May 30, 2011
For Immediate Release
Hasay, Seniors, Freshman Among Many Honored at Track Banquet
EUGENE, Ore.  – Members of Oregon’s back-to-back women’s indoor NCAA champions and five-time men’s Pac-10 champions were honored at the track and field teams’ annual banquet on Sunday.
Senior Brianne Theisen and sophomore Jordan Hasay were named the recipients of the Mary Officer Award, which is presented to a member of the women’s team in recognition of their great contribution to the University of Oregon track and field program. 
Theisen set the NCAA record in the pentathlon in winning her second straight national title and helping the women win their second straight Indoor crown. She also came back and ran the lead leg on the Ducks’ eighth-place 4x400 meter relay team.
Hasay was just as impressive, winning both the mile at the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor meet as part of the Ducks’ national title. Outdoors, she recorded another impressive double at the Pac-10 meet, winning both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. She leads the nation in the 1,500 meters and is second in the 5,000 meters.
Three-time Pac-10 1,500 meter champion Matthew Centrowitz was named the Harry Ritchie’s Award winner, which is presented to a member of the men’s team in recognition of his great contribution to the University of Oregon track and field program. Centrowitz was third in the 1,500 at the NCAA Championships last season.
The George Scharpf Outstanding Athlete Award, presented in recognition of outstanding athletic achievement by a male track and field athlete, went to senior David Klech, who has seen a remarkable resurgence as a combined event athlete. Indoors, Klech earned his first career All-America award by finishing sixth in the heptathlon. Then outdoors, he was Oregon’s top point scorer at the Pac-10 meet, where he finished second in the decathlon, third in the long jump and fifth in the 110 meter hurdles.
The Lynne Winbigler Women’s Performer of the Year Award went to Amber Purvis, who set a pair of school records in helping Oregon win its second straight NCAA Indoor title. She ran 7.20 in the 60 meters and 23.26 in the 200. She also was the runner-up in the 200 at the Pac-10 meet and was third in the 100.
A couple of record-setting freshman were honored as the newcomers of the year. English Gardner, who broke both Angela Williams’ U.S. junior record and Gail Devers’ Pac-10 Championships record in the 100 meters when she won the league crown in Tucson in 11.03, was named the women’s newcomer of the year. Mike Berry, who broke Olympic gold medalist Otis Davis’ 51 year-old school record in the 400 meters when he won the Pac-10 title in 44.91, was named the Perry Holloman Newcomer of the Year.
Senior Jamesha Youngblood and sophomore Anne Kesselring shared the Harry Ritchie’s Inspirational Award, which goes to the female track & field athletes whose athletic achievement and leadership provide inspiration to their teammates. Youngblood is just the second woman ever to win back-to-back Pac-10 long jump and triple jump titles, while Kesselring leads the nation in the 800 meters and was third in both the 800 and 1,500 meters at the Pac-10 championships. 
The Dow Wilson Inspirational Award, presented to the male track & field athlete whose athletic achievements and leadership provide inspiration to their teammates, was presented to sophomore Elijah Greer, who was the Pac-10 runner-up at 800 meters.
The cross county awards went to a pair of third-place finishers from the NCAA meet last November in Terre Haute, Ind. Hasay, the 2010 Pac-10 cross country champion, was named the Tom Heinonen women’s award winner, while junior Luke Puskedra won the men’s Bill Dellinger Cross Country Award.
Cited for the Coaches Award, given to recognize athletic achievement, dedication and determination, were seniors A.J. Acosta, Melissa Gergel, Claire Michel, Jordan Stray, Vernell Warren, Mandy White and Alex Wolff. Gergel and Michel were Pac-10 runners-up in the pole vault and steeplechase, respectively this season, and also own Pac-10 individual titles. Acosta was a Pac-10 scorer in the 1,500 meters this season and in 2010, put on a memorable performance by scoring in the 1,500, 5,000 and steeplechase at the league meet.
Wolff is a four-time Pac-10 scorer and a four-time NCAA Championships qualifier in the javelin. Warren is a six-time Pac-10 scorer in the long jump, high jump and relays. White has been a mainstay in the sprints and on the 4x100 meter relay team. Last season, she became the first Duck to attain All-America status in the 100 meters.
Also on Sunday, the University of Oregon Track and Field Hall of Fame Award was presented to Assistant Athletic Director Michael Reilly, who has served as Oregon’s meet director for the past six years.
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