For the decade of the ‘00s there were no scorers in the women’s 200 going into the 2009 season.  After freshman Amber Purvis broke the school record with a time of 23.09, she took the early (as of the April 4^th Pepsi Team Invitational) collegiate lead.  Hopes were high for a Pac-10 champion and NCAA scorer.  In her next , the Mt SAC relays, she pulled junior teammate Keshia Baker (24.31 personal record at the 2008 Mt SAC meet) to a huge personal record in her victory 23.69 to 23.84.  That was Purvis’ last 200 meter race until the US junior championships where she finished fourth in a wind-aided time of 23.42.   

            Baker was fourth at the indoor championships 200 meters in a time of 24.44.  She finished fifth in the Pac-10 championships in 23.70 and ran a wind-aided 23.53 in the preliminary rounds.  Sofie Abildrup focused on the 400 while at Oregon but did set the Danish 200 and 400 meter national records while competing at Oregon.  She ran 23.93 in 2004 and is ranked ninth all-time among Ducks.  Sophomore White just missed the 2009 Pac-10 200 final for the second straight year but ran a wind legal 24.26 in the preliminary round for a new personal best.

Top 200 meter/mile runners of the ‘00s (fastest outdoor and indoor times, UO ranking, all-American (a-a) awards in event and years of career)         

1.      Amber Purvis, 23.09, SR, 24.15i SR, fourth 2009 US junior, a-a in indoor DMR, ’09-

2.      Keshia Baker, 23.70, #4 UO a-t, 24.44i #4 UO a-t, 5^th 2009 Pac-10, 4^th 2009 MPSF, 400 meter a-a, ’07-

3.      Sofie Abildrup, 23.93, #9 UO a-t, 24.39i #2 UO a-t, ’04-‘05

4.      Mandy White, 24.26, 24.62i, #5 UO a-t, ’08-

Top athletes of other decades (top time, UO ranking, all-American (a-a) awards in event and years of career)

            90s – LaReina Woods, 23.84, #6 UO a-t, 24.41i #3 UO a-t, top 3 in Pac-10 ’92, ’93, ’95, a-a in 4x400, ’92, ’93, ’95, ‘96

            80s – Rosie Williams, 23.39, #2 UO a-t, ’89-‘91

            70s – Melanie Batiste, 23.66, #3 UO a-t, 6^th ’81 AIAW (pre-cursor to NCAA) and 3 times 4x400/mile relay top 3 in AIAW, ’78-‘81

            Oregon has earned one all-American award (Batiste).