Middle Distances fullfill expectations as Leblanc Shines

Published by Adam Schneider on April 19, 2015

The Oregon Relays exhibited the future of the Ducks and it was impressive. Oregon’s young distance runners showed they will be a force at the national level starting this year or the next. What is yet to be determined is how many men in the green and gold will be running at the NCAA meet in June.  

Two-time NCAA 1500m champion (2013 and 2014 for the Ducks) Mac Fleet was entered in the 1500m against Oregon’s young crew of middle distance runners. Former NCAA runner-up and ex-Duck AJ Acosta was a pace-setter and dropped out with 300m to go.Mac Fleet was leading the rest and made a move as first-year Ducks Blake Haney (running unnattached) and Niki Franzmair matched his move and dropped behind him. At 200m to go they followed Fleet around the curve but couldn’t stay with him and battled behind him, as Fleet finished in 3:40.52, Haney in 3:42.34, and Franzmair ran 3:42.48. Behind them Matthew Maton almost caught them as he was battling unattached entrant Reid Buchanan and finished fourth (3:42.54) ahead of Buchanan (3:42.73).

When Annie Leblanc came to Oregon her credentials from competing in the World Junior championships five years ago in the 800m and 1500m indicated she would make a major impact. So far she has not made that impact but she was a major factor in helping Oregon win the 2012 NCAA cross country title. She may be fullfilling expectations in her junior outdoor season. She has not lost an individual outdoor race this year and she took down two of the top US 1500m runners in the 1500m (Mary Cain 2013 World Championship finalist) and 800m (Trenier Moser, 2013 US champion) at the Oregon Relays. After being out-kicked at the NCAA championships by Alexis Panisse in the 800m semi-finals she has taken on a new mindset for races.  

In the 1500m former Duck Samantha Murphy was the pace-setter and ran 2:21 for 800m and through 1000m in 2:54 where she stepped off. Mary Cain and Annie Leblanc had been following but at 500m to go Alexi Pappas made a big move to take the lead and with 400m (3:12.74) to go led Cain, Anna Connor and Leblanc. At 1200m Pappas led in 3:28, with Cain at 3:29, and Leblanc at 3:30.  Leblanc and Cain shortened the gap to Pappas  and Pappas (3:46) was still in front as Leblanc was almost next to Cain (3:47) with 200m to go. Leblanc blew by both and ran away in 4:16.17, Cain was second in 4:17.91 and Pappas was third in 4:19.16.  Leblanc ran the last 300 in less than 46.1 and the last 200 in less than 29 seconds.  

On the next day Leblanc ran the 800m against Moser.  Niki Hiltz led a strong of Ducks through 60.3 for the first 400m and then at 500m dropped out as Raevyn Rogers took the lead ahead of Leblanc and Moser and took the group through 600m in 1:34.5.  Leblanc (2:04.49) finished well, passed Rogers (2:05.66), and held off Moser (2:04.96).

Ex-Duck all-American Parker Stinson led a pack of Ducks for most of the 5000m and finished with a strong kick to win (13:50.38) ahead of personal records by freshman Jake Leingang (second in 13:51.25), junior Matthew Melancon (third in 13:52.45), and freshman Travis Neuman (sixth at 13:55.41).  Junior Jeramy Elkaim was fourth in 13:53.78 as all the Ducks have likely qualified for the NCAA West Regional meet. 

Other great marks and wins by Ducks included junior Greg Skipper winning the hammer throw with a best of 229-9 and senior Arthur Delaney won the 100m (10.39) and 200 (20.79). Freshman Ashlee Moore made her collegiate debut in the Heptathlon (5457) and long jump (19-11) and moved to fourth on the Oregon all-time list in the 100m hurdles (13.67) during the heptathlon competition. Dakotah Keys scored (7833) ahead of Mitch Modin (7578) in the men’s decathlon. Sophomores Brittany Mann won the shot put (54-9 1/4) and Marcus Chambers won the 400m (46.47). Trevor Ferguson won the long jump with a best jump of 25-4 1/2 (+3.6 m/s) and ran his fastest time ever in the 110 hurdles (14.28, +3.6 m/s). Nate Moore won the triple jump with a best of 51-9 (+1.5 m/s) and was second in the long jump with a best of 25-2 1/2 (+2.1 m/s). Redshirt Cody Danielson (232-10) finished ahead of the personal record by freshman Jhet Janis (227-5). Sophomore Christian Brennan won the 200 in 23.92 (+3.0 m/s) and was second in the 400m at 53.94.

Dakarai Hightower won the high jump with a best clearance of 7-2 1/2, Akayla Anderson of Portland State won the 100m hurdles in 13.87. Jessica Mildes of Gonzaga was the top collegian in the 5000m in 16:16.88 and Kimber Mattox of Team Run Eugene won in 16:12.05.