EUGENE, Ore. – On a rainy Friday at Hayward Field, the Ducks’ track and field team posted seven wins during the Oregon Twilight. Led by Jaida Ross’ lifetime best in the discus, the Ducks combined for four personal bests and three season bests in the regular-season finale.
Ross was joined on the UO winner’s list by Benjamin Balazs (steeplechase), Melissa Berry (1500 meters), Dalia Frias (5,000), Ella Nelson (800), Isabella Nilsen (pole vault) and Colleen Uzoekwe (shot put).
One week after tying her own collegiate record in the shot put, Ross delivered a personal-best mark in the discus Friday evening. The Medford, Ore., native recorded a measure of 58.53m/192-0 on her first attempt, adding nine inches to her already-No. 3 spot on the UO top-10 list. Based on throws entering the weekend, Ross moves up to 11th in the NCAA this season.
Berry secured the Ducks’ first win of the day with her victory in the collegiate section of the 1500. The Eugene native stopped the clock in a new lifetime best of 4:22.50 while leading a 1-2-3 UO finish with Samantha McDonnell and Katie Clute, respectively.
Balazs took more than four seconds off his lifetime best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossing the finish line in 8:45.36 for the win. The time puts Balazs atop the Pac-12 performance list this season and replaces his previous best of 8:49.64 from last year’s USATF U20 Championships.
In the invitational section of the 1500 meters, Maddy Elmore was the top collegian in 4:11.05, good for second overall. She doubled back roughly 30 minutes later to help pace the 5,000 meters won by Dalia Frias in 15:56.33 in her outdoor debut. The time puts her inside the top 35 in the west region based on times entering the day.
Nelson shook off a trip during the final lap to post a winning time of 2:07.35 in the 800, finishing ahead of teammate Mia Barnett (2:07.83).
Nilsen and Uzoekwe navigated wet conditions to get wins in the pole vault and shot put, respectively. In the pole vault, Nilsen had a day’s best clearance of 3.78m/12-4.75 on her way to a fourth victory during the outdoor season. Uzoekwe, in a final tune-up before the Pac-12 heptathlon, threw 14.09m/46-2.75 to top the field in the shot put.
Stepping down from his usual two lapper, Matthew Erickson knocked more than a second off his 400-meter PB with Friday’s 47.66 showing. The UO junior entered the Twilight meet with a previous best of 48.89 from last season’s OSU High Performance. Erickson will carry a season-best 800 time of 1:47.87 into the postseason.
Fellow middle-distance standout James Harding lowered his season best to 1:48.74 and was runner-up in the invitational section of the 800 meters. Prior to Friday, he’d run a time of 1:49.56 at Bryan Clay in early April. He joins Erickson and Elliott Cook as the third UO man with a sub-1:49 this outdoor season.
Devin Hart closed out the night with a third-place finish in the 5,000 meters. In his first home race as a Duck, Hart clocked in at 13:47.56 to secure a top-40 region mark. Friday was Hart’s third since joining the program in late March.
Notable: Freshman Kobe Lawrence, competing unattached, posted a lifetime best of 20.07m/65-10.25 to win the shot put. Also competing unattached, Ryann Porter won the triple jump with a day’s best of 12.40m/40-8.25, more than two feet clear of the field. Due to the wet conditions, the men’s pole vault was cancelled before completing its third height of jumps.
Up Next: The postseason begins with the 2024 Pac-12 Championships (May 10-12) in Boulder, Colo., at Potts Field. After the conference weekend, the top 48 declared athletes—and 24 relays—in each region qualify for the NCAA East and West Preliminary (May 22-25) meets. In just over a month, the collegiate season comes to a head at the 2024 NCAA Championships (June 5-8) in Eugene at Hayward Field.
Friday Results
Oregon Twilight (Eugene, Ore.)
MEN
100 Meters
6. Caleb Hagan – 10.76
200 Meters
14. Fuad Omer – 22.59 (-0.4)
15. Kojo Manu – 22.62 (-0.4)
400 Meters
2. Matthew Erickson – 47.66 (PB)
8. Fuad Omer – 49.92
800 Meters – invite
2. James Harding – 1:48.74 (SB)
–. Matthew Erickson – DNF
McChesney 1500 Meters
3. Tomas Palfrey – 3:42.63
9. Luke Affolder – 3:50.81
–. Rheinhardt Harrison – DNF
–. Elliott Cook – DNF
1500 Meters
2. Giuliano Scasso – 3:51.96 (SB)
5,000 Meters
3. Devin Hart – 13:47.56
–. Aiden Smith – DNF
–. Izaiah Steury – DNF
3,000m Steeplechase
1. Benjamin Balazs – 8:45.36 (PB)
Long Jump
–. Travion Phillips – DNS
WOMEN
1. Ella Nelson – 2:07.35
2. Mia Barnett – 2:07.83
6. Samantha McDonnell – 2:11.99
1500 Meters – invite
2. Maddy Elmore – 4:11.05
1. Melissa Berry – 4:22.50 (PB)
2. Samantha McDonnell – 4:26.53 (SB)
3. Katie Clute – 4:27.07
–. Allura Markow – DNF
1. Dalia Frias – 15:56.33
2. Maddy Elmore – 15:56.94
3. Melissa Berry – 16:47.83
High Jump
–. Cheyla Scott – DNS
Pole Vault
1. Isabella Nilsen – 3.78m/12-4.75
–. Emily Fitzsimmons – NH
Shot Put
1. Colleen Uzoekwe – 14.09m/46-2.75
5. Taylor Chocek – 12.39m/40-7.75
Discus
1. Jaida Ross – 58.53m/192-0 (PB) [No. 3 UO*]
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