Ross, McClain Highlight Day One in Stanford

Friday, March 31

Stanford, CA

University of Oregon

Stanford Invitational

Jaida Ross, shot put - USATF Championships

03/31/23 | Track and Field

Jaida Ross led a 1-2 UO finish in the shot put; set to also compete in the discus Saturday.

STANFORD, Calif. – Jaida Ross picked up a win in the shot put Friday at the Stanford Invitational while sophomore Harper McClain added her name to the UO top-10 list in the steeplechase. Collectively, the Ducks ended the weekend with three season-best efforts and four runner-up finishes.

In the invitational section of the event, Ross recorded a day's best of 17.29m/56-8.75 on her fourth spin around the ring. She led a 1-2 UO finish with sophomore Mine De Klerk (15.76m/51-8.5) in her first meet of the outdoor season. De Klerk went on to finish third in Saturday's discus with a best of 48.61m/159-5 on her final throw of the competition.

Harper, a finalist at last year's World U20 Championships in Colombia, clocked a new personal-best time of 10:15.82 to knock more than four seconds off her previous best. She owned a PB of 10:20.21 entering the meet. With her showing, McClain becomes the No. 10 performer in UO history in the steeplechase. She finished fifth in section two of the event Friday evening.

In the invitational section of the women's hammer, Shelby Moran finished in second place. She trailed through the first four rounds but took a brief lead with a heave of 63.38m/207-11 on her fifth attempt. However, Chloe Lindeman of Wisconsin answered immediately and reclaimed the top spot with a toss just seven inches past Moran's best of the day.

After running a 2,000-meter version of the steeplechase at the Oregon Preview two weeks ago, Giuliano Scasso and Vincent Mestler ran the first full steeple of their careers Friday. Scasso (9:02.26) was third in section four and was followed by Mestler (9:04.80) in fourth place. In his first collegiate steeple since the 2019 season, Alex Slenning posted a time of 9:00.80 in section two of the event.

In Saturday's first result, Mason Strunk produced a season-best mark of 63.94m/209-9 to finish second in the invitational section of the men's hammer. He had opened the year with a toss of 62.91m/206-5 at the Oregon Preview (March 18).

Notable: Riley Traeger produced a season best of 40.06m/131-5 in the javelin; finished in sixth…Kohana Nakato (46.02m/151-0) was the runner-up in the invitational section of the javelin…season-best time of 3:51.72 for Luke Affolder over 1500 meters…Moran (48.15m/158-0) finished fifth in Saturday's discus.

FRIDAY RESULTS
Stanford Invitational (Stanford, Calif.)
MEN
1500 Meters – Section 5
4. Luke Affolder – 3:51.72 (SB)

3,000m Steeplechase – Section 2
11. Alex Slenning – 9:00.80

3,000m Steeplechase – Section 4
3. Giuliano Scasso – 9:02.26
4. Vincent Mestler – 9:04.80

WOMEN
3,000m Steeplechase – Section 1
7. Malia Pivec – 10:09.73

3,000m Steeplechase – Section 2
5. Harper McClain – 10:15.82 (PB) [No. 10 UO]

Shot Put – Invitational
1. Jaida Ross – 17.29m/56-8.75
2. Mine De Klerk – 15.76m/51-8.5

Hammer – Invitational
2. Shelby Moran – 63.38m/207-11

Javelin – invitational
2. Kohana Nakato – 46.02m/151-0
4. Josephine Krohn – 43.05m/141-3
6. Riley Traeger – 40.06m/131-5 (SB)

SATURDAY RESULTS
Stanford Invitational (Stanford, Calif.)
MEN
Hammer
2. Mason Strunk – 63.94m/209-9 (SB)

WOMEN
Discus
3. Mine De Klerk – 48.61m/159-5
5. Shelby Moran – 48.15m/158-0

Up Next: The outdoor campaign continues with three meets next weekend beginning Thursday at the Brutus Hamilton Mutlis in Berkeley, Calif. The Ducks will also have entries at the Triton Invitational (La Jolla, Calif.) and Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational (McMinnville, Ore.)

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