Oregon women win NCAA track title, complete triple crown

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Raevyn Rogers held off USC’s Kendall Ellis down the stretch of the 4×400-meter relay Saturday at Hayward Field, helping Oregon become the first-ever NCAA women’s program to win cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field titles in the same school year.

Rogers’ efforts in the final event of the meet gave the Ducks a 1.8-point win against Georgia. Oregon needed to win the 4×400 to claim the triple crown.

Rogers, the 800 winner a little more than an hour earlier, had a lead of just a few steps when she took the baton for the final relay leg. Ellis got even with her on the backstretch before Rogers found another gear.

“I was hoping they didn’t catch me because my legs were going all over the place,” Rogers said. “I was just trying to get to the finish line.”