Oregon track and field recruiting has become a powerful juggernaut and it is not just the distances in which the Ducks excel anymore. For their Class of 2017, Robert Johnson and the Ducks signed Clear Falls, Texas speedster Rocky Rainey who will make the move from the Lone Star State to the Pacific Northwest, bringing with him some blazing times in the 100 and 200 meter events.
Duck Sports Authority caught up with the two-sport athlete to get some insights into his decision to attend college in Eugene, Oregon.
courtesy Rocky Rainey
“It came down to USC, A&M and Oregon,” recalled Rainey. “Those were my top three schools. Oregon, they are just known for track. I knew that if I wanted to further my track career, that was the place to go.”
For the Class of 2017, Rainey was the only sprinter signed by the Ducks. Looking at his trajectory of times it is easy to see why every track team in the country wanted him. Rainey recently set new personal bests for himself in both sprints.
“My PR for the 100 is 10.25 and the 200 is 21.15,” said Rainey. “This was my first year running the 200 but I think it will be my best event going forward. It has both top speed and endurance which are my strengths. My start always suffers so I’m at the back of the pack working my way up. So in the 200 you just have more time for speed.”
How fast are those times in context? Thomas Tyner ran a 10.35 seconds 100m for an Oregon State high school record in 2013. The California State HS record set in 1985 is 10.25.
That kind of speed can get some football coaches drooling. Particularly when you couple it with very good wide receiver size like Rainey’s 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. Unfortunately, a fractured navicular suffered in the spring of 2016 resulted in him missing his senior year of football.
Now that he is fully healed, he is considering trying out for Oregon football at some point in his college career.
“I am still making up my mind if I want to play football,” admitted Rainey. “I would say it is 50/50 right now. I have not spoken to the coaches about football yet. I would want to play the same position I played in high school, wideout. I like to use my speed to get around the corner.
“But this past year really boosted my confidence as a sprinter so I chose to go straight track for college and Oregon was the place that.”
Rainey took a big risk when he committed to the Ducks. That is because he had never been to Eugene before. All that will change very soon.
“I plan on coming up there in the next month for like a week-long visit,” said Rainey. “The weather will be a big change from Texas but it looks like a beautiful place. I am excited to move there.”
And there are a lot of coaches and fans who are excited for him to get here.
