Oregon Ducks Set to Host First of Six Home Meets 

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Bobby Goddin photo

Outdoor track and field makes its return to TrackTown, USA, this weekend as the University of Oregon is set to host its first meet at Hayward Field this year as part of a very busy 2025 schedule set to commence. 

The Oregon Preview will be the first of six collegiate meets hosted by the Ducks this outdoor season, including the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the crescendo to a busy spring.

The Ducks return home following a successful NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia where the women captured the team title for the first time since 2017 and eighth overall since winning their first one in 2010. The Oregon men came away with one individual win from Canadian Matthew Erickson in the men's 800 meters.

WATCH THE OREGON PREVIEW LIVE ON RUNNERSPACE+ THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

While most of national competitors won't be competing this weekend at the Oregon Preview, the Ducks will feature a handful of scorers from the Big Ten Indoor Championships making their outdoor season debuts.

Connor Burns, the Big Ten indoor 5,000 meters champion, will make his Oregon debut on the track after redshirting last season. The Ashland, Mo., native will contest the men's 1,500 meters along with Evan Dorenkamp, Tayson Echohawk, Benjamin Balazs and Evan Bishop. Balazs (fourth), Echohawk (fifth) and Bishop (ninth) ran in the 3,000 meter at Big Ten indoors.

Balazs will also race in the men's 2,000 meter steeplechase with teammate Sergio Del Barrio.

Kobe Lawrence, freshman from Kingston, Jamaica, is entered in both the men's shot put and discus, also making his outdoor debut for the Ducks. Lawrence was fourth in the shot put at Big Ten indoors. Oregon freshman Benjamin Smith, two-time Nike Outdoor Nationals champion from Hortonville, Wis., will throw in the shot put and discus, too, but competing unattached.

Aiden Elebettar, a UCLA transfer who finished 13th at NCAA outdoors in discus, will make his Oregon debut in the discus.

Safin Wills, fourth place in the men's long and triple jump at Big Ten indoors, will compete in both for Oregon. Wills jumped for Purdue last outdoor season.

Kyle Gibbs, fourth at Big Ten indoors in pole vault, is entered in the men's competition, making his outdoor debut for the Ducks after transferring from UC-San Diego.

Big Ten indoors fifth-place finishers Emily Fitzsimmons (pole vault) and Gianna Bullock (pentathlon) are the only Ducks scorers on the women's side competing. Fitzsimmons is entered in the women's pole vault, going against high schooler Addison Kleinke from nearby Churchill OR; Bullock, competing unattached, is in the 200 meters, the 100-meter hurdles and long jump competitions. 

Other noteworthy Oregon athletes competing are Katie Clute (women's 3,000 meter steeplechase), Nicole Humphries (women's 800 and 1,500 meter), Annika Williams (women's 100 hurdles, javelin) and Brazil Neal (women's 100 meters).

Former Oregon standout Shelby Moran headlines the women's hammer competition. Moran won the Pac-12 title in hammer last spring, going on to finish fourth at NCAA outdoors. High schooler Kimberly Beard of King's WA is entered, too.