Alysah Hickey won her second consecutive Pac-12 title in the long jump. Photo by Kevin Neri
Oregon’s Alysah Hickey and Dominique Ruotolo finished 1-2 in the women’s long jump at the Pac-12 Championships Saturday afternoon at Hayward Field to score 18 team points, helping to put the Ducks in the lead heading into the final day of the competition.
The Oregon women have 60 points, 16 ahead of Washington.
“It’s always good to end up leaving the track with 18 points because you know we are working to win this title,” Hickey said.
Hickey won her second straight outdoor conference title with a jump that measured 21 feet, ½ inch, and Ruotolo took second place with a jump of 20-5 3/4 after a long road back from an ankle injury.
Hickey’s first jump gave her the victory, and she took only four jumps after passing on one and fouling on her last attempt after dealing with cramps.
“I always try to go off of the first jump and build after that,” Hickey said. “It’s usually when you have the most adrenaline and energy going, and after that it’s just having fun.”
Hickey came into the conference meet with a seeded jump 19 inches longer than any of her competitors.
“I always come in confident, I always tell myself I am the best, and a lot of this game is mental so I know I am doing what I gotta do,” Hickey said.
Routolo’s second-place finish was a bonus for her, as her main event still remains the triple jump, which is being contested Sunday afternoon. She had competed only once in the long jump in 2017 prior to her jumps today.
“The goal was first to jump, because this is my second time jumping, the goal was also to make the podium, score for my team and win the title,” said Ruotolo.
Routolo’s finish was also an important reminder of how far she’s come in just under a year after a serious injury. She underwent ankle reconstruction surgery after suffering an injury during last year’s Olympic Trials.
Hickey will compete in the high jump Sunday with the Oregon women’s track team trying to hold its lead and win their first Pac-12 team title since 2017. USC has won the past three team championships.
