s on Friday, first a 1:48 in the prelims and then a 1:46 on his leg of the winning DMR. “Today was tough,” he said. “It seemed like those blokes were out to get me. Every time I made a move, they were there.”

Even after Oregon’s fourth victory of the day, though, the team title was technically still in play. Johnson said he had considered holding Hocker out of the 3,000, but LSU had strong contenders in the 200 and the 4x400 relay. 

Hocker and Teare started at the back of the pack, then moved to the front on the second lap and took control. ”That’s how we like to race now, and I think we benefit from that,” Hocker said.

Teare led most of the way, with Hocker just behind.

“Going into that last 800, I felt like I was getting a little tired – I felt that mile from earlier,” he said. “Then with two laps to go, I sort of stopped thinking about how I felt.”

As Teare battled with Mario Garcia Romo of Ole Miss, Hocker tucked in behind. He made his move on the last lap, running his final 200 meters in 25.49, even faster than he had closed in the mile. His time, 7:46:15, was a personal best.

Johnson said he thought last year’s indoor team, while less heralded, would have surprised some people had the meet not been canceled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This team, with an additional year of experience and some strong early season performances, and valuable newcomers, didn’t sneak up on anyone this time. 

“To be honest, the way we’ve been performing this season, I don’t think this was out of the realm of possibility,” Hunter said. “I think expectations were very high going in. What’s more impressive is that we were able to deliver on such a large scale.”

Williams' title resonated in Portland, where he was a standout at Benson Tech but missed his senior season of racing in 2020 because of the global pandemic. In 2019, as a junior, he had been the national high school champion in the 60 meters. 

"Seeing what Micah has been able to do at the next level is an incredible testament to all the hard work he’s put in beginning at a very young age," said Jay Miles, one of Williams' coaches in high school. "The countless hours he spend with Coach (Leon) McKenzie set him up perfectly for the transition to the next level. And now with Coach (Curtis) Taylor’s guidance, he’s realizing his full potential. 
 
What impressed me most was the way he handled the pressure, being a true freshman and going undefeated on the NCAA level is rare. But knowing the commitment and the mindset he takes into his training, that’s where his confidence comes from."



More news

History for DyeStat.com
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024 1091 354 13762  
2023 5382 1361 77508  
2022 4892 1212 58684  
Show 25 more
 
+PLUS highlights
+PLUS coverage
Live Events
Get +PLUS!