Former and Current Oregon Ducks Dominate USA Track and Field Championships

Jun 21, 2013; Des Moines, IA, USA; Ashton Eaton reacts after winning the decathlon with 8,291 points in the 2013 USA Championships at Drake Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a good weekend to be an Oregon Duck in Des Moines Iowa at the USA Track and Field Championships. There was plenty of love to go around. Through three days of Competition Tracktown USA flexed some serious muscle.

The big name, Olympic Gold Medalist in the Decathalon Ashton Eaton, took the Decathalon title on Saturday afternoon, one year to the day of his breakout performance at Hayward Field that propelled him to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

"“It was good to do another multi because it’s been since the (Olympic) Games. I feel pretty good about that. I have quite a bit of confidence. Obviously the high jump was very sub-par, the hurdles and the pole vault, and a lot of that stuff was very much ‘safety.’ If I can score 8,200 with those marks, I think at 100 percent, I’ll be OK.”  -Eaton after his performance in the Decathalon"

Eaton entered Saturday in second place and came back to win the event with 8291 points. Oregon’s Dakotah Keys rallied to finish 10th in the two day event.

Brianne Thiessen, Eaton’s fiancée and a Canadian took the heptathalon crown and the Canadian National title.

Jun 21, 2013; Des Moines, IA, USA; English Gardner reacts after winning the womens 100m  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Several other Oregon athletes had solid performances including Matthew Centrowitz who claimed the 1500 meter crown.

On Friday, now former Duck English Gardner set the pace with the fastest 100 meters in the world so far this year. Her season will now extend to the IAAF World Championships in Moscow. After the NCAA Track and Field Championships a few weeks ago Gardner announced she was forgoing her Senior Season with the Ducks and going pro.

In the 10,000 Meters former Oregon Duck Galen Rupp paced himself and ended up running away with the National title. Jordan Hasay also had a good time in the Women’s 10,000 Meters placing 2nd. She was in the Top 5 for the entire race.

The USA Track and Field Championships wrap up on Sunday with more current and former Oregon Ducks chasing National titles and others with a chance to extend their season.

Here you can find results for the final day of the Championships.

Oregon Ducks This Week: