Ryan Mulholland’s leadoff leg helped the Ducks to a fast relay win. Photo by Kevin Neri
When Ryan Mulholland was in seventh grade, his track coach instructed Mulholland’s team to practice a double leg A skip — a sprint coordination drill where a runner skips with one foot and lifts the knee of their other leg with each bounce. Mulholland didn’t understand the instructions. He jumped as high as he possibly could.
“Everyone just stared at me, like, ‘What is this crazy guy over here doing?’” Mulholland said.
Saturday at the Oregon Relays, as athletes running the first leg of the 4×100-meter relay stretched their muscles and got set in their blocks, Mulholland took a moment to leap straight up into the air.
The Hayward crowd, tense in anticipation for the gun, cheered.
“It’s my thing,” Mulholland said. “I feel like it gets me in that race mood, like, OK. It’s go time.”
After his jump, Mulholland said his start was one of his best. He caught up with the runner on the outside, Wisconsin junior Lawrence Johnson, before the handoff to Micah Williams.
The Oregon men’s 4×100-meter relay team, which includes Mulholland, Williams, Will Mundy and Xavier Nairne, won in 38.83 seconds and broke the Oregon Relays meet record by one second.
“I felt good since I gave the baton off to Micah and watched him do well — it was a great handoff,” Mulholland said. “Will ran so good around the curve, and Xavier took it home to our new PR and season best for the year.”
