Oregon women’s cross country was able to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championships by winning the NCAA West Regionals Friday afternoon at Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle, Washington.

While the women earned the automatic bid, the men must await the at-large selections because they finished just outside of the top-two, taking third. Because of a strong resume of wins this fall, they will most likely make it through to join their teammates.

The No. 4 Duck women were just able to sneak past No. 9 Boise State for the victory, edging the Broncos by a single point for their second-straight regional team title. The Ducks scored 79 points, with redshirt senior Waverly Neer and redshirt Alli Cash both placing in the top 10.

Neer took second (20:32.2) and Cash claimed sixth (20:46.1). Frida Berge (20), Molly Grabill (25) and Maggie Schmaedick (26) rounded out the Oregon runners in scoring positions.

On the men’s side it was Edward Cheserek who led the way, capturing yet another title to add to his collection. The junior crossed the line in 30:43.2, gapping the second place finisher John Whelan of Washington State by more than 11 seconds. Redshirt sophomore Travis Neuman finished fourth, Matthew Melancon 24th, Tanner Anderson 31st and Jake Leingang 39th.

As a group the Duck men finished third (99) behind a pair of conference foes, Washington (63) and Stanford (83).

The at-large bids will be announced tomorrow and the NCAA Championships will take place Saturday, November 21 at E.P Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

Oregon finished its final practice of the week before it heads south to face No. 7 Stanford in a Pac-12 showdown on Saturday night.

The Ducks (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) have momentum after defeating California 44-28 last weekend, marking the third-straight win for the team. Despite the uptick in success, they still head into the game predicted to lose by more than a touchdown.

As for the Cardinal (8-1, 7-0), it has been on a roll since a season opening blip against Northwestern. Since that game, Stanford has looked like the premiere team in the conference and has its eyes firmly set on a playoff berth.

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich discussed whether his team pays attention to who is favored and how they make subbing decisions during games.

How did you feel the final preparations for Stanford went?

Our work this week has been great. Guys have been focused, energized and have worked hard. Now, we are just putting the finishing touches on the physical preparation and the mental preparation leading up to the game.

This season, Oregon has more often been in the role of underdog. Do you hear the players enjoy that mentality?

To be honest the only times that’s ever brought up is in the media. I don’t know if guys are talking about it, I haven’t heard anything about it. If that brings any added energy to our preparation, great.

Is that unusual for a team like Stanford to play so poorly in their first game then turn it on?

It’s certainly an anomaly in their season when you look at their film. It doesn’t match up, and you never know why that is, things happen all around the country every week. Northwestern is a good football team, but they are playing at a much different rate right now.

Do you look at what Northwestern did?

There is no ‘oh my gosh, here is the front or here is the blitz that did it.’ Nothing of that nature, it was just kind of an execution game and Northwestern was playing with a ton of passion. They played better than them that week. It’s really that simple.

Do you let players decide when to come out of games or watch their snap counts?

From an offensive or special teams standpoint, you want the freshest possible guy in there. Sometimes that is when being a highly competitive guy is a detriment because they want to stay in there no matter what. If they are dog tired they think they are just going to gut their way through it and sometimes its best to get the other guy in there. When you are playing defensively against a tempo team you can’t do that, you have to have a predetermined rotation when there is a break.

Last game it seemed you used a lot of different guys at running back in addition to Royce Freeman. How important is it to spread the load and not put everything on him?

He is a guy we just have so much confidence in, he is such a great competitor, he doesn’t want to come out. You have to have a bit of a rotation for a guy like that, certainly in practice. Also, we have a bunch of other good guys who need the ball in their hands. So it’s that balancing act of dancing with what brought you but also getting those other guys involved.

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For the past half decade, redshirt senior Molly Grabill has been running in an Oregon uniform. As a member of both the cross country and track and field teams, the four-time All-American from Poway, California, has been able to battle through injuries and turn them into a solid college career.

“I am really going to be sad to not wear the uniform after this year,” Grabill said. “It’s going to be a transition, but I wouldn’t trade these past few years for anything.”

The next two weeks will be the final chance for Grabill and her fellow Oregon seniors to compete as the Ducks try and bring home another championship in women’s cross country.

First on the schedule is the the NCAA West Regionals in Seattle this Friday, a race where the team will only do as much as is needed to advance. A top two finish in the region is all that is required to qualify because they accumulated enough points during the year. This means they can take it as easier than usual to avoid injuries and save an extra burst.

“At Regionals we will just do what we need to do — get the job done and go,” redshirt sophomore Alli Cash said.

If everything goes as planned, the Ducks will move on to the NCAA Championships, which are held at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky — a site they are very familiar with. The last time the women were able to win a cross country title was at this same location back in 2012, a win that broke a 25 year drought for the squad.

