Oregon Men, USC Women Looking To Reclaim Titles On Sunday

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

For the second night in a row at the Pac-12 Conference Championships, making their return at USC's Loker Stadium, a women's distance race provided a historically fast performance. 

Aneta Konieczek of Oregon led three women under the meet record in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, and won in a time of 9:36.74 to break a school record for the Ducks. 

Washington's Katie Rainsberger broke the Huskies record in second place, running 9:38.84. And Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell shattered her own school record while taking third in 9:48.30. 

With eight of 21 events scored heading into Sunday's final session, Oregon and Arizona State are tied with 56 points and Washington is third with 53 points. 

Meanwhile, reigning champion USC is loaded for another run at the title on Sunday. 

The Trojans advanced six to the final of the women's 400 meters and four more to the finals of the 200. Twanisha Terry and Lanae-Tava Thomas ran the fastest times in the prelims of the 100. 

In the women's shot put, Arizona's Samantha Noenning got a hard-fought win over Arizona State's Jorinde Van Klinken, throwing 56-10 to win by less than three inches. 

Alysah Hickey and Rhesa Foster went 1-2 in the long jump for Oregon. Hickey's winning jump was 21-7.50. 

The Sun Devils also went 2-3-4 in the women's pole vault for 19 points. Washington's Makenna Barton, though, won it with 13-9.25. 

Washington's Lyndsey Lopes won the hepathlon by a mere eight points, 5,735 to 5,727, over Stanford's Allie Jones.

Oregon's Jackson Mestler won the conference title in the steeplechase with a lifetime best 8:35.32, edging out Washington's Joe Waskom (8:35.71). 

Mestler's father, Rick, was a four-time All-American at Oregon in the same event. 

Going into the final day, Oregon trails Washington 68-54. The Ducks are seeking their 14th straight conference team title. 

Oregon picked up another win in the decathlon, where Max Vollmer scored 7,638 points. 

Washington's Oliver Thorner and Parker Kennedy pulled in 13 points with second and fourth-place finishes. 

Arizona's Justice Summerset won the high jump with a clearance at 7-2.50. Another Wildcat, Jordan Geist, won the shot put with 66-9.25. 

UCLA's Harrison Schrage won the long jump on his first attempt, which went 25-7.50. Schrage, who has track duty on Sunday, passed his final three attempts. 

That left the door open for someone to pass him, and Oregon's Isaiah Griffith got closest, but finished second with 25-6.