Considered by many to be the mecca of track and field, Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon will hold the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship Wednesday through Saturday.
Erika Hurd, a third-year College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning student and University of Cincinnati high jumper, is excited to participate in the competition.
“It’s going to be mind boggling,” Hurd said. “It’s the dream of every track person to go to that stadium and experience it. It’s Eugene. It’s Track Town USA.”
Alongside three fellow Bearcats — Kenya Woodall, Rebecka Abrahamsson and Adrian Valles — Hurd will gain the chance to live out her dream.
Marking it a university record, 2015 is the third time in 10 years that UC Track and Field will send four athletes to the NCAA Championships. This occurrence also happened in 2005 and 2012.
Hurd won first place at the 2015 American Athletic Conference Championships, competed at the indoor nationals earlier this year and was named to the second-team, All-American team.
“I’m ready to go,” Hurd said. “I’m not worried, I’m not nervous. My dad said the nerves would probably kick in when I get to Oregon, but I feel confident.”
The three other athletes that will travel with Hurd have also accomplished many things this season.
Adrian Valles, a first-year international student from Spain and UC pole-vaulter, has had a stellar first year at UC. He was the second Bearcat to compete at indoor nationals, where he finished sixth and was named to the first-team, All-American team.
At the American Athletic Conference Championships in May, Valles won first place and set a personal best of 18 feet, 6.5 inches. The jump qualified him for the International Association of Athletics Federations’ World Championships August in Beijing.
“I can say I have high expectations for the national championships,” Valles said. “It’s always hard because you compete against really good competition. One important thing is you have to be mentally ready.”
Kenya Woodall, a third-year CECH student and UC 400-meter dash runner, won second place at the AAC Championships, while setting a personal best in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.78 seconds.
“It feels good to be part of this team and all four of us are doing good,” Woodall said. “I feel really good that all of us are supporting each other.”
Woodall hopes last their accomplishments will bring more attention to UC Track and Field.
“The goal is to get to finals, it would mean a lot,” Woodall said. “Track doesn’t get as much love as football or basketball, so maybe that would bring more people paying attention to us.”
Rebecka Abrahamsson, a first-year international student from Sweden and UC triple jumper, heads to Oregon after setting a personal best of 42 feet, 4.75 inches in the triple jump at the NCAA East Regional’s in May. She also placed fourth in the AAC championships for the 2015 season.
Much like Woodall, Abrahamsson said she gets her confidence from watching her teammates succeed.
“Every day is something special,” Abrahamsson said. “It has really inspired me to see these guys do so well. When it’s your turn you think, ‘if they can do it I can do it.’ We inspire each other really well.”
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be televised nationally on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU.
NCAA Championships on TV
Rebecka Abrahamsson, freshman, long jump
5 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2/ESPN3
Erika Hurd, high jump, junior
4:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2/ESPN3
Adrian Valles, pole vault, freshman
7 p.m., Thursday, ESPNU/ESPN3
Kenya Woodall, 400-meter dash, junior
8:30 p.m., Thursday, ESPNU (Prelims)
6:05 p.m., Saturday, ESPN2 (Finals)