“We have all the pieces going forward,” redshirt sophomore Alli Cash said. “We have been training really hard the past couple of months, so now is the exciting time to put it all together and see what we can do.”

In cross country, the top five finishers for each team count towards the final score, with the final placement being converted into equivalent points. The squad with the lowest score wins. This means that a team can’t just rely on one or two stars, they need depth.

This is an area where the Duck women have an advantage, as their veterans have done a good job integrating the new faces into a cohesive group. Runners like Grabill and senior transfer Waverly Neer have been in these situations before and know what to expect.

“We bring in these young girls and show them the ropes of how we do things at Oregon to represent the University,” Grabill said. “Our mantra is ‘Be Oregon’.”

If everything goes as planned, the Ducks should have another trophy to add to their collection.

“All of us got a taste of it during Outdoors,” Alli said of winning the National Championship in track and field. “Last year we really wanted it but weren’t quite there, but this year we are in a better position.”

Of course the team is still just taking it one day at a time, making sure not to forget the early steps that must be traversed.

The NCAA West Regionals will begin at 12 p.m. on Friday, November 13.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

The top two teams in the Pac-12 North are set for a showdown this Saturday, as Oregon travels south to Palo Alto, California, to face No. 7 Stanford.

The Ducks (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) come into the game on the heels of a 44-28 victory over California, a game in which they seemed to finally get things back on track. Oregon overcame a slow start and an early turnover to put up 777 total yards of offense — the most in program history.

The Cardinal (8-1, 7-0 Pac-12) have been just as impressive since its week one glitch against Northwestern. Since that early loss, Stanford has gone undefeated, most recently beating Colorado 42-10.

Here are the matchups to watch for on Saturday:

Stanford offensive line vs. Oregon defensive line

The Cardinal are built to run the ball and it has the offensive line to do it. On the season, their line has helped them rank 15th in the nation in rushing yards per game with 227.7. On the other side of the trenches is Oregon’s defensive line, a group that has shown the ability to put pressure on the quarterback. The question is whether they can hold up throughout the contest, a task that will require them to fill the space and free up the linebackers from blocks.

Vernon Adams Jr. vs. Stanford secondary

Against Washington State, the second best passing offense in the country, the Stanford secondary turned in a solid game. It held Cougars quarterback Luke Falk to 354 yards and picked him off twice in the win. The Cardinal will be looking for a similar performance against Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr., who has really come on since returning from his injury. Adams finished the Cal game with 300 yards and four touchdowns. Look for Oregon to try to get him going early with short throws before allowing him to take a shot deep.

Players to watch:

Oregon:

DeForest Buckner

One of the stars for Oregon this season has been defensive end DeForest Buckner, who has been unstoppable at times for offensive lines. Playing with a cast on a wrist he injured during the ASU game, Buckner recorded a team-high seven tackles and one sack last weekend. The sack forced the Golden Bears to settle for a field goal. On the season, the senior has 51 tackles and seven sacks.

Bralon Addison

Addison is a key part of the Ducks’ offense. This season, he has 42 receptions for 532 yards and six touchdowns. Look for the coaches to get Addison involved with some trick plays against Stanford to try to catch the defense off guard.

Stanford:

Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey is a workhorse for Stanford, doing pretty much everything the team asks of him. The sophomore Heisman hopeful puts up numbers running the ball, in the passing game and as a return man. He has an explosive first step and a seemingly endless amount of energy. This season, he has already run for 1,207 yards and six touchdowns. He’s showing no signs of slowing down. For the Ducks, it’s less a question of stopping McCaffrey than it is just trying to contain him.

Austin Hooper

They sure do know how to grow tight ends on The Farm. Hooper is just the latest talent to pass through the Cardinal program at that position. He leads the team with 356 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

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Oregon football remains unranked in the AP top 25 despite coming off a 45-28 victory over the visiting California Golden Bears on Saturday, while putting up a school-record 777 yards of offense.

The Ducks (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) did not receive any votes.

Three schools represent the conference — No. 7 Stanford, No. 10 Utah and No. 18 UCLA. All three jumped up in the rankings after picking up wins over the weekend. USC sits just outside the top 25, receiving 104 votes as the first team out. Washington State also received votes.

Jumping into the top spot was Clemson, unseating Ohio State for the first time this season. The Tigers were able to rally against Florida State for a 23-13 win, maintaining their status as one of the remaining unbeaten teams.

One of the biggest moves was made by No. 5 Oklahoma State, who bumped up nine spots after downing TCU 49-29. No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Baylor round out the top 5 teams.

