By Maverick Pallack
One of many former Ducks who returned to Hayward Field on Friday night, Jenna Prandini won the Oregon Twilight Meet 100-meter race with a time of 11.29 seconds, even though she did not come to Eugene to win.
In her post-Olympic training, Prandini has not been happy with her starts. After participating in the Mt. Sac relays, she returned to Eugene looking to improve on that aspect of her race rather than try for a personal best, like other runners.
“It’s never perfect, there is always things to fix, so that’s the good thing,” Prandini said.
Despite her start being off, she created a sizeable gap between herself and the rest of the runners. “If I get my start down and get that under control,” she said, “I am never worried about the end of my race.”
Prandini, representing Puma, edged Ashton Purvis, Whitney Rowe and former Duck Mandy White in front of the Oregon crowd, which was experiencing its first taste of top competition since the Olympic trials last summer.
This was Prandini’s first race at Hayward since her Olympic qualifying 200 meters, and she was happy to return. “I love running here,” she said. “It’s my favorite place to compete in the world. They obviously love their Ducks. Anytime I step on the track, I feel that home field advantage and Hayward Magic.”
This race had flavors of Oregon track past and present as White returned to Hayward Field with a fourth-place finish and a time of 11.94. Back in 2010, White, now representing Jordan Brand, became the first women’s 100-meter All-American in school history.
Prandini announced her excitement for the upcoming season of her alma mater: “Who doesn’t follow them? They’re definitely a talented team. They have a lot of really really talented and special runners. I think they are gonna shock a lot of people this year, and NCAA better watch out cause they are gonna run some pretty fast times.”
Coming off an NCAA indoor championship, the Ducks look to complete the sweep with the outdoors.
Prandini will race in the Guadalupe International Meeting on May 17, before she returns for the Prefontaine Classic, May 27 at Hayward Field.
