Redshirt sophomore Alisha Rowlee ran her first victory lap at Hayward Field as an Oregon Duck Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Relays.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Rowlee said. “It’s something that I’ve dreamed of for quite a time now.”
Rowlee won the women’s 100 meters in 11.98 seconds, just .03 second ahead of Kishia Mitchell of the Seattle Speed Track Club.
Rowlee felt good after being diagnosed with strep throat earlier in the week; her time was just .08 second slower than her PR, which she had set last weekend at the Pepsi Invitational. “I just needed to get out there and get a good run in,” she said.
Mitchell is also enjoying some early success. She wanted to break 12 seconds, but managed to run in 12.01 in spite of experiencing sharp pain in her back.
“I was shocked to be up there with the Oregon woman,” said Mitchell. “That was a lot of fun.” Mitchell lowered her PR by .05 second.
This season, Mitchell has been working on her mental race, as well. “I need to get out hard and not come up to soon, but then I try tell myself not to think at all because when you think, that’s when everything goes wrong.”
Pleased with the result, Mitchell may make another appearance at the Oregon Twilight Meet.
Rowlee looks forward to future appearances. She said, “I love running at home – that Hayward magic and the fans are really amazing.”
— by Lindsay Rossmiller
