NCAA TRACK & FIELD
SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026
BEST MOMENTS OF OREGON TRACK & FIELD
Looking back at some of the top track and field performances from Oregon athletes this season.
By Joe Krasnowski & Henry Light Sports Editors
Welcome to Hayward Field, Duck fans. Thank you for supporting The Daily Emerald. As we transition into our 2026-27 sports desk, we are excited to bring you more of the best sports coverage the University of Oregon has to offer, and we’re thrilled to do it again at Hayward Field for the final time this season. Welcome to Eugene, and thank you for supporting student journalism.
In this edition, you’ll find stories about the history of Hayward Field, plus how the Ducks’ dominant cross country and indoor
track and field seasons came to be. We’ve got a recap of the Nike Outdoor Nationals — everything you need to know about some of the top performers this weekend at the Prefontaine Classic — and lastly, a recap of some of the best moments from Oregon athletes this season at Hayward. We hope that you’re able to enjoy Eugene as much as we do. Covering every sport is a privilege as student journalists, but doing so in and around the sport the University is world-famous for is even more so. On behalf of our sports desk, our design and editorial teams, our photographers and everyone at The Daily Emerald, thank you for reading. Welcome to TrackTown, USA!
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(ON THE COVER, TOP LEFT) Aaliyah McCormick of Oregon celebrates after winning the women’s 100m hurdles final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Eugene, Ore. McCormick placed first with a time of 12.81 seconds. (Max Unkrich/Emerald)
(ON THE COVER, CENTER) Oregon distance runner Simeon Birnbaum celebrates after both winning the men’s 1500m invite race and setting a new collegiate record. The University of Oregon Ducks host the second day of the Oregon Team Invitational, on April 18, 2026, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
(ON THE COVER, TOP RIGHT) Oregon thrower Ben Smith throws during shotput. On April 18, 2026 the University of Oregon hosted the Oregon Team Invitational at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
(Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)
(ON THE COVER, BOTTOM LEFT)
University of Oregon sprinter Kai Graves-Blanks is in full stride as starter leg for the 4x100m final. The NCAA Track and Field Championships took place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 10-13, 2026.
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
(ON THE COVER, BOTTOM RIGHT)
University of Oregon triple jumper Tre Betts leaps in his final jump, securing fourth place in the final. The NCAA Track and Field Championships took place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 10-13, 2026.
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
(RIGHT) Oregon jumper Toby Stolberg leaps over the highjump to win the event. Oregon track and field competed at the Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward field in Eugene, Ore. on May 8, 2026.
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
10,000-year-old sandals from Oregon’s Fort Rock Cave Walk east on 15th until you see the mammoths!
Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday
Until 8:00 on Thursday
General admission: $7 $14 for families (up to two adults and four children)
107 YEARS OF HAYWARD MAGIC
By Jack Lazarus Outgoing Sports Editor
Taking up much of the University of Oregon campus’s eastern border, Hayward Field proves an architectural marvel and a site of some of the track and field world’s most important events in recent history.
Classified as one of the three Class 1 facilities by World Athletics, Hayward is one of the most impressive venues in all of track and field and will play host to a plethora of events this summer, including some of the NCAA’s best, the best high school level athletes from around the country and the Prefontaine Classic, which brings the top-tier athletes to Eugene for competition.
The place didn’t start with fireworks and the eyes of the world, however.
Bill Hayward initially had no clue that Oregon’s brand-new football stadium at the time would be named after him. Oregon’s track and field coach and trainer for the football team remained in the locker room during the halftime ceremony that saw the soon-to-be hallowed grounds take on his namesake in 1919.
The stadium only served as a venue for football games in the opening two years, with Hayward Field’s historic track only installed in 1921.
The football team played its final game at Hayward in 1966 before moving to Autzen Stadium the next year.
What to know about the country’s most historic track and field venue.
The school began renovations to make Hayward Field a track-specific venue just three years later, which included adding an all-weather surface and widening the track to eight lanes instead of the original six.
It was these renovations that gave Hayward its renowned nickname as the “world’s fastest track,” largely due to a Pro-Turf track design that used a mixture of sand and urethane.
They also led to Hayward being selected to host the U.S. Olympic Trials for the first time in 1972, which saw legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine qualify for his first and only Olympic Games. Since then, Eugene hosted the Olympic Trials a total of eight times, including the most recent one in 2024.
In 1987, Hayward made the switch to the metric system of measurement as well as the internationally accepted configuration of the track, which had shorter straights and longer turns. This meant that the infield also needed to expand, which used a different form of Pro-Turf.
