EUGENE, Ore. – On the opening day of a split weekend, Klaudia Kazimierska broke the Oregon school record in the mile and Jadyn Mays turned in a top-10 national performance in the 200 meters. Oregon has its distance crew at the Eagle Elite Invitational in Boston and its sprinters, jumpers and throwers at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.
Kazimierska just out-leaned Şilan Ayyildiz for the top spot in the UO record book, crossing in 4:30.33 compared to the 4:30.38 for the Ducks’ newcomer. Both dipped below the previous school record of 4:31.03 set by Jessica Hull in 2019, and finished second and third in the race, respectively. Based on times entering the weekend, Kazimierska and Ayyildiz move into the top 10 in the NCAA this season.
The Women of Oregon secured another top-10 national performance from Mays in the 200 meters. Making up the stagger quickly during the one-lap sprint, Mays tied her indoor best of 22.58 in victory Friday evening. For national qualifying purposes, the time adjusts to 22.65 due to the Albuquerque altitude which puts Mays fourth on the season performance list based on times entering the day.
Collectively, the UO women placed four in the top six and five in the top 11 of the mile. Also in that opening section, Dalia Frias finished in 4:34.26 to take more than three ticks off her previous best. Returning from the 800 earlier in the day, Mia Barnett ran a season-best time of 4:35.03 for first in section two and sixth overall.
Ella Nelson tallied her second lifetime best of the day with a 4:38.08 mile performance. She was ninth among collegians and 11th overall. In her first race of the day, Nelson ran 2:04.02 in the 800 meters to regain a spot on the top-10 list. The Walla Walla, Wash., native now sits eighth on the UO all-time list.
Barnett clocked a personal best of her own—2:04.87—in the 800 meters. The Oregon pair was fourth and ninth, respectively, in the four-lap event.
Aiden Smith led the Ducks’ efforts in the men’s mile in 4:02.50. He was followed by a trio of personal bests by Benjamin Balazs (4:02.69), Sergio Del Barrio (4:02.84) and Izaiah Steury (4:04.48). Friday was Smith’s first collegiate mile race.
With their respective efforts, Ayyildiz and Del Barrio improved upon their own national records. The senior indoor mile record in Turkey for Ayyildiz and the U20 mark in Spain for Del Barrio.
The Ducks started the day in Boston with a top-10 program performance by Anika Thompson at 5,000 meters. The Junction City, Ore., native crossed the finish line in 15:52.19, good for third in the race and the No. 8 performance in program history. Thompson’s previous best in the event (16:46.28) was from an outdoor effort in 2022.
Mason Strunk, in a top-10 outing of his own, surpassed 21 meters for the first time in his career and finished third in the weight throw Friday evening in Albuquerque. The Salem, Ore., native recorded a lifetime best of 21.28m/69-9 to improve on his No. 2 position in UO history. Strunk entered the meet with a best of 20.84m/68-4.5 from the 2022 season.
Strunk’s first two attempts of the day ended up beyond 21 meters.
In the men’s 800, Matthew Erickson finished fourth with a time of 1:48.48 to lead a trio of top-15 UO finishes. Redshirt freshman James Harding posted a time of 1:48.68 to lower his indoor best and New Zealand national record; he was seventh. Tomas Palfrey finished in 1:49.53, good for 15th in the event.
The Ducks placed its top four runners inside the top 15 of the women’s 200 meters at the Don Kirby Invitational. In addition to Mays’ showing, Shaniya Hall was eighth overall in a lifetime best of 23.65 followed by teammates Alexa Rossum (23.89) and Shana Grebo (23.92) in 12th and 13th, respectively.
Notable: Cheyla Scott finished third in the high jump (1.71m/5-7.25) in her UO debut…in ‘B’ sections of the pole vault, Hunter Angove and Isabella Nilsen finished tied for third and fifth, respectively…Angove posted a season-best 4.97m/16-3.5 clearance…the schedule for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 5-8) at Hayward Field was announced Friday morning.
Up Next: Competition at the Eagle Elite Invitational resumes Saturday at 8 a.m. (PT) with the DMR. In Albuquerque, running events—and the FloTrack stream—begin at 8:30 a.m. (PT) with heats of the 60-meter hurdles.
Full Team Results
Don Kirby Invitational | Albuquerque, N.M.
MEN
Pole Vault ‘B’
T3. Hunter Angove – 4.97m/16-3.5 (SB)
T10. Arthur Katahdin – 4.82m/15-9.75
–. Rafael Raap – NH
High Jump
T9. Jack Normand – 2.02m/6-7.5
T9. Osawese Agbonkonkon – 2.02m/6-7.5
Long Jump
28. Travion Phillips – 7.01m/23-0
33. Rafael Raap – 6.92m/22-8.5
Weight Throw
3. Mason Strunk – 21.28m/69-9 (PB) [No. 2 UO^]
WOMEN
200 Meters, invitational
1. Jadyn Mays – 22.58 (=PB) [=No. 4 UO^]
8. Shaniya Hall – 23.65 (PB)
12. Alexa Rossum – 23.89 (SB)
13. Shana Grebo – 23.92 (=PB)
23. Lily Jones – 24.40 (PB)
29. Brazil Neal – 24.86
3. Cheyla Scott – 1.71m/5-7.25
T21. Colleen Uzoekwe – 1.61m/5-3.25
5. Isabella Nilsen – 3.83m/12-6.75
16. Annika Williams – 5.99m/19-8 (SB)
30. Gianna Bullock – 5.74m/18-10 (PB)
Eagle Elite Invitational | Boston, Mass.
800 Meters
4. Matthew Erickson – 1:48.48
7. James Harding – 1:48.68 (PB)
15. Tomas Palfrey – 1:49.53
Mile
13. Aiden Smith – 4:02.50
15. Benjamin Balazs – 4:02.69 (PB)
16. Sergio Del Barrio – 4:02.84 (PB)
19. Izaiah Steury – 4:04.48 (PB)
4. Ella Nelson – 2:04.02 (PB) [No. 8 UO]
9. Mia Barnett – 2:04.87 (PB)
2. Klaudia Kazimierska – 4:30.33 (PB) [No. 1 UO]
3. Şilan Ayyildiz – 4:30.38 (PB) [No. 2 UO]
5. Dalia Frias – 4:34.26 (PB)
6. Mia Barnett – 4:35.03 (SB)
11. Ella Nelson – 4:38.08 (PB)
5,000 Meters
3. Anika Thompson – 15:52.19 (PB) [No. 8 UO]
^ – already holds that spot; improved mark
