Walker's Pace: Johnson, Theisen, Earn USTFCCCA Honors

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Associate Head Coach Robert Johnson and senior Brianne Theisen earned some high national honors Wednesday from the USTFCCCA.

Theisen was named the national Women's Field Athlete of the Year, while Johnson was tabbed the Bev Kearney Award winner as the national Women's Head Coach of the Year.

(Complete release from the USTFCCCA).

Theisen, from Humboldt, Sask., capped off her indoor season with a third-straight NCAA crown in the pentathlon (4,536). Theisen joined Arizona State's Jacquelyn Johnson (2006-07-08) as the only three-time champions in the event. During the NCAA pentathlon competition, she broke her own school record in the 60 hurdles by running 8.25 seconds.

Earlier in the season at the Texas A&M Challenge in January, Theisen broke her own collegiate record in the event for the third time with a tally of 4,555. In that event's high jump portion, Theisen cleared 6-2 (1.88m) in the high jump  - also a school indoor record - and finished the season tied for second among all collegians with that mark. The 4,555 points broke the 30 year-old Canadian national record in the pentathlon.

At the MPSF Championships, Theisen performed in individual events, scoring 22 points with a victory in the 400 meters, a second-place in the 60 hurdles, and fifth-place showing in the long jump.

Now in his seventh season at Oregon, Johnson, helped guide Oregon to its third consecutive NCAA title. The Ducks scored 49 points to best the field by 19. Oregon joins LSU as the only teams to have won three of more consecutive national indoor crowns. Oregon now has the third-most women's NCAA indoor track & field titles in history (LSU, 11; Texas, 6).

Working in concert with Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna, Johnson's charges won individual titles in the 60 meters (English Gardner) and pentathlon (Theisen). The Ducks had seven scoring performances at the national meet among their 12 entries.

Oregon also leads the competition for the Terry Crawford Women's Program of the Year.

Through the cross country and indoor seasons, the Ducks have six points (low score wins).

Oregon has won the award for the past three school years and most recently won its third-straight NCAA indoor track & field crown last weekend in Nampa, Idaho. The Ducks placed fifth at the national championships in cross country this fall.

Iowa State sits second in the award's standings with a tally of 17 points (7 XC, 10 ITF). Georgetown, the reigning NCAA Cross Country Champions, is third overall in the standings (17½ points), adding a tied for 16th-place showing at the indoor championships.

Follow Oregon Track & Field on Twitter (@OregonTF).

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2011 Oregon Track & Field Multi-Media Guide.

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Greg Walker

Associate Director, Media Relations

University of Oregon

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