The constant investment into Hayward Field in its early days thrust it into the upper echelons of track and field venues around the world, but the stadium didn’t become the true spectacle it is today until the newest changes finished in 2020.
Starting in 2018, Oregon demolished both of the original grandstands and created a brand new stadium-style concourse that surrounds all but one turn on the track. The Ducks also added a stateof-the-art underground training facility, which in turn helped guarantee the success of the track and field programs.
Due to the harsh nature of the weather in Oregon, being able to train at consistent conditions year-round has made the men’s and women’s programs into two of the most successful in the NCAA.
In 2022, Hayward’s new and improved look led to it being selected as the venue for that year’s World Athletics Championships, which was the first time the event was ever held in the United States.
This summer, Hayward’s history, tradition and magic will be in full force as generations of the track and field world make their mark.
(LEFT) The Oregon Ducks host day one of the Oregon Team Invitational at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on April 17, 2026.
(Owen Burriss/Emerald)
(RIGHT) Oregon distance runner Simeon Birnbaum leads the pack in the McChesney invite 1500m. Oregon track and field competes at the Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on May. 8, 2026.
(Rowan Campbell/Emerald)
CROSS COUNTRY, INDOOR BIG TEN SWEEPS FUEL OREGON TRACK AND FIELD’S
SEASON SO FAR
The Ducks have been dominant on the conference level in 2025-26. The next step must come at the national meets.
By Owen Murray Outgoing Sports Associate Editor
Before a Duck touched the outdoor track in 2026, Oregon track and field had already manufactured a successful campaign. Sweeps of both the Big Ten cross country and indoor team titles gave way to four topfive finishes at the NCAA meets, including a pair of runner-up spots in indoor. Their roster is littered with All-Americans ahead of an outdoor season that will see them host the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field. The Daily Emerald recaps Oregon’s 2025-26 season so far:
In cross country, Abdel Laadjel was named the Big Ten Men’s Athlete of the Year as he romped to an individual win at the conference meet in 23:11.60 over 8K and finished ninth individually at NCAAs. Aiden Smith (No. 25) and Simeon Birnbaum (No. 33) also finished in the top 50 before the national meet, where Oregon finished fifth in its best-ever performance.
The Women of Oregon were led through a third-place finish at nationals by All-Americans Silan Ayyildiz (18:57.90 over 6K, ninth at NCAAs) and Diana Cherotich (No. 31). With her win at the conference meet, where Oregon won the team title with a conference-record-low 18 points, Ayyildiz went back-toback as the Women’s Athlete of the Year.
Cherotich was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in her first fall season as a Duck.
“Honestly, it’s pretty crazy, because when I first came to Oregon, we weren’t very good,” Big Ten coach of the year Shalane Flanagan told LetsRun. “We’re solid, and the fact that the men’s and women’s programs are pretty sad right now about a third and a fifth (place) means we’re in a good place, clearly.”
On the short track, Oregon now owns all four available conference titles since the Ducks
joined the conference after sweeping the Big Ten meet in Indianapolis. Birnbaum, a junior, won both the 3000m and 5000m races to buoy the men’s win alongside a shot put silver medal from indoor Big Ten Men’s Freshman of the Year Ben Smith.
Ayyildiz doubled up, too, with conference victories in both the mile and 5000m. Aaliyah McCormick, the reigning 100m hurdles outdoor national champion, set a 7.89-second meet record in her 60m hurdles win, and Juliet Cherubet won the 3000m.
Wilma Nielsen, the second-place miler at Big Tens, turned in a 4:40.06 race at the NCAA meet to take her second-straight national title and was named the conference’s Indoor Athlete of the Year. McCormick won the 60m hurdles race in 7.86 seconds, lowering her personal-best again, and Ayyildiz finished top-13 in both the mile and 3000m. The Ducks’ distance medley relay also won the title, featuring Ayyildiz, Cherubet and Lakey Doht-Barron, and Indoor Freshman of the Year Liisa-Maria Lusti won the pentathlon with 4,498 points.
Mississippi State University transfer Peyton Bair won the indoor heptathlon with an Oregon-record 6,503 points. His mark broke Ashton Eaton’s national-title-winning score from 2010. Aiden Carter also scored a personal best, Oregon No. 5 all-time 5,908 points to finish ninth. Smith and Kobe Lawrence finished fourth and second, respectively, in the shot put while Birnbaum (second) and Benjamin Balazs (sixth) scored in the 3000m.
