UO senior Galen Rupp will be the final act of the Oregon Relays tonight.
The 2008 Olympian and four-time NCAA champion is scheduled to compete in the 10,000 meters at Hayward Field at 8 p.m.
Rupp, the U.S. collegiate record-holder in
the 10K at 27 minutes, 33.48 seconds, and the U.S. Olympic Trials
runner-up in that event last summer, will be seeking the NCAA
qualifying standard of 28:45.00.
“Galen wanted to run a 10K at home before
the Pac-10s,” UO director of track and field Vin Lananna said. “It made
sense, so we put the event in and it seemed to strike up some interest
… it should be a great race.”
The Ducks are also hoping to get an NCAA qualifier for freshman Luke Puskedra.
He was the top freshman finisher at the
2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships last November, but the former
standout from Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City has
never run a 10K on the track.
Puskedra ran behind Rupp in the 5,000 at last week’s dual meet against UCLA to earn his regional qualifier in that event.
He’s hoping to duplicate that performance in tonight’s 10,000.
“Galen did a really good job of helping us
stay together (in the 5,000) when he took over after the 3K,” said
Puskedra, the 2008 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year in cross country and a
sixth-place finisher in the 5K at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
“I was really grateful for that, because
he has the ability to drop faster laps in the middle, and it could have
split open. He definitely helped us get the regional and have a good
time out there.”
Oregon Track Club Elite will provide two pacesetters for the 10K: Will Leer will.....
