The Oregon women have a tremendous history in the 1,500 meters/mile.  Like the men, Oregon has found there best runners in this state in the past.  Lately Oregon has found some great runners from California.  The most successful 1,500 meter runner of this decade came from the start of the decade, Katie Crabb.  As recruits go she wasn’t the biggest star that legendary former coach Tom Heinonen recruited but she was the most successful 1,500 meter runner of the decade.

            Crabb is the only two-time all-American among milers this decade.  She was seventh at the NCAA outdoor meet in 2000 and was ninth indoors in the mile the next year.  She is seventh all-time for Oregon in the mile (4:42.19) and fifth among indoor competitors.  Junior Alex Kosinski has won a few races and finished higher than her top competitor right now, Nicole Blood.  Last year Kosinski was third in the Pac-10 meet and sixth in the 2008 World Juniors.  She has made NCAA meets but not in the finals except for being the anchor (1,600 meters) for last year’s sixth place NCAA Distance Medley Relay indoors.

Top 1500 meter/mile runners of the ‘00s (top time, UO ranking, indoors, all-American awards in event and years of career)

1.                  Katie Crabb, 4:19.30, #14 UO a-t, 4:42.19i, #5 UO a-t, 7^th ’00 NCAA, 9^th ’01 NCAA indoors, 3^rd ’00 P-10, ’97-‘01

2.                  Alex Kosinski, 4:18.43, #10 UO a-t, 4:39.54mi, #2 UO a-t, 3x a-a (2 are XC, 1 is DMR), ’08-

3.                  Nicole Blood, 4:14.73, #4 UO a-t, 4:39.61mi, #3 UO a-t, 4^th ’09 and 6^th ’08 P-10, 7x a-a, no 1500/mile, ’07-

4.                  Amber McGown, 4:18.41, #9 UO a-t, 4:41.48mi, #5 UO a-t, ’06 NCAA finalist, 7^th DMR, 3^rd P-10, ‘06

5.                  Becca Noble, 4:17.43, #8 UO a-t, 4x a-a (all in 800), ’06-

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

90s - Erika Klein 4:21.96 ’93 NCAA, 3^rd ’93 NCAA, ’90-‘93

80s – Leann Warren – 4:05.88, UO SR, P-10 Record, 4:30.36m UO SR, 4:19.13i UO SR, 4:33.26mi UO SR, ’81 AIAW champion, ’82 NCAA champion, 3^rd ’85 NCAA, 10x a-a (8 on track), ’81 AIAW Athlete of the Year, ’80-’82, ‘85

            Claudette Groenendaal – 4:08.13 #3 UO a-t, #4 P-10 a-t, ’84 NCAA champion, 2^nd ’85, 5x a-a (2x 800), ’82-‘85

            Ranza Clark – 4:07.50 #2 UO a-t, #2 P-10 a-t, 4:42.8m, #8 UO a-t, 3x a-a, 2^nd ’83 1,500, 6^th ’84 1,500, 3x a-a (1x 800), ’84 Olympian (800 meters), ’81-‘84

Set 4x mile American world record with Kathy Hayes and Brenda Bushnell

            Oregon has had twelve all-Americans and three collegiate champions in this event.  Oregon won the three collegiate championships in four years from 1981 to 1984.  Oregon competitors have also run three of the Pac-10s four fastest times.