Here is the top 25:

1. Clemson (31)
2. Ohio State (26)
3. Alabama (2)
4. Baylor (2)
5. Oklahoma State
6. Notre Dame
7. Stanford
8. Iowa
9. LSU
10. Utah
11. Florida
12. Oklahoma
13. TCU
14. Michigan State
15. Michigan
16. Houston
17. North Carolina
18. UCLA
19. Florida State
20. Mississippi State
21. Temple
22. Navy
23. Wisconsin
24. Northwestern
25. Memphis

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On fourth down with the game and Oregon’s season on the line, Vernon Adams Jr. blindly tossed the football into the air with a hope and a prayer. It was in the dying seconds of a battle against Arizona State, and the Ducks needed to score a touchdown to bring on overtime.

As his quarterback was fighting to stay alive in the pocket, wide receiver Dwayne Stanford streaked across the field, shaking free of his defender just as the ball was released.

“Once Vernon threw the ball, I just wanted to get my hands on it,” Stanford said. “I knew I would get hit, so I pulled it in as tight as I could and tried to come down inbounds.”

Bouncing off Sun Devil defenders and his own teammate, Johnny Mundt, Stanford was able to haul in the touchdown that sent his team to the eventual 61-55 victory.

Moments like Stanford’s catch have been at a premium for the Ducks in a season where a talented receiving corps has been hamstrung by injuries and instability at the quarterback position.

Coming into the year, the receivers had one of the deepest squads on the team, though that has been diminished since. Senior Byron Marshall suffered a leg injury during a kick return against Utah, forcing him to undergo surgery. Devon Allen has been a shell of his former self as he continues to work back from a ligament tear in his right knee, an injury that hobbled a player who made his living as a burner. And Charles Nelson, who dominated early, was conscripted by the secondary to help fill the holes on defense.

“We have enough depth where if one guy does get nicked up, we still feel pretty good about the guys who are out there,” wide receivers coach Matt Lubick said.

More troubling was the issue at quarterback as the Ducks turned to a rotating cast of throwers, necessitated by Adams’ hand injury, to find someone to lead the offense. This resulted in Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie competing for the start, often switching out multiple times during the game.

“We have to deal with and make plays with whoever is out there,” Stanford said of the quarterbacks. “Whether that’s Lockie, Vernon, Taylor, Bralon, one of the o-linemen — we just got to make plays.”

Though the receivers backed up their teammates, the Oregon offense has been much better with Adams Jr. taking snaps. In the four games he’s been healthy, the aerial attack averaged 285.5 yards per game, better than the 176.3 average without him.

“We have a quarterback out there who can be Houdini at any time,” wide receiver Darren Carrington said of Adams.

With stability back at the quarterback position, the receivers have been getting opportunities to make big plays. During the Oregon two-game win streak, they have totaled 31 catches for 520 yards and six touchdowns.

“I think we are improving on the outside every week,” Lubick said. “More and more guys are getting opportunities.”

Each individual brings a different dynamic to the game. Bralon Addison works the short routes to get the ball then uses his craftiness to pull away, Stanford uses his big frame and soft hands to be a reliable target and Carrington has the speed to whip past corners for long receptions.

“As a group, we just try to be playmakers out there,” Stanford said.

Oregon is going to need as many plays as possible as it heads into the final stretch of games, but if the receivers’ performance of late is anything to go off of, that shouldn’t be a problem.

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Oregon announced the 2016 track and field schedule on Thursday afternoon, which includes three home meets before welcoming the NCAA Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials to Eugene.

This upcoming season will serve as a farewell to the current layout of Hayward Field, as the historic venue is set to undergo renovations for the 2021 World Championships.

The first meet is the Pepsi Invitational on April 9, which will return to the four-team format. Invited are two Pac-12 conference rivals, USC and Washington, as well as Penn State. The Trojans are Oregon’s main competition in the conference, as the  USC men finished fifth and the women took seventh in the 2015 NCAA Championships.

“The Pepsi meet will no doubt be the best team-scored competition in the country this season,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said in a statement. ”We will match up with USC and Washington several times throughout the year and this will be another great battle.”

The Nittany Lions will also provide a challenge as the team won the Big-10 women’s cross country title last weekend.

The Pepsi Invitational will be the first of back-to-back home meets at Hayward with the Oregon Relays running April 14-16. The Relays will be a combination meet, with collegiate and professional races occurring alongside the largest high school meet in the northwest.

During the same weekend, a contingent of Ducks, mostly sprinters, will fly south to participate in the Mt. SAC Relays to take advantage of the warm weather.

The final home meet of the regular season will be the annual Oregon Twilight, held Friday, May 6. Continuing with its normal trend, the meet will feature Duck alums and professional athletes.

The Pac-12 Championships will take place May 7-8, hosted by Washington. The Ducks will be looking to sweep the competition for the eighth straight year.

The NCAA Championships will take place June 8-11, marking a record 14th time Eugene has played host. Following that are the Olympic Trials, which will run July 1-10.

