6/14/08

DES MOINES, Iowa — Not since 1992 have Oregon’s men been higher than ninth at the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Now, Oregon can realistically aim higher. Developments have favored the Ducks, who’ve coped with two lodging changes caused by local flooding.

On Friday, sophomore A.J. Acosta was re-instated into today’s 1,500-meter final. That, along with four points in the throws and a possible victory by top-ranked Andrew Wheating in today’s 800 meters, puts Oregon in the mix for top six.

Oregon scored 10 Thursday from a decathlon victory by sophomore Ashton Eaton. Javelin thrower Alex Wolff and hammer thrower Colin Veldman scored two apiece by finishing seventh.