Oregon closed out a high-impact weekend at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville with five event wins across two days and a steady stream of all-time marks that reshaped the program record book.
Day one set the tone right away. In her Oregon debut, newcomer Liisa-Maria Lusti won the pentathlon with 4,290 points, jumping to No. 2 on the Ducks’ all-time list. She also stacked three top-10 program performances on the day, highlighted by a 1.75m high jump and a 6.43m long jump. On the track, James
Harding led a dominant Men of Oregon showing in the 800 meters, winning with a lifetime-best 1:46.83 to move to No. 6 in school history. Oregon went 1-2-3 in the top section behind Harding, Elliott Cook (1:46.94) and Matthew Erickson (1:47.26), while Simeon Birnbaum and Cain Evans added section wins. Birnbaum’s 1:48.05 also pushed him into the No. 10 spot on Oregon’s all-time 800 list, reinforcing his rare résumé as one of only two Ducks to hold top-10 program marks in the 800, mile, and 3,000.
The multi-event group also made noise early. After four events, Peyton Bair and Aiden Carter sat 1-2 in the heptathlon with lifetime bests across the board, and Bair opened with a 6.71 in the 60 meters that ranks among the top performances in heptathlon history. Oregon’s field crew joined the surge as Tyler Burns cleared 5.40m in the pole vault to become the No. 7 indoor performer in program history, and freshman Loren Webster launched 6.20m in the long jump to slot in at No. 8 on Oregon’s indoor list.
Day two raised the ceiling even higher. Bair finished the heptathlon with 6,371 points, delivering one of the best combined-events performances in collegiate history. The total made him the No. 4 performer in NCAA history, and he climbed to No. 2 on Oregon’s all-time list—now trailing only Ashton Eaton. Carter completed Oregon’s 1-2 finish with a lifetime-best 5,790 points, moving from ninth to sixth in the Ducks’ record book.
Oregon added two more wins Saturday, and one came with a school record attached. Ben Smith broke the Oregon shot put record with a 19.82m throw in round five, edging past the previous mark of 19.81m set by teammate Kobe Lawrence two weeks earlier. Lawrence added more points for the Ducks with a third-place finish at 19.47m, and the pair continues to sit among the nation’s best early in the season. On the women’s side, Silan Ayyildiz delivered a headline performance in the mile, winning in an NCAA-leading 4:25.11 while breaking both the meet record and the Randal Tyson Track Center facility record. Paced by teammate Samantha McDonnell, Ayyildiz took control over the final 800, and Oregon made it a 1-2 finish with Juliet Cherubet second in a lifetime-best 4:32.03—also good for No. 8 in program history.
The men’s mile was just as sharp. Oregon produced five sub-4:00 performances, with Cook (3:53.57) and Tomas Palfrey (3:53.86) earning top-10 program times at No. 6 and No. 7 all-time, respectively. Harding doubled back from his 800 win to run 3:55.78, with Birnbaum close behind at 3:55.88, while Benjamin Balazs won his section in 3:57.75. In the hurdles, Kai Graves-Blanks continued his early-season momentum with a lifetime-best 7.69 in the 60-meter hurdles semifinals, tying for No. 4 on Oregon’s all-time list. Tre Betts joined the all-time movement in the triple jump, hitting 15.75m to move to No. 7 on the Oregon indoor list.
Oregon closed the weekend with another distance statement in the 3,000 meters. Diana Cherotich placed sixth overall and fourth among collegians in the top section with an 8:55.42, good for No. 5 in school history in her first indoor 3K. Cherubet came back after her mile runner-up to finish eighth in 8:58.12, giving Oregon two more quality finishes to punctuate a weekend that blended wins, records, and national-level performances.
