Okay it seems crazy.. a team sends at most 10 men or women to Fayetteville, Ark., puts them in different events (but limits to either all distance/all sprints/all jumps/all throws, etc.), and walks away NCAA DI National Champions… Not that crazy, actually. Because it may happen this season with the Georgia women and Oregon men. Confused? Read on..

Most everybody knows that the Men of Oregon have 13 entries in the NCAA, second to No. 1 Florida’s 14. And five of those entries come from the 3000m, with three in the mile and 5k, and a potential DMR championship team.
** It must be noted that Duck Greg Skipper is the No. 9 seed in the weight throw, so Oregon isn’t exactly entirely all distance. For the purpose of this article just go with it. **
Basically, Oregon could walk away National Champions just from scoring points in four distance events.

What Oregon is on the men’s side, the same could be said for the Georgia women.

The University of Georgia is the No. 2-ranked women’s team in the NCAA, according to USTFCCCA’s most recent rankings (Note: USTFCCCA will be releasing their last set of rankings next week based on NCAA entries). Georgia has eight entries, much less than No. 1 Arkansas’ 15 entries.

However, the Bulldogs are only taking seven ladies to Fayetteville, and they’re all competing in field events. Headlined by last year’s champion pentathlete Kendell Williams, six other ladies will attempt to jump their way to a national championship.

The University of Oregon women won five indoor championships in a row, where their depth ranged from the 60m, to the DMR to the long jump. Last year was the closest any team came to the Ducks, as they were being chased by Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Texas A&M:
Oregon 44
Texas 43.5
Florida 40.5
Georgia 40.5
Texas A&M 35

This year, the Georgia women could match, or increase, their point total with just seven different individuals.

Pentathlon
Kendell Williams, No. 1
Season Best: 4609
2014 NCAA Champion
Quintunya Chapman, No. 7
Season Best: 4257
2014 NCAA Championships, 12th place

High Jump
Leontia Kallenou, No. 1
Season Best: 1.90m
2014 NCAA Champion
Tatiana Gusin, No. 3
Season Best: 1.87m

Pole Vault
Morgann Leleux, No. 6
Season Best: 4.37m
*All Time Best: 4.50m

Triple Jump
Keturah Orji, No. 1
Season Best: 13.98m

Long Jump
Keturah Orji, No. 5
Season Best: 6.45m
Chanice Porter, No. 13
Season Best: 6.33m
2014 NCAA Runner-Up
**All Time Best: 6.53m

*Leleux’s personal best comes from 2013 at the Razorback Invite. Though Demi Payne and Sandi Morris are basically untouchable, coming close to 4.50m would set her up nicely for third-place. She has suffered several injuries since then, but being back in Fayetteville could work in Leleux’s favor at the championships.

**Porter has only jumped twice this season, and her mark stands from the Tyson Invite. However, she’s got the credentials to jump into the top eight. Jump, get it.

With the Bulldogs of Georgia winning in the field, the Oregon men could walk away with the team title across just four, maybe five, events.

Like I said up there, three entries in the mile, five entries in the 3000m (Tied with 2003 Arkansas men 5000m entries, the most entries in a single event by a men’s team, Thank you USTFCCCA!), and three in the 5000m, plus a top DMR squad, make these Ducks dangerous.

Mile
Edward Cheserek, No. 2
Season Best: 3:56.43
Johnny Gregorek, No. 7
Season Best: 3:57.47
2014 NCAA Championships, 6th place
Daniel Winn, No. 8
Season Best: 3:57.62

3000m
Eric Jenkins, No. 1
Season Best: 7:44.91
***2013 NCAA Championships DQ… (but really finished 2nd, read more here)
Will Geoghegan, No. 2
Season Best: 7:45.71
Jeramy Elkaim, No. 4
Season Best: 7:48.48
Edward Cheserek, No. 6
Season Best: 7:49.56
2014 NCAA Champion
Parker Stinson, No. 13
Season Best: 7:52.21
2014 NCAA Championships, 11th

5000m
Eric Jenkins, No. 1
Season Best: 13:31.76
Parker Stinson, No. 2
Season Best: 13:38.68
2014 NCAA Championships, 3rd
Will Geoghegan, No. 8
Season Best: 13:43.22

Their distance medley relay ran an NCAA all-time No. 2 mark (though on a 300m track), with Ches, Gregorak and Jenkins on the distance legs. So the question of who will make the squad is up in the air. Their seed-time of 9:32.61 lists Gregorek, freshman Niki Franzmair, and Ches, though the Ducks could switch up their options if desired. One thing is for certain, even with/without Skipper scoring in the weight throw, Oregon could win their second consecutive indoor championship with just four events.

Though competing in two entirely different spectrums, Georgia and Oregon have a lot in common. Both are ranked second in the NCAA and both could walk away champions. So, is it really true that gone are the days where you need people scoring points across different event groups? Stay tuned, it'll be fun to find out!