Media Credit: Jarod Opperman Sophomore Andrew Wheating ran the 11th-fastest mile time in Oregon history and also became the first Vermont native to break the four-minute mark. Wheating won the race in 3:58.16.

Some of the members on Oregon's men's track team just run better scared.

Toward the end of the inaugural Oregon Relays on Saturday, sophomores Andrew Wheating and Chad Barlow gave the 6,875 in attendance at Hayward Field reason to stand up and cheer.

Wheating, who was a bundle of nerves before the mile race, was anxious about having to race against his redshirting teammate Galen Rupp. During the race introductions, the crowd cheered the loudest for Rupp, which only made Wheating "nervous like none other."

"I was completely scared," Wheating said.

His nerves didn't matter though, as Wheating ran the 11th fastest mile time in Oregon history in 3 minutes, 58.16 seconds. He was also the first Vermont native to break the four-minute mark.

"That's a bigger accomplishment for me," Wheating said. "I wanted to be that first guy."

"Vermont doesn't get much attention so I'm glad I can bring some out there."

Wheating was astounded with his time, though the race he tried to run didn't go according to plan.

"I was supposed to be in second place at that point," Wheating said. "There was a wall of four guys in front of me."

Wheating stood with 300 meters to go and feeling so good that he decided to make his move for first.

"It definitely paid off," he said. "For the last 50 meters it was like, "Oh my God, I hope nobody's behind me."

Once he crossed the finish line, Wheating turned to look at the clock thinking, "I can't believe this just happened."

"I couldn't be happier."

Earlier in the day, Barlow took the baton in the last leg of the 4x400 meter relay with about a 10 meter lead in front of Washington's Jordan Boase, the fastest collegiate 400 runner, who weeks before had run a 44.82.

Barlow only had two thoughts in his mind.

"Run fast, turn left," Barlow said while gasping for breath minutes after the race.

But Barlow had a strategy in mind, knowing that Boase was likely to catch him.

"I knew he was going to pass me. I knew it. So I just said, 'Once he passes me, I'm going to sit on him until the last 100 and see what I got left,'" Barlow said.

It worked. Barlow edged Boase in the final few meters, giving the Oregon 4x400 team its best time this season in 3:09.24. The Huskies finished in 3:09.41.

Barlow said he ran a 46.5 second split in the relay, his best time in the outdoor season.

"I was running scared and that made me run faster," Barlow said.

He also said it was pretty sweet to beat the Huskies, especially racing against the fastest 400 runner.

"It always is, doesn't matter what meet it is," Barlow said.

jmay@dailyemerald.com

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

Be the first to comment on this story

• Name: (required)
• Email: (required)
• NOTE: Email address will not be published
• Website:

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

Email notify will not work because you are not currently logged in.
Click here to quickly login or create a free account.

Type your comment below (html not allowed)

  I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.