Friday Results
MEN
200 Meters
25. Grant Valley – 21.34
40. Jaelon Barbarin – 21.92
800 Meters
1. James Harding – 1:46.83 (PB, UO #6)
2. Elliott Cook – 1:46.94
3. Matthew Erickson – 1:47.26
6. Simeon Birnbaum – 1:48.05 (PB, UO #10)
15. Cain Evans – 1:49.23
24. Ben Greene – 1:51.94
Pole Vault
2. Tyler Burns – 5.40m/17-8.5 (SB, UO #7)
Long Jump
15. Tre Betts – 6.83m/22-5
–. Titouan Bizet – NM
Heptathlon – Day 1
1. Peyton Bair – 3,581 points
1. 60 Meters – 6.71 (PB) [988 points]
1. Long Jump – 7.62m/25-0 (PB) [965]
1. Shot Put – 14.97m/49-1.5 (PB) [788]
1. High Jump – 2.04m/6-8.25 (PB) [840]
2. Aiden Carter – 3,279 points
5. 60 Meters – 6.99 (PB) [886 points]
2. Long Jump – 7.52m/24-8.25 (PB) [940]
6. Shot Put – 12.55m/41-2.25 (PB) [640]
3. High Jump – 2.01m/6-7 (=PB) [813]
WOMEN
200 Meters
28. Amirah Shaheed – 23.88 (SB)
47. Niya Clayton – 24.73
800 Meters
4. Samantha McDonnell – 2:06.97 (PB)
6. Allura Markow – 2:08.27
High Jump
7. Toby Stolberg – 1.75m/5-8.75 (=PB)
Pole Vault
3. Emily Fitzsimmons – 4.30m/14-1.25 (SB)
Long Jump
9. Loren Webster – 6.20m/20-4.25 (PB, UO #8)
17. Maleigha Canaday-Elliott – 5.74m/18-10 (PB)
18. Cassandra Atkins – 5.63m/18-5.75
Pentathlon
1. Liisa-Maria Lusti – 4,290 points [UO #2]
1. 60m Hurdles – 8.45 [1,028 points]
2. High Jump – 1.75m/5-8.75 (=UO #9) [916]
7. Shot Put – 11.81m/38-9 [649]
1. Long Jump – 6.43m/21-1.25 (UO #6) [985]
13. 800 Meters – 2:28.48 [712]
Saturday Results
MEN
60 Meters – semifinals
13. Grant Valley – 6.80 (=PB)
–. PJ Ize-Iyamu – DNS
60 Meters – prelims
13. PJ Ize-Iyamu – 6.71q (SB)
22. Grant Valley – 6.82q
35. Jaelon Barbarin – 6.95
400 Meters
35. Fuad Omer – 48.32 (SB)
Mile
2. Elliott Cook – 3:53.57 (PB, UO #6)
4. Tomas Palfrey – 3:53.86 (PB, UO #7)
6. James Harding – 3:55.78 (PB)
9. Simeon Birnbaum – 3:55.88
10. Benjamin Balazs – 3:57.75 (PB)
22. Cain Evans – 4:00.52 (PB)
36. Ben Greene – 4:08.76
–. Matthew Erickson – DNF (pacer)
3,000 Meters
10. Anthony Fast Horse – 7:55.71 (PB)
60m Hurdles – semifinals
9. Kai Graves-Blanks – 7.69 (PB, =UO #4)
60m Hurdles – prelims
10. Kai Graves-Blanks – 7.81q
Triple Jump
7. Tre Betts – 15.75m/51-8.25 (UO #6)
Shot Put
1. Ben Smith – 19.82m/65-0.5 (PB, UO #1)
3. Kobe Lawrence – 19.47m/63-10.5
Heptathlon – Day 2/Total
1. Peyton Bair – 6,371 points (PB, UO #2)
1. 60m Hurdles – 7.92 [1,002 pts]
T1. Pole Vault – 5.05m/16-6.75 (PB) [926]
3. 1,000 Meters – 2:41.02 (PB) [862]
2. Aiden Carter – 5,790 points (PB, UO #6)
3. 60m Hurdles – 8.10 [957 pts]
5. Pole Vault – 4.65m/15-3 [804]
7. 1,000 Meters – 2:51.52 [750]
WOMEN
60 Meters – prelims
27. Lily Jones – 7.49
28. Amirah Shaheed – 7.50
40. Niya Clayton – 7.64
400 Meters
38. Annaleise Taylor – 56.50
Mile
1. Silan Ayyildiz – 4:25.11 (FR, MR)
2. Juliet Cherubet – 4:32.03 (PB, UO #8)
37. Allura Markow – 5:01.19
–. Samantha McDonnell – DNF (pacer)
3,000 Meters
6. Diana Cherotich – 8:55.42 (UO #5)
8. Juliet Cherubet – 8:58.12
17. Katie Clute – 9:18.27 (SB)
60m Hurdles – final
4. Aaliyah McCormick – 8.08
60m Hurdles – semifinals
3. Aaliyah McCormick – 8.03Q (SB)
60m Hurdles – prelims
4. Aaliyah McCormick – 8.08Q
31. Annaleise Taylor – 8.73
Triple Jump
11. Cassandra Atkins – 12.81m/42-0.5
21. Maleigha Canaday-Elliott – 12.34m/40-6 (SB)
UP NEXT
The Ducks will send competitors to a host of events this week as they prepare for the BIG 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb 26-28 in Indianapolis, IN.
Jarvis Scott Invitational – Lubbock, TX. Feb 13-14.
David Hemery Valentine Invitational – Boston, MA. Feb 13
Tyson Invitational – Fayetteville, AR. Feb 13-14