Additional meets the Ducks will travel to include the Willie Williams Classic (March 18-19), the Stanford Invitational (April 3-4), the Payton Jordan Invitational (May 1) and the 122nd Penn Relays (April 28-30).

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Oregon’s Edward Cheserek has been named the Pac-12 Cross Country Men’s Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. This is an unprecedented third-straight Athlete of the Year award for Cheserek.

Also honored were Colorado’s John Dressel as the Men’s Freshman of the Year, Stanford’s Aisling Cuffe as the Women’s Athlete of the Year, UCLA’s Carolina Johnson as the Women’s Freshman of the Year and Colorado’s Mark Wetmore as both the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

Cheserek is just the second person to be named the conference athlete of the year three times, following in the footsteps of Washington State’s Henry Rono, who claimed the award in 1976, 1977 and 1979. Unlike Rono, Cheserek was able to win his three honors in consecutive years.

This season has been impressive for the Oregon junior, as he also won the Pac-12 Cross Country title for the third time, joining Rono (1976, ’78-’79) and Oregon legend Steve Prefontaine (1970-71, ’73). Again, Cheserek is the only athlete to have done it in consecutive seasons.

Cheserek was placed on the Men’s All-Pac-12 first team, while sophomore teammate Travis Neuman made it to the second team.

For the Duck women sophomore Alli Cash and senior Waverly Neer were on the first team, while sophomore Frida Berge and senior Molly Grabill were named to the second team.

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After a brutal 3-3 midseason stretch, Oregon has a chance to right the ship and salvage the season. While a Pac-12 Championship berth seems unlikely, the Ducks will be looking to win out and qualify for a bowl game.

Oregon (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) took another step in the right direction by surviving a triple overtime bout against Arizona State on Halloween weekend. Thanks to some late game heroics, and questionable calls, the Ducks took the 61-55 victory.

While Oregon looks to be trending upwards, the same can’t be said of this weekend’s opponent. California (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) stumbles into Eugene on a three-game losing streak, marring its early season success. The high-powered Golden Bears offense has struggled as of late and their defense has given up points, leading to a 97-69 point differential over the losing streak.

Here are the matchups to watch for on Saturday:

Oregon front seven vs. California offensive line

The key to slowing down Cal is preventing the passing attack from gaining rhythm, so the Ducks should look to bring pressure and force quarterback Jared Goff into throwing  before he is ready. Oregon has one of the best sack rates in the conference, despite showing a reluctance to send extra bodies on the blitz to help the defensive line. One player who fits the bill is outside linebacker Tyson Coleman, who was named the defensive player of the game against ASU after recording nine tackles, one sack and forcing a fumble.

Oregon running backs vs. California linebackers

Oregon ranks sixth in the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 283.5. For Cal, the key will be containing the ground game and forcing the Ducks to win through the air. This will most likely be accomplished through the play of the linebackers — a group that has a lot of depth and talent for the Golden Bears. Hardy Nickerson leads the way as the middle backer, delivering punishing blows while making smart adjustments on the fly. This year, Nickerson has 53 tackles, including a season-high 13 against the Trojans. Look for the Ducks ball carriers to avoid the middle of the field and try to escape Cal on the edge with their speed.

Players to watch:

Oregon:

Vernon Adams Jr.

Adams is coming off one of his best performances last week, where his ability to escape inside the pocket earned him the nickname “Houdini.” Against ASU, he threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns, and even those numbers don’t do him justice.

Tyree Robinson

The Oregon secondary is slowly climbing into the region of serviceable play — where it can make stops and prevent the opposing passing attack from running rampant across the field. One of the big reasons for this transition is the play of sophomore cornerback Robinson. His size, length and growing ability to anticipate quarterback’s throws has helped him become one of the stars on the Oregon defense. On the season, he has 38 tackles and three interceptions, including one he took to the house against Georgia State back in week three. Against the impressive array of Cal receivers, Robinson will be key in forcing stops and swinging momentum back towards the Ducks.

California:

Jared Goff

No list of players to watch for Cal would be complete without star quarterback Goff, who leads the 12th-ranked aerial attack in the nation this season. He has thrown for 2,537 yards and 22 touchdowns this year with a quarterback rating of 151.7.

Kenny Lawler

While Goff has a tendency to share the ball across his receiving corps, Lawler should take the lion’s share. The junior has a great nose for where the ball will be thrown, using his size and cunning to shift the defensive backs out of the way for spectacular grabs. Lawler also has speed, so one missed tackle and he can really gouge a defense. On the year, he has 42 catches for 527 yards and nine touchdowns. While most of his success came earlier in the season, look for Lawler to plant his flag in Eugene and haul in some of his quarterback’s touchdown throws.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur