UO release – FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Continuing its incredible start to the 2021 indoor season, the Oregon track and field team added another collegiate record to its list of accomplishments Friday at the Tyson Invitational. Senior standout Cooper Teare dropped the blazing time of 3:50.39 to smash the NCAA and school record in the mile and become the seventh-fastest performer in world history. Collectively, the Ducks recorded three wins, five top-10 performances and 12 personal bests on day one of the meet. The Tyson Invitational continues Saturday at 10 a.m. (PT) with the men’s triple jump and women’s high jump. Running events begin at 11 a.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+. With their performances, both Teare and sophomore Cole Hocker (3:50.55) clocked in under the previous NCAA record of 3:52.01 set by 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek in 2017. Hocker checks in at No. 8 on the all-time world list. Charlie Hunter, third in the race, added another top-tier showing with his time of 3:53.49 which lowered his own Australian national record in the indoor mile. He now owns the sixth- and seventh-fastest mile times in NCAA history. Friday’s race was organized to include a 1,500-meter clock which could be used for Olympic Trials qualifying. The trio finished with splits of 3:35.46 for Teare, 3:35.63 for Hocker and 3:36.94 for Hunter. The Women of Oregon’s distance crew made an impressive track debut Friday, turning in a time of 10:56.79 in the DMR. The quartet of Aneta Konieczek, Megan Bolton, Mia Morck and Hannah Reinhardt combined to post the No. 7 mark in UO history, and based on times entering the weekend, that time ranks second in the NCAA this season. All four members are scheduled to compete Saturday in individual events: Konieczek (mile), Bolton (200 meters), Morck (800 meters) and Reinhardt (5,000 meters). The Ducks closed out the day with Micah Williams and Kemba Nelson sweeping the 60-meter titles for the second time this season. Williams stopped the clock in 6.60 while teammate Gaston Bouchereau crossed in 6.69 to finish in fifth place. The Women of Oregon advanced three to the finals with Nelson (7.24) leading a 1-4-7 showing for the Ducks with Brianna Duncan (7.30) and Jadyn Mays (7.40), respectively. Mays qualified for the final with a PR of 7.39 in her first race of the day. Junior Emily Sloan faced a loaded field in the 60-meter hurdles and came away with a new personal best of 8.15 to finish third overall. She entered the season with a PR of 8.18 from last season, and has already dipped below that three times this year. Sloan continues to hold the No. 3 spot on the UO top-10 list in the event. In the women’s weight throw, freshmen Ellie Akough (17.21m/56-5.75) and Christalee Kirby (16.95m/55-7.5) finished third and fourth, respectively, with fellow freshman Jaida Ross (15.83m/51-11.25) rounding out the UO trio in seventh place. All three added at least a foot to their bests from the Razorback Invitational two weeks ago. Having completed his first collegiate heptathlon two weeks prior, freshman Jett Kinder posted a pair of season-best marks in the 60-meter hurdles (9.03) and long jump (6.88m/22-7). He is scheduled to compete in the high jump and shot put Saturday. The Ducks added another personal best from Jared Briere (17.26m/56-7.5) in the weight throw.
UO Indoor Track – Day 2
UO release – FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Charlie Hunter broke an 11-year-old school record on his way to an NCAA-leading effort at 800 meters Saturday at the Tyson Invitational. He was joined in the winner’s circle by Oregon teammates Hannah Reinhardt and Emmanuel Ihemeje. Additionally, the Ducks finished the day with five top-10 program marks and 17 personal bests. Less than 24 hours after his 3:53 outing in the mile, Hunter stopped the clock in 1:45.59 to win the 800 meters. The time makes Hunter the fifth-fastest performer in collegiate history and marks his second Australian national record in as many days. He lowered his own mile record to 3:53.49 with his run Friday evening. Hunter broke the long-standing UO record of 1:46.36 set by Andrew Wheating in 2010. Along with Hunter’s time, Saturday’s race produced the No. 5 and 7 performers in school history with Luis Peralta and Cole Hocker, respectively. Peralta ran 1:47.61 to lower his own PR and Dominican Republic national record in the event, while Hocker tallied a time of 1:48.44 in his first collegiate 800-meter race. Cooper Teare and Reed Brown also dipped below 1:50 with their times of 1:49.29 and 1:49.47, respectively, while Angus Folmli clocked in at 1:51.48 which established a new personal best. Teare (3:50.39) and Hocker (3:50.55) were also part of Friday night’s historic mile at the Tyson Invitational. Reinhardt capped her productive weekend by winning the 5,000 meters in 16:01.67, taking more than 14 seconds off her previous indoor best in the event. The Oregon newcomer currently sits at No. 14 on the NCAA descending-order list. In the women’s mile, Aneta Konieczek tallied a huge personal best of 4:35.88 to move to No. 10 on the program’s all-time list. She entered the weekend with a PR of 4:48.23 from a season ago. Konieczek finished in sixth place in Saturday’s mile, and with the performance, now ranks eighth in the NCAA this season. The Women of Oregon got another top-15 national time from Mia Morck at 800 meters in her individual debut for the Ducks. She ran a personal best of 2:06.06—No. 13 in the NCAA—to finish in fourth overall. Right behind her in fifth place was Carly Kleefeld in 2:07.94, a personal best of her own. She started the day with 2:09.52 as an indoor best. Multi-event standout Mathilde Rey (2:13.25) knocked more than four seconds off her PR in winning the first section of Saturday’s final. Konieczek, Morck and Reinhardt were all part of the Ducks’ distance-medley relay that clocked a time of 10:56.79 on day one of the Tyson Invitational. That mark ranks No. 2 in the NCAA. Redshirt freshman Emmanuel Ihemeje opened the day with a win in the triple jump, his second victory in as many competitions. The Bergamo, Italy, native led from the opening round (16.26m/53-4.25) and extended his lead on a jump of 16.35m/53-7.75 in the third round. That mark stood up through the final, allowing Ihemeje to pass on his last three jumps. Along with his school record (16.41m/53-10.25) from the season opener, Ihemeje owns the two best jumps in program history. Xavier Nairne moved to No. 9 on the Ducks’ 200-meter top 10 with his time of 21.14 on Saturday. He previously sat at 10th with his 21.25 from the Razorback Invitational earlier this season. Jacoby McNamara lowered his PR from 21.86 to 21.23 in his season debut. Freshman Evan Holland joined the Ducks’ sub-4:00 mile list, leaning at the tape for a 3:59.95 to dip below the mystical barrier. With the result, he becomes the fifth Oregon runner below four minutes this season. Overall, Holland is the 26th man in program history to join the indoor sub-4:00 list. In the women’s 200 meters, freshman Jadyn Mays was the team’s top performer at 23.76 that represents a new best. Fellow UO freshmen Jaida Ross and Ellie Akough recorded PRs in the shot put with Ross finishing in sixth at 14.48/47-6.25, moving to within a foot of the program’s top-10 list.
