Ducks Collect Pac-12 Postseason Awards
EUGENE, Ore. – On the heels of guiding the Men of Oregon to their 14th-consecutive conference championship, Robert Johnson was voted the 2021 Pac-12 Men's Coach of the Year as announced Wednesday afternoon by the league office. Additionally, conference Freshman of the Year honors went to Alysah Hickey for her victory in the long jump.
Wednesdays' announcement marks the fifth Pac-12 Coach of the Year with the UO men (2013-14, 2017-18, '21). Hickey is the fourth UO woman to win conference Freshman of the Year accolades, joining the short list featuring English Gardner (2011), Jenna Prandini (2013) and Ariana Washington (2016).
The Men of Oregon ran away with team title at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships with a meet-record 185 points, surpassing the previous high of 180 points set by USC in 1976. In a show of the team's depth, the Ducks scored double-digit points in 10 events and had champions at 1,500 meters (Cooper Teare), 5,000 meters (Cole Hocker), 3,000-meter steeplechase (Jackson Mestler) and in the decathlon (Max Vollmer).
Between the long and triple jumps, the UO men tallied 24 points including runner-up performances by Isaiah Griffith (LJ) and Emmanuel Ihemeje (TJ). With his jump of 16.60m/54-5.5, Ihemeje broke the school record in the triple jump and currently ranks fifth nationally.
Hickey accounted for the 16 points at the Pac-12 Championships by way of her victory in the long jump and third-place finish in the high jump. She recorded a personal-best mark of 6.59m/21-7.5 to become the fifth UO woman to win the conference title in the long jump. The measure doubles as the farthest Pac-12 winning jump since the 2013 meet and currently ranks 10th in the country.
The following day, Hickey earned a bronze finish and registered a personal-best clearance of 1.75m/5-8.75 in the high jump.
Hickey and the Women of Oregon finished as the team runner-up with 151 points with the help of five conference champions. In addition to Hickey's effort in the long jump, the UO women collected titles from Carmela Cardama Baze (10,000 meters), Aneta Konieczek (steeplechase), Dominique Ruotolo (triple jump) and the 4x100 relay team of Jadyn Mays, Kemba Nelson, Jasmin Reed and Danyel White.
In Monday's release of the USTFCCCA national rankings, both teams reached a season-high position with the men at No. 2 and the women at No. 8 in the country.
The list of declared entries for the NCAA West Preliminary (May 26-29) is scheduled to be announced Thursday. The gateway meet will be contested at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas. The top 12 in each event will then advance to the NCAA Championships (June 9-12) at Hayward Field.
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