Oregon has had legendary competitors in the men’s 5,000 meters.  Ralph Hill in 1932 (second) , Bill Dellinger in 1956, Steve Prefontaine in 1972 (fourth) and Matt Centrowitz in 1982 all set American Records and were selected for Olympic teams (Centrowitz didn’t run due to the Olympic boycott of 1980). They dominated the event in the United States during their heydays.  In 2009 Galen Rupp set an American record indoors.

Rupp moved to another level in 2009.  In 2007 he ran-down five-time NCAA champion Chris Solinsky in the Oregon Twilight and seemed to move to another level of confidence.  He won the Duck’s second ever 5,000 meters/10,000 meters double at the Pac-10 meet and ran at the World Championships over 10,000 meters.  After leading the Duck men to their first NCAA cross country team championship in 20 years he redshirted  the 2008 track season and qualified for the Olympics. 

            Rupp won his first NCAA championships by taking the 2008 NCAA cross country (XC) crown and led Oregon to a second-consecutive NCAA team championship.  Indoors he set an American Indoor record for 5,000 meters (5k) at the Tyson Invitational by running 13:18.12.   Against tough competition he dominated the finish of the NCAA indoor 5,000 meter championship and outdoors he ran away from the competition.  Outdoors, Rupp had to run a 4:00 final 1,600 meters to out-run David McNeil of Northern Arizona the day after running a 1:59 final 800 meters to win the 10,000 meters.  Rupp finished the season with six NCAA titles, more than any competitor in NCAA history.

             Top 5,000 meters runners of the ‘00s (top time, UO ranking, indoors, all-American awards in event and years of career)

1.      Galen Rupp, 13:18.12i, #2 UO in/out, #7 a-t Pac-10, 13:18.12i, UO SR, ’09 NCAA champion, four-time a-a (14 total), ’05-’07, ‘09

2.      Eric Logsdon, 13:40.21, #10 UO a-t, 13:49.99i, #5 UO a-t, 7^th ’04 NCAA, five x a-a (three times at 5k), ’02-‘05

3.      Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, 13:36.25, #8 UO a-t, 13:41.66i, #3 UO a-t, 8^th ’09 NCAA, Pac-10 runner-up, 3x a-a (once in 5k), ’07-‘09

4.      Luke Puskedra, 13:46.52i, #4 UO a-t, 6^th ’09 NCAA indoor, 4x a-a (one in 5k), ’09-

5.      Ryan Andrus, 13:51.00i, #6 UO a-t, 7^th ’04 NCAA indoor, 2x a-a (1x 5k), ’02-‘04

            Top athletes of other decades (including other NCAA champions if there are more than one)

            ‘90s – Pat Haller, 13:45.9, 3^rd ’92 NCAA, 2x a-a (5x including 2 for XC), ’89-‘92

                       Steve Fein, 13:43.40, #12 UO a-t, 4x a-a (other events), ’99-‘00

‘80s – Bill McChesney, Jr, 13:14.80, SR, #4 a-t Pac-10, Third ’80 NCAA and fifth ’82 NCAA, ’80   Olympic Team member, two-time a-a (six including XC), ’78-’80, ‘82

Jim Hill, 13:30.52, #7 UO a-t, third ’84 NCAA and seventh ‘81, 2x a-a (five including two in XC), 2x P-10 1,500 champ, ’80-’82, ‘84

‘70s – Steve Prefontaine, 13:22.4, #5 UO a-t, ’70-’73 NCAA 3 mile/5k champ, 4x a-a (8x including 3 XC champs), fourth ’72 Olympics, 13 time US record setter (five times 3 mile/5k), three-time US champion, ’70-‘73

Paul Geis, 13:23.4, #6 UO a-t, ’74 3-mile NCAA champion, 2^nd ’75 3-mile, three x a-a (one in XC), ’75 Pac-8 champion, ’76 Olympic finalist, ’74-’75

Rudy Chapa, 13:19.22, #3 UO a-t, #8 a-t Pac-10,’78 NCAA champ, second ’79 NCAA, three x a-a (seven x a-a, four x XC a-a), ’77-’79, ‘81

Alberto Salazar, 13:22.31i, #4 UO a-t ind/out, #11 Pac-10 a-t, #2 UO a-t ind,’78 NCAA XC champion, ’81 Pac-10 champion, six time a-a (three in XC), ’80 (10k) and ’84 (marathon) Olympian, ’81 US 10k champion, ’83 World Championship (10k) competitor, ’82 and ’83 US Cross country champion, three-time US record setter, ’77-’79, ‘81

Oregon has 30 all-American awards and nine NCAA championships in the 5,000 meters/3-mile.