- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,526
- Reaction score
- 59
The Ducks remain the dominant track and field program in the Big Ten Conference.
They now have two sets of triple crown trophies to prove it.
The Oregon men and women wrapped up team titles May 17 during the final day of the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet at Nebraska Outdoor Track in Lincoln.
With their victories, both teams completed the triple crown of winning conference championships in cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track during the same academic year.
The last time that happened came in 1996-97 by the Wisconsin men’s and women’s teams.
For the Oregon men, it was actually their fifth straight Big Ten title starting with a win at the 2025 indoor meet. It was the women’s fifth conference title as well, as they won 2024 cross-country and 2025 indoor crowns, with only a second-place finish at the 2025 outdoor meet keeping them from a perfect record in the Ducks’ two years in the Big Ten.
“Super proud of the group,” Oregon coach Jerry Schumacher said. “I feel like we’re building this program and this team into exactly what I hoped and thought we could be. We’re finding the type of kids that want to be here, and they want to do exactly what they’re doing.”
With a final day for the ages.
The Ducks had 19 points through the first two days of the three-day meet and trailed Illinois by 54 points.
But on her first attempt in the first event on Sunday, Oregon newcomer Sharifa Davronova recorded a mark of 46 feet, 4¼ inches in the triple jump to break the school and meet record.
And just like that, the Ducks were off and running.
Davronova, a sophomore from Uzbekistan who was making her Oregon debut, won the event and Cassandra Atkins was third in 44-4¼.
Those 16 points were the first of what would become a 91-point day for the Ducks as they soared to the top of the leaderboard. They finished with 110 points, comfortably ahead of second-place Illinois (92) and third-place Washington (88).
“I was up pretty late (Saturday) going through everything … and it didn’t look great, certainly on paper,” Schumacher said. “But there was definitely a path to getting there, and we got that message to every athlete on the women’s team this morning.”
The victory wasn’t secure until the penultimate event of the meet when Dalia Frias won the women’s 5,000 meters in 16 minutes, 58.74 seconds in what was a 24-point finish for the Ducks as Silan Ayyildiz was third in 17:00.55, Diana Cherotich fourth in 17:01.10, Anika Thompson seventh in 17:06.78 and Juliet Cherubet eighth in 17:09.13.
“We told them it was going to come down to the 5K and you’re going to have to deliver,” Schumacher said. “It’s an opportunity to really step up and pull this thing together. … They were focused when they stepped to the line and I just knew it. I was like, they’re gonna deliver.”
In between the wins by Davronova and Frias, the Ducks finished first in three other events.
Cherubet took the 1,500 title in 4:16.53 and freshman Marie Josee Bovele Linaka threw a personal-record 193-7 on her second attempt to win the discus.
Then there was Aaliyah McCormick, who won the 100 hurdles in a wind-aided (+4.9) 12.43 to earn her second straight Big Ten title. Micaela De Mello was also third in 12.63.
“Aaliyah just doesn’t flinch,” Schumacher said. “When it comes to competing, she’s steady and always there.”
There was no flinching for the Ducks as a team, either.
"It was just a monster day," Schumacher said.
By having no missteps.
The Ducks came into the meet as the favorite, and led at the end of all three days, finishing with 121 points – 40 more then Minnesota and Nebraska, who tied for second with 81 each.
The men also won five events and had runner-up finishes in four others. They scored 10 or more points in six events, including 20 in the 10,000 and 18 in the javelin.
“We approached this like a business trip,” Schumacher said. “I said, we’ll control this meet if each person comes in and does their job. We can win as a team, we will win as a team, you just gotta do your job. We don’t want this to be a roller coaster the whole time.”
It never was.
Luke Tewalt won the 10,000 on Friday and Benjamin Balazs won his second straight 3,000 steeplechase title on Saturday.
Oregon continued its distance dominance on Sunday, with wins by Simeon Birnbaum in the 1,500 and Tayson Echohawk in the 5,000.
Birnbaum finished in 4:00.98 after what was a slow, tactical race as the runners fought through a tough wind on the backstretch.
Echohawk won his race in 14:08.84. Evan Burke was fifth in 14:11.71. Evan Bishop seventh in 14:12.66.
While the 5,000 was being contested on the track, Benjamin Smith was on the infield wrapping up one of the best shot put series ever by a Duck.
The freshman won with a mark of 68-6 – No. 3 all-time at Oregon – to cap a series that saw him throw 66-0½, then 66-3¾, then 67-5½ until he nailed his winner on his fifth attempt. Teammate Kobe Lawrence was fourth at 64-6.
“That was really special to watch,” Schumacher said.
Oregon’s second-place finishers included the men’s 4x100 relay as the team of Kai Graves-Blanks, PJ Ize-Iyamu, Grant Valley and Jaelon Barbarin broke their own school record with a time of 38.47.
Graves-Blanks was also the runner-up in 110 hurdles in a wind-aided (+4.5) 13.30, and Ize-Iyamu was second in the 100 in a wind-aided (+5.6) 9.80.
“Just left and right we were doing exactly what I hoped we would,” Schumacher said. “And that’s the sign of a really good team. They’re in control and still come out and do exactly what you’re supposed to do. They didn’t let up.”
The NCAA West First Round meet will take place May 27-30 in Fayatteville, Arkansas.
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at [email protected] and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks track teams make history with rare Big Ten triple crown
Continue reading...
They now have two sets of triple crown trophies to prove it.
