SEATTLE, Wash. – The Oregon track and field team won two events Friday at the MPSF Championships in Seattle. Coupled with distance performances at the BU Last Chance, the Ducks continued their push to ascend the NCAA qualifying list. Saturday’s schedule at the MPSF meet begins at 10 a.m. (PT).
Looking to secure a national spot in the DMR, the Women of Oregon posted the No. 5 time in the nation to cap day one of the MPSF Championships. The quartet of Susan Ejore, Gabby Beauvais, Taylor Chiotti and Carmela Cardama Baez combined for a time of 10:59.39, also good for the No. 9 time in UO history. The Ducks entered the race with a season best of 11:15.82 and ranked outside the national top 20.
Junior Rieker Daniel had the Ducks’ first MPSF win of the weekend, taking the top spot at 200 meters. He posted his second UO top-10 performance of the day with a personal-best time of 21.08, moving to No. 6 on the UO all-time list. Daniel entered the race with a previous best of 21.21 and having already qualified for the 60-meter final.
The day began with another round of stellar results from the men’s distance crew at the BU Last Chance meet in Boston. In winning the 800 meters, freshman Luis Peralta improved his season best to 1:48.10 and moved into the top 10 of the NCAA qualifying list. He was followed closely by redshirt senior James West in 1:48.67, more than a second faster than his previous best in the event.
With their respective efforts, the two Ducks now sit as the No. 5 and 6 performers on the program’s all-time list. Friday’s outing for West came less than 24 hours removed from running the fastest indoor 1,500 meters (3:36.93) in collegiate history.
The Men of Oregon followed with a trio of sub-4:00 mile performances, led by Charlie Hunter in 3:55.41 and Cooper Teare in 3:55.50 for a 1-2 UO finish. Based on times entering the day, Hunter and Teare rank second and third nationally which mirrors where they currently sit on the Oregon top-10 list. Freshman Cole Hocker (3:58.20) added his name to the UO sub-four list and now occupies a bubble spot for the national top-16 list that will advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Hocker is also now tied with Andrew Wheating as the 15th-fastest indoor mile performer in UO history.
Redshirt freshman Max Vollmer began his hunt for an NCAA-qualifying score in the heptathlon at the MPSF Championships. At the end of day one, he leads the competition with a score of 3,218 points. Vollmer established personal bests in the 60 meters (6.94) and shot put (14.90m/48-10.75), and tied his best with a clearance of 1.93m/6-4 in the high jump.
Day two of the heptathlon begins Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and features the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters. As of Friday, the No. 16 score in the country is 5,532 points.
The UO sprints crew advanced eight—four men, four women—to Saturday finals with one last chance to improve their times. In the 60 meters, Daniel and Oraine Palmer qualified for the men with Brianna Duncan and Danyel White moving on to the women’s final. Daniel (6.72) and White (7.47) each ran personal bests Friday; Daniel’s time moves him to No. 10 in school history.
The Ducks will have a similar split in the 60-meter hurdles with Jonathan Harvey and Justin Collins, and Emily Sloan and Rhesa Foster. Already the No. 3 national performer in the long jump, Foster established a new PR of 8.34 in the hurdle prelims. Her previous best of 8.39 dated back to the 2017 season.
Notable: Max Lydum became the No. 5 performer (19.29m/63-3.5) in UO history in the weight throw … finished fourth in the event … Women of Oregon post four additional top-five finishes … runner-up: Danyel White (200 meters), Alysah Hickey (long jump) … fourth place: Iman Brown (200 meters) … fifth place: Isabelle Brauer (5,000 meters).