Since heading outside, Oregon’s season has been highlighted by Birnbaum’s NCAA-record 1500m finish at the Team Invitational in April and the DMR win he anchored at Penn Relays. Four Ducks ran a men’s school-record 38.59-second 4x100m at the Desert Heat Classic on May 2 ahead of this week’s Oregon Twilight meet.
BEST MOMENTS FROM HAYWARD FIELD IN 2026
Looking back at some of the top track and field performances from Oregon athletes.
By Max Koebel Senior Sports Writer
As the outdoor track and field season comes to a close, the Oregon Ducks saw another historic season in TrackTown, USA, with athletes on both the men’s and women’s sides putting up records. The Daily Emerald has compiled a list recapping the top five moments from Oregon athletes this season at Hayward Field.
when he shot his first put 19.52m. His winning shot put placed 10 points on the board for the Ducks.
1 2 3 4
Redshirt freshman Ben Smith made a name for himself in the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a record-breaking performance in the shot put. His third put went 21.04m, which was not only a personal best, but was the longest put by any Oregon athlete since 1982, when Dean Crouser put 21.07m. Crouser holds the all-time record for Oregon shot put,
On the women’s side, senior Aaliyah McCormick claimed her second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 100m hurdles. She was the first woman in Oregon history to do it last year and has now done it twice outdoors and once indoors. McCormick’s time of 12.47 seconds put 10 points on the board for Oregon, which finished the day with 36 points and qualified for fourth place.
On April 18, the second day of the Oregon Team Invitational, sophomore distance runner Simeon Birnbaum broke the all-time collegiate record for the 1500m with a time of 3:31.69. The previous re cord was set just over a year earlier by Liam nova University,
who finished the event in 3:33.02. Birnbaum’s time also qualified for third place among all track athletes worldwide in 2026. His record-breaking performance contributed to a 12-win day for the Ducks and seven top-10 program marks.
Birnbaum also had a standout performance in the NCAA Outdoor Championships when he claimed the 1500m title. He finished in 3:36.05, which was slightly slower than his historic time in April, but still enough to claim the 1500m national title. Birnbaum jumped ahead from the very start and held about a 20-meter lead entering the final lap. His performance was good for 10 points for the Ducks, who finished the day with 40 points and claimed fifth place.
Bovele-Linaka earned first place when she put up a season-high performance of 58.10m, which is the fourth-best performance by a female athlete in the event in Oregon history. Just behind her was Alicia Khunou, who threw 54.78m. In fourth place was Taylor Wiseman with a 49.95m throw to round out three Ducks in the top five.
(LEFT) Aaliyah McCormick of Oregon celebrates after winning the women’s 100m hurdles final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Eugene, Ore. McCormick placed first with a time of 12.81 seconds. (Max Unkrich/Emerald)
(RIGHT) University of Oregon distance runner Simeon Birnbaum celebrates the win after he crosses the finish line winning the men’s 1500m final. The NCAA Track and Field Championships took place June 10–13, 2026,
FAMILIAR FACES HEADLINE PREFONTAINE CLASSIC LINEUP
The 2026 Prefontaine Classic is stacked with World No. 1 athletes and Oregon Ducks.
By Henry Light Sports Associate Editor
Top-ranked athletes will grab attention in nearly every event at the Prefontaine Classic on July 3 and 4, while current and former Oregon Ducks will prompt louder cheers from the hometown crowd during introductions for several events.
Jessica Hull — Women’s Mile
Jessica Hull should draw extra attention in Eugene as the only Oregon alum currently ranked first in the world. The 2018 NCAA 1500m champion in green and yellow has continued excelling in those colors in international competition, taking silver for Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She returns to her former home track in a crowded field to compete in the women’s mile with world No. 2 Faith Kipyegon and No. 3 Nikki Hiltz, but Hull will seek her first Diamond League win at Hayward as the top-ranked athlete in her event.
Yared Nuguse — Bowerman Mile
Paris Olympics bronze medalist Yared Nuguse enters the prestigious 1600m event as the world No. 1, headlining a stacked field. Nuguse has already taken home two Diamond League 1500m wins in 2026 and enters the Bowerman Mile seeking his first at Hayward.
The men’s 1600m field includes the past and present of
Oregon’s track and field program. Olympic gold medalist and current world No. 23 Cole Hocker represents the past, while recent NCAA 1500m record breaker Simeon Birnbaum represents the present.