The Oregon men and women wrapped up team titles May 17 during the final day of the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet at Nebraska Outdoor Track in Lincoln.
With their victories, both teams completed the triple crown of winning conference championships in cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track during the same academic year.
The last time that happened came in 1996-97 by the Wisconsin men’s and women’s teams.
For the Oregon men, it was actually their fifth straight Big Ten title starting with a win at the 2025 indoor meet. It was the women’s fifth conference title as well, as they won 2024 cross-country and 2025 indoor crowns, with only a second-place finish at the 2025 outdoor meet keeping them from a perfect record in the Ducks’ two years in the Big Ten.
“Super proud of the group,” Oregon coach Jerry Schumacher said. “I feel like we’re building this program and this team into exactly what I hoped and thought we could be. We’re finding the type of kids that want to be here, and they want to do exactly what they’re doing.”
You must be registered for see images attach
How did the Oregon women win the Big Ten outdoor championship?
With a final day for the ages.
The Ducks had 19 points through the first two days of the three-day meet and trailed Illinois by 54 points.
But on her first attempt in the first event on Sunday, Oregon newcomer Sharifa Davronova recorded a mark of 46 feet, 4¼ inches in the triple jump to break the school and meet record.
And just like that, the Ducks were off and running.
Davronova, a sophomore from Uzbekistan who was making her Oregon debut, won the event and Cassandra Atkins was third in 44-4¼.
Those 16 points were the first of what would become a 91-point day for the Ducks as they soared to the top of the leaderboard. They finished with 110 points, comfortably ahead of second-place Illinois (92) and third-place Washington (88).
You must be registered for see images attach
“I was up pretty late (Saturday) going through everything … and it didn’t look great, certainly on paper,” Schumacher said. “But there was definitely a path to getting there, and we got that message to every athlete on the women’s team this morning.”
The victory wasn’t secure until the penultimate event of the meet when Dalia Frias won the women’s 5,000 meters in 16 minutes, 58.74 seconds in what was a 24-point finish for the Ducks as Silan Ayyildiz was third in 17:00.55, Diana Cherotich fourth in 17:01.10, Anika Thompson seventh in 17:06.78 and Juliet Cherubet eighth in 17:09.13.
“We told them it was going to come down to the 5K and you’re going to have to deliver,” Schumacher said. “It’s an opportunity to really step up and pull this thing together. … They were focused when they stepped to the line and I just knew it. I was like, they’re gonna deliver.”
In between the wins by Davronova and Frias, the Ducks finished first in three other events.
Cherubet took the 1,500 title in 4:16.53 and freshman Marie Josee Bovele Linaka threw a personal-record 193-7 on her second attempt to win the discus.
Then there was Aaliyah McCormick, who won the 100 hurdles in a wind-aided (+4.9) 12.43 to earn her second straight Big Ten title. Micaela De Mello was also third in 12.63.
“Aaliyah just doesn’t flinch,” Schumacher said. “When it comes to competing, she’s steady and always there.”
There was no flinching for the Ducks as a team, either.
"It was just a monster day," Schumacher said.
How did the Oregon men win the Big Ten outdoor championship?
By having no missteps.
The Ducks came into the meet as the favorite, and led at the end of all three days, finishing with 121 points – 40 more then Minnesota and Nebraska, who tied for second with 81 each.
The men also won five events and had runner-up finishes in four others. They scored 10 or more points in six events, including 20 in the 10,000 and 18 in the javelin.
“We approached this like a business trip,” Schumacher said. “I said, we’ll control this meet if each person comes in and does their job. We can win as a team, we will win as a team, you just gotta do your job. We don’t want this to be a roller coaster the whole time.”
It never was.
You must be registered for see images attach
Luke Tewalt won the 10,000 on Friday and Benjamin Balazs won his second straight 3,000 steeplechase title on Saturday.
Oregon continued its distance dominance on Sunday, with wins by Simeon Birnbaum in the 1,500 and Tayson Echohawk in the 5,000.
Birnbaum finished in 4:00.98 after what was a slow, tactical race as the runners fought through a tough wind on the backstretch.
Echohawk won his race in 14:08.84. Evan Burke was fifth in 14:11.71. Evan Bishop seventh in 14:12.66.
While the 5,000 was being contested on the track, Benjamin Smith was on the infield wrapping up one of the best shot put series ever by a Duck.
The freshman won with a mark of 68-6 – No. 3 all-time at Oregon – to cap a series that saw him throw 66-0½, then 66-3¾, then 67-5½ until he nailed his winner on his fifth attempt. Teammate Kobe Lawrence was fourth at 64-6.
“That was really special to watch,” Schumacher said.
Oregon’s second-place finishers included the men’s 4x100 relay as the team of Kai Graves-Blanks, PJ Ize-Iyamu, Grant Valley and Jaelon Barbarin broke their own school record with a time of 38.47.
Graves-Blanks was also the runner-up in 110 hurdles in a wind-aided (+4.5) 13.30, and Ize-Iyamu was second in the 100 in a wind-aided (+5.6) 9.80.
“Just left and right we were doing exactly what I hoped we would,” Schumacher said. “And that’s the sign of a really good team. They’re in control and still come out and do exactly what you’re supposed to do. They didn’t let up.”
You must be registered for see images attach
What's next for the Oregon Ducks?
The NCAA West First Round meet will take place May 27-30 in Fayatteville, Arkansas.
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at [email protected] and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks track teams make history with rare Big Ten triple crown
Continue reading...
