This week, Eugene hosts the biggest college track and field meet of the year.
The NCAA Division I Championship meet spans four days, with men competing Wednesday and Friday, and women on Thursday and Saturday.
Although the Oregon women won this year’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, they come into this meet ranked 5th. The Duck's strongest event is the 1500 meter race, where Klaudia Kazimierska is seeded 6th, Silan Ayyildiz is seeded 7th, and Mia Barnett is seeded 21st of the 24 qualifiers.
At a Monday press conference in Eugene,100 meter hurdler Aaliyah McCormick said the home track will help Oregon.
“It’s such an advantage," she said. "I mean, the fans for me just do it all. Feeling them makes me want to run for them and makes me want to win.”
McCormick is seeded first in her race, and is one of 12 Duck women in nine events.
NCAA teams with multiple strong entries are in contention for the women's and men's team titles, which the Oregon women last won in 2017. The UO men last won the national outdoor track and field title in 2015.
This year, the men of Oregon aren’t ranked in the top 25 teams, but 800 meter qualifier Matthew Erickson said not to dismiss them.
“The Ducks just know how to step up when it counts," he said, noting that the men were not slated to win the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championship, but they did. "A sign of a great athlete is someone that knows how to bring their best performance on the biggest stage.”
The Oregon men have eight entries in the championships, including Simeon Birnbaum in the 1500 meter race and Benjamin Balasz in the 3K Steeplechase.
Oregon State doesn’t have a men’s program. Sara Sanders will represent the Beaver women, competing in the javelin on Thursday.
The men’s decathlon starts the competition Wednesday at noon. You can find more information, including the full schedule here.
Hayward Field will host more high-profile track and field events in the coming weeks. The USATF Under 20 Championships are next week, the Prefontaine Classic is July 5, and the USATF Outdoor National and Para National meet, which select teams for the Tokyo World Championships, starts July 31.