Masai Russell — Women’s 100-meter Hurdles
Several of Russell’s career highlights have taken place at Hayward Field, with the current world No.1 collecting 100m hurdle wins at the 2024 US Olympic Trials and 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The reigning Olympic gold medalist in the event has started the 2026 Diamond League season hot, picking up victories on May 17 and 23 in China.
World No. 3 Tobi Amusan will be Russell’s biggest test going into the event, having won in Russell’s absence on May 31 in Morocco. Russell holds an even flashier career highlight at Hayward Field, having set the 100m hurdles world record with a 12.12-second finish at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Keely Hodgkinson — Women’s 800-meter
Hodgkinson began her Diamond League season with an 800m personal best of 1:54.93 on June 7 in Stockholm, but the career effort was only good for second place behind World No. 2 Audrey Werro. With Werro absent in Eugene, top-ranked Hodgkinson headlines the 800m.
In her last appearance at Hayward, Hodgkinson won the 800m race at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, soon before she took home the 800m gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Hodgkinson has already shown career-best form early in the 2026 season, and she’ll build on it in a place where she’s seen success.
Cooper Lutkenhaus — Men’s 800-meter
A relatively thin men’s 800m field in terms of world rankings will still be worthy of attention, with 17-year-old rising star Cooper Lutkenhaus favored in the event as the World No. 4. Lutkenhaus has achieved a stellar start in the Diamond League season, taking home 800m victories in Stockholm on June 7 (1:42.70) and Oslo on June 10 (1:42.08). A win at the Prefontaine Classic would be the first of Lutkenhaus’s young career at Hayward, a venue where he is set to run many more races in the future.
OTHER FORMER DUCKS COMPETING:
Elliott Cook ‘26 — Mile men, World No. 80
Jaida Ross ‘25 — Shot put women, World No. 6
Jenna Prandini ‘16 — 100m women, World No. 54
Raevyn Rogers ‘18 — 800m women, World No. 22
Jorinde van Klinken ‘23 — Discus women, World No. 2, Shot put women, World No. 13
Fans begin to gather in the upper sections before the Prefontaine Classic begins. The Prefontaine Classic was held at Hayward Field on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
FOUR DUCKS ATTEND NIKE OUTDOOR NATIONALS
Incoming freshmen Juan Gonzalez, Bodey Lutes, Greyson Glivinski and Loren Webster competed for Oregon at the competition.
By Rowan Shea Sports Writer
The Nike Outdoor Nationals and the USATF U20 Championships culminated last month at Hayward Field. The five-day event spanned from June 18 through June 22, consisting of young athletes from middle school and high school as well as college-aged athletes, competing for their state, their college, or as "unattached."
The meet featured competitors representing 46 states. Texas finished the competition with 267.75 points, the most of any team competing. California finished in second with 232, followed by Washington (152), Oregon (139) and Georgia (102).
Juan Gonzalez was the highest-scoring Oregon runner to compete over the weekend. Gonzalez, a freshman cross country runner from Fremont, Nebraska, finished first in the U20 Men 5000m with a time of 14:13.06, a mere 0.09 ahead of Michigan’s Jack Bidwell. Gonzalez was slated to run the U20 Men's 3000m, but did not start.
Bodey Lutes was the last track athlete for Oregon. Lutes competed at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in 2025 before attending Oregon and finished runner-up in the 800m, which was his high school best at 1:47.74, placing him No. 6 in the nation’s top high school times in the event. This time around at the competition, Lutes did not finish the U20 800m event, which was the only event Lutes competed in during the competition.
Greyson Glivinski, a freshman javelin thrower out of Silverton, Oregon, and Loren Webster, a freshman from Long Beach, California, represented Oregon in the field events. Both Glivinski and Webster, like Lutes, competed in the previous Nike Outdoor Nationals.
In Glivinski's previous Nike Outdoor Nationals in 2025, she finished in the top 15 in her event. This year, Glivinski finished third in the javelin event with a 52.19m throw.
Webster was back at the Nike Outdoor Nationals for her third time. She competed in the long jump event in both the 2024 and 2025 editions of the event, the most appearances in the competition out of anyone Oregon sent. Webster did well in 2024, finishing third, and in 2025, finishing in fourth place.
This year, she finished much lower than she had in previous years, with a 14th-place finish, having foul-outs on her first two jumps.
While not every Oregon athlete broke personal records, they can use the Nike Outdoor Nationals as a starting point for their first collegiate season.
Oregon thrower Greyson Glivinski warms up before the javelin. The University of Oregon Ducks hosted the first day of the Oregon Team Invitational, on April 17, 2025, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
