Aidan Elbettar, Ben Smith, Kobe Bryant Sweep Men's Discus; College of Idaho's Charlotte Bowman, Oregon's Jaelon Barbarin Win 100s; Johnan Corea of CWU Wins 800

By Lori Shontz for DyeStat

Kim Spir photo

RESULTS/VIDEOS

EUGENE – He’s been throwing for a number of years now, but somehow Oregon’s Aidan Elbettar had never before competed in the rain – until Saturday at the Hayward Preview.

He grew up in California, and he competed for four years at UCLA. “When it rains, too bad, it’s canceled,” he said.

So given the conditions and two other extenuating circumstances – it was the first meet of the season and his first competition in an Oregon uniform after transferring – he was fine with his series in the discus, which he won on his fourth throw of 187-1 (57.04m).

“I’ll take it,” he said. “I think overall I could have done a little better.”

Elbettar was a little more than two feet shy of cracking Oregon's all-time top 10 list. 

He finished ahead of two of his practice partners who are also adjusting to new circumstances. Ben Smith, who is redshirting his first season at Oregon and competed unattached, threw a personal best 182-2 (55.52m), and Kobe Lawrence, who is returning to the event after focusing on shot put, threw 176 feet (53.66m).

Smith, who also won the shot put with a throw of 62-3.75 (18.99m), is learning new technique and cues after being coached by his dad in high school, and he’s also working to put on weight and get stronger.

“You look at me out there – I’m shorter, a lot lighter than all of them,” said Smith, who won national titles at Hayward Field at Nike Outdoor Nationals. “This just gives me time to eat, get big, get fast, get strong – that’s really what the redshirt is for. I’m lucky that they host meets like this. I get to throw pretty close by and see where I’m at.”

Lawrence, who also finished second in the shot at 60-9.50 (18.53m), said Saturday was his first discus competition in two years. “I’m grateful for it,” he said. “I’m happy for the opportunity to be here. My goal is to be the best ever. I’m far off, but I’m working towards it.”

Elbettar, too, is adjusting to coaching from Brian Blutreich, who’s the reason he transferred to Oregon. One of the things he’s working on: Staying tall in the ring.

“I kind of shrink everything,” Elbettar said. “One of the cues he gave me today: ‘You’re throwing like you’re 5-2.’ I’m 6-8, so I can’t really throw like I’m ever short.”

College of Idaho sprinter Charlotte Bowman went into her fifth year with three goals: Break 12 seconds in the 100 meters, qualify for NAIA nationals in the 100 and 200, and help her team win a conference title.

Two weeks into the outdoor season, she already needs a new goal.

Bowman won the 100 meters Saturday, running 11.99 and getting a nice lean to nip Jada Hurley of Oregon State, who finished in 12.02.

She broke 12 seconds for the first time a week ago – running into a headwind, no less – and credited her strong start to a lot of technique work, specifically pushing out of the blocks and focusing on the transition phase, which she called “the funnest part of the workout. … When you hit transition, hit top speed, it’s the fastest point in the race, so it’s the most fun part.”

Bowman has completed two undergraduate degrees, one in history, one in exercise and sport science. She expected to like the nutrition part of her science degree the best, but she took biomechanics in her senior year and fell in love with it.

“I started to get really interested in the physics and the biomechanical part of track,” she said. “Learning about that and how force works, velocity, speed – it’s been very eye-opening, and it’s made me love the sport even more.”

Jaelon Barbarin’s first competition at Hayward Field turned out to be a good one, as he won the men’s 100 meters in 10.72 seconds, outleaning his Oregon teammate Andrew Walker, who finished with the same time. The difference was .003 seconds: 10.716 to 10.719.

“It was great,” Barbarin said. “It was raining and everything, but that’s Eugene. I love the track, I love the facility, I love the energy. Tracktown, USA. It’s a blessing.”

Barbarin was a two-sport athlete at Simi Valley, Calif., a three-star running back and wide receiver for the football team and a sprinter who ran 10.37 for the 100 as a junior.

He signed with Michigan State as a running back, and he carried one time for one yard as a true freshman. But he also got injured in that game; he fell, and in attempting to break the fall with his left arm, he snapped three bones in it. The injury ended his season.

After three surgeries on his arm, Barbarin said, he was unable to continue with football. He entered the transfer portal in spring 2024, and he turned his attention to track. He said the Ducks were one of three teams interested in him as a sprinter, and he was happy to come back to the West Coast and such a strong program.

He hadn’t run track in three years, so it’s been an adjustment. Football had “more physicality,” he said, and required more memorization – formations, plays, schemes. “With track, it’s more mental on your race and model form,” he said. “It’s more switching over to personal growth.”

Other male winners on the track were Madhvendra Shekhawat of Eastern Oregon in the 110 hurdles (14.08), London Kirk of Lewis-Clark (Idaho) in the 400 (48.59), Maurice Woodring of Western Washington in the 400 hurdles (52.45, a PR), Enoch Okoh of Eastern Washington in the 200 (21.57) and Johann Corea of Central Washington in the 800 (1:48.61, a PR).

Other female winners on the track were Allyson Hammond of Pacific (Oregon) in the 100 hurdles (14.17, a PR), Kennedy Cook of Western Washington in the 400 (55.61), Sydney Thweatt of Eastern Washington in the women’s 400 hurdles (1:02.95, a PR), Tori Forst of Portland State in the 200 (24.40, a PR) and Nicole Humphries of Oregon in the 800 (2:11.54),

The other male field event winners were Jesuye Doherty of Idaho in the long jump (23-8.75, 7.23m) and Kyle Gibbs of Oregon in the pole vault (17-4.50, 5.30m).

Female field event winners were high schooler Addison Kleinke, competing unattached, in the pole vault (13-0.75, 3.98m), Jayla Hooper of Oregon State in the discus (149-10, 45.67m), Destany Herbert of Northwest Nazarene in the shot put (48-9.50, 14.87, a PR) and Caitlin Simmons of Eastern Washington in the long jump (19-8.25, 6.00m).