By Abigail Winn
Oregon head coach Robert Johnson and USC head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert didn’t show any visible signs of competitiveness Tuesday at the press conference advancing the NCAA championships.this week. The coaches focused on the success of their their own teams, not bragging rights over the other one.
“The competition is against everyone, not someone in particular,” Gilbert said.
Back in May, the Oregon women won the Pac-12 team title with 189 points, followed by USC’s women, who took second with 135 points. Additionally, the Oregon men won their Pac-12 title with 175 points, and USC’s men took second with 115.5.
The Oregon women are favored to win the team title this week, which would make them the first women’s team to win NCAA titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same year.
Gilbert has been working her team hard in preparation for this year’s NCAAs, coaching them in all kinds of weather and focusing on the finer details.
“We spent a lot of the year working very hard and gaining our mental strength and working for every hundredth, every inch,” she said. “Everything we can do to make sure that when it counted, we would be ready mentally.”
Johnson initially spoke calmly about the competition. “It’s business as usual,” he said.
But with distance star Edward Cheserek and sprinting champion Hannah Cunliffe out with injuries, the NCAAs could be a much closer competition.
“What Cinderella stories do we have when our stars are sitting in the stands?” Johnson said. “I guess I would be remiss if I said that I feel this confident when I look at this thing on paper, but they never run the meets on paper.”
Ultimately, both coaches look forward to the primetime broadcast coverage the competition is receiving from ESPN and both are excited for the opportunity to promote the sport to new and veteran track fans.
“It’s the best the sport has to offer. It’s an awesome sport to be around,” Johnson said.
Added Gilbert: “The coverage is concise. It’s an opportunity for people who know the sport to get what they want. It’s an opportunity if you don’t know the sport to learn the sport. I think it’s a great idea.”
