Jordan Hasay runs 5,000 for the first time on a track during freshman debut at Hayward Field

Jordan Hasay took a victory lap and got a second standing ovation from the crowd after her first appearance in a Ducks uniform at Hayward Field Saturday.

The novelty of seeing an Oregon women’s team demonstrate power in the sprints during several showdowns with Texas A&M was impressive.

But the Eugene fans have a fondness for distance running, and in Hasay they saw the arrival of the school’s next big star.

So really, it was more like 12 1/2 victory laps.

“It’s such an honor to be a Duck,” Hasay said. “This crowd is amazing and NCAAs (here) are going to be awesome.”

Hasay ran 16:16.02 in her first 5,000 on a track. She said she got little help from her teammates while trying to figure out what to expect from her first try at the event that may become a big part of her future.

“Everyone said you’ve just got to go through it,” Hasay said.

Teammate Lauren Zaludek paced Hasay through the first mile and by them time Zaludek stepped off the track, Hasay led by more than 100 meters. From that point on, Hasay was on her own.

“It was tough for me,” Hasay said. “I didn’t really have a great time out there.”

Hasay admitted to some nerves before the race, although they weren’t really evident.

A week after running 4:14.67 for 1,500 meters, she had higher expectations for her 5K debut.

“I tried to stick to solid pacing but I kind of slowed down,” she said. “The crowd was really great and hopefully I’ll put on a better show for them next time.”

Hasay said she would probably run the 5,000 at least one more time this season, hopefully in a setting where she is running in a more competitive race.

“I run faster when I’m with other people,” she said. “I’ll  have a lot better mental picture for next time.”

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