With the Mt. Sac Relays – among other notable track and field events – taking place this weekend, the quality of competition was watered down at Hayward Field for the Oregon Relays.
This proved especially true for the women’s 4×100-meter relay, where Oregon’s team of Jenna Prandini, Sasha Wallace, Jasmine Todd and Marybeth Sant joined other Ducks competing in Walnut, California, rather than Eugene.
There were six teams signed up to run, according to the Oregon Relays performance list, but only three of them actually attended. Montana, Oregon and Oregon State all failed to participate, while Concordia, Lane Community College and the University of Oregon’s Running Club made up the trio of teams who competed in the event.
Lane Community College took first place with a time of 49.20, Concordia crossed in a close second with a time of 49.59 and the UO Running Club finished in 51.90.
While the star power may have not been evident to the casual fan, these programs often produce quality Division I athletes who transfer after a year or two.
Notably, former Lane Community College athlete Jordan Latt now runs for the Ducks, and he competed in multiple sprinting races at the Oregon Relays this year. Trent Warren, a redshirt junior running for Oregon who placed sixth in the men’s 1,500 meters this weekend, was a member of the UO Running Club as a freshman before walking on to the Ducks as a sophomore.
— by Preston Hiefield
