The Pac-12 Conference Meet Begins Today At Mt.SAC; Oregon's 15-Year Run Of Men's Dominance In Serious Jeopardy; Women's Team Race Comes Down To Oregon, USC

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Oregon's 15-year men's winning streak at the Pac-12 Conference Track and Field Championships was already in serious trouble this season, but then the start lists were revealed this week. 

The Ducks are the lone school among the 10 have men's teams that will not be sending a 4x400-meter relay to the starting line. 

By that point in the meet, it likely won't matter for them. 

Instead, Washington, California, USC and UCLA may all still have a chance going into Sunday's final event at Hilmer Lodge Stadium at Mt. SAC in Walnut, Calif. (First time in history the meet isn't being held at a conference school). Or perhaps, the Huskies will be preparing to dawg-pile after a 95-year wait to celebrate a conference track title. 

It's Washington, whose coaches Maurica Powell and Andy Powell were part of the Oregon coaching staff from 2005-2018, that is looking to make history. 

It was the Huskies who enjoyed a night in January when eight men ran sub-four minutes for the mile together in the same race. And yes, Washington is loaded in this weekend's 1,500 meters, but the team is also counting on big points elsewhere: In the 400-meter hurdles, where Cass Elliott is the conference leader; in the javelin, where Chandler Ault is the top seed; in the 800 with Sam Ellis and in the 5,000 with Brian Fay. 

California hasn't won the conference title since 1923! And if things break right for the Golden Bears, they could win the men's crown for the first time in 100 years. 

Cal is field-event heavy, with collegiate discus record holder Mykolas Alekna, multi athlete Hakim McMorris, and pole vaulters Tyler Burns and Skyler Magula factoring heavy into the equation.  

USC and UCLA are also factors in the team race. The Trojans could add big points in the 110-meter hurdles with Omotade Ojora and Johnny Brackins expected to go 1-2, and the long jump, with Brackins and CJ Stevenson; the Bruins are the top team in the 4x400 and have conference leader Jalyn Jackson in the triple jump. 

The defending conference champion in the men's hammer, Trey Knight, has transferred from USC to Cal State Northridge. 

The Ducks still have one of the meet's brightest stars in Micah Williams, who was fourth at the USATF Outdoor Championships last June in the 100 meters. He has dealt with an injury this spring and raced sparingly, but apparently will try to defend his conference title in the 100 and take a leg on the 4x100 relay. 

First-year Oregon coach Jerry Schumacher, who was hired to replace Robert Johnson last August, has been re-tooling the program. Some top athletes are red-shirting, such as Pac-12 800-meter champion Elliott Cook, and there is a big recruiting class coming that includes sub-four high school milers Connor Burns and Simeon Birnbaum. 

Arizona State is looking to make splash in the sprints and has a powerful duo in the 400 meters, with Dubem Nwachukwu and Justin Robinson looking to unseat reigning conference champion Johnnie Blockburger of USC. 

Another one of the top matchups comes in the shot put where Arizona senior Jordan Geist and Arizona State's Turner Washington will go head to head. Geist is the NCAA leader at 69-8.75 (21.25m). 

Oregon, USC headline women's meet

The Ducks and Trojans have won all of the conference titles since 2009 and that should continue in 2023 with the two powers engaged in a close team battle. 

Oregon's firepower has shifted over the years, from the distance events to the sprints and now to the throws. 

The transfer of Olympian Jorinde Van Klinken to Oregon, where she followed coach Brian Blutreich from Arizona State, was one of the most impactful moves in the entire country. Van Klinken and teammate Jaida Ross figure prominently for the Ducks, who are looking for big point production in the shot put and discus. Izzy Thornton-Bott is also a top seed, in the 1,500, and so is Alysah Hickey, in the long jump. 

Oregon's Jadyn Mays will try to break up the dominance of USC in the 100 and 200. The Trojans' depth in those events includes conference leader Caisja Chandler (10.99/22.67), Samirah Moody (11.02/22.93) and Christine Mallard (22.93). 

USC should also score 25-30 points in the 400 meters with Jan'Taijah Jones, Bailey Lear and Yemi John leading the way. USC is also favored in both relays. Allie Jones is the top entrant in the heptathlon and Jasmine Jones is the leader in the 400-meter hurdles. 

Stanford freshmen Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker will get their first taste of the conference meet and are the top two 800-meter runners in the Pac-12. 

In the distance events, where the conference is historically strong, a couple of schools are looking to break into the elite realm usually occupied by Colorado, Stanford, Oregon or Washington. Utah's Emily Venters and Simone Plourde are looking for a big weekend in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. 

And Oregon State's duo Kaylee Mitchell and Grace Fetherstonhaugh are, likewise, aiming to make big noise in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 1,500. 

Arizona's Talie Bonds is looking to become the first woman in conference history to win both the 100-meter hurdles and the high jump, looking to defend her title in the latter event. DYESTAT DISCUSSION