
Women of Oregon Win Eighth NCAA Indoor Title
03/15/25 | Track and Field
The Ducks scored 47 of their 55 points on day two of the national meet.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Women of Oregon won their eighth indoor national title Saturday at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. Showing off their depth across event groups, the Ducks scored 55 points across six events during the two-day meet. The Oregon women have now won a combined 15 NCAA titles—eight indoor, four cross country and three outdoor.
The Ducks got a national title performance from Wilma Nielsen in the mile and runner-up finishes by Jadyn Mays in the 60 and 200 meters, Aaliyah McCormick in the 60 hurdles and Jaida Ross in the shot put. The NCAA team title is a first for head coach Jerry Schumacher at Oregon, and his third overall.
"Top to bottom, from the administration to the staff to the athletes, I couldn't be more proud of this team," Schumacher said following the meet. "They were fantastic. To overperform the form charts at the national championships is not easy to do, and they did that in every event. It was a special day for us, for sure."
Final Women's Standings (top 10)
1. OREGON – 55
2. Georgia – 39
3. USC – 35
T4. Oklahoma/Washington/Arkansas – 31
7. Texas A&M – 27
8. Illinois – 25.5
9. BYU – 24
10. Texas Tech – 21.5
On the men's side, Matthew Erickson became the third UO man to win an indoor national title in the 800 meters. The UO senior had moved into second by the bell lap and with just over 100 meters left, Erickson took the lead and began to pull away down the final stretch, crossing the line—arms spread wide—in 1:46.43.
Erickson, the Big Ten champion, was the 15th overall qualifier into the national meet but responded to join past UO standouts Elijah Greer (2013) and Charlie Hunter (2021) as indoor 800 meter champions.
The Ducks' scoring began with a runner-up finish by Ross in the shot put. On the final attempt wearing an Oregon kit, the Medford native moved from third to second with an indoor best of 18.98m/62-3.25 and secured eight points toward the team total. Ross mirrors her NCAA indoor finish from a season ago and with her final toss, strengthened her spot as the No. 10 indoor performer in collegiate history.
Oregon's momentum carried over into the first track final of the day where Nielsen and Silan Ayyildiz combined for 15 points. Nielsen took over the lead early and never gave it back, stopping the clock in 4:32.40 to win the women's first NCAA title in the event since Jordan Hasay in 2011. Ayyildiz charged down the homestretch to out-lean a pair of runners for fourth, good for five more points.
Both were part of the Ducks' runner-up finish in the distance medley relay Friday.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes, the sprint tandem of Mays and McCormick accounted for 24 points. Mays ran a season's best of 7.12 in the 60-meter final—the event immediately following the mile—to collect runner-up honors. Roughly 25 minutes later, McCormick ran to second place in the hurdles behind a new lifetime best of 7.91.
Like Ross earlier in the day, Mays saved her best for last. Drawing a lane in the first of two sections in the 200, Mays put down a personal best of 22.45—just .03 within Ariana Washington's school record—which stood up through the next section for second place overall and the team's final, and clinching, points.
Mays improved her career-best national finishes in both races Saturday having placed third in both a season ago in Boston.
"It was a little emotional for me, you know, my last race as a Duck...my last everything as a Duck," Mays said. "It's kinda crazy just to look back on my years before because I remember my first nationals to a tee. I remember everything that happened so it's cool being a veteran on this team and coming back and helping my team win a national title.
"Like I said, that was a main motivation for both me and Jaida (Ross) in our last meet as a Duck. There were a couple second places in there but it all adds up at the end of the day so it's fine. We're national champions and no one can take that from me."
The Ducks' outdoor season begins next week with the Oregon Preview (March 21-22) at Hayward Field. Tickets for that meet and the entire home schedule which includes the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 16-18) and the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 11-14) are currently on sale.
NCAA Indoor Championships (Virginia Beach, Va.) – Day Two
MEN
800 Meters
1. Matthew Erickson – 1:46.43 [10 points]
WOMEN
60 Meters
2. Jadyn Mays – 7.12 (SB) [8 points]
200 Meters
2. Jadyn Mays – 22.45 (PB) [8 points]
Mile
1. Wilma Nielsen – 4:32.40 [10 points]
4. Silan Ayyildiz – 4:33.98 [5 points]
3,000 Meters
--. Silan Ayyildiz – DNF
60m Hurdles
2. Aaliyah McCormick – 7.91 (PB) [8 points]
Triple Jump
12. Ryann Porter – 13.00m/42-8
Shot Put
2. Jaida Ross – 18.98m/62-3.25 (indoor PB) [8 points]
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Ducks got a national title performance from Wilma Nielsen in the mile and runner-up finishes by Jadyn Mays in the 60 and 200 meters, Aaliyah McCormick in the 60 hurdles and Jaida Ross in the shot put. The NCAA team title is a first for head coach Jerry Schumacher at Oregon, and his third overall.
"Top to bottom, from the administration to the staff to the athletes, I couldn't be more proud of this team," Schumacher said following the meet. "They were fantastic. To overperform the form charts at the national championships is not easy to do, and they did that in every event. It was a special day for us, for sure."
Final Women's Standings (top 10)
1. OREGON – 55
2. Georgia – 39
3. USC – 35
T4. Oklahoma/Washington/Arkansas – 31
7. Texas A&M – 27
8. Illinois – 25.5
9. BYU – 24
10. Texas Tech – 21.5
On the men's side, Matthew Erickson became the third UO man to win an indoor national title in the 800 meters. The UO senior had moved into second by the bell lap and with just over 100 meters left, Erickson took the lead and began to pull away down the final stretch, crossing the line—arms spread wide—in 1:46.43.
Erickson, the Big Ten champion, was the 15th overall qualifier into the national meet but responded to join past UO standouts Elijah Greer (2013) and Charlie Hunter (2021) as indoor 800 meter champions.
The Ducks' scoring began with a runner-up finish by Ross in the shot put. On the final attempt wearing an Oregon kit, the Medford native moved from third to second with an indoor best of 18.98m/62-3.25 and secured eight points toward the team total. Ross mirrors her NCAA indoor finish from a season ago and with her final toss, strengthened her spot as the No. 10 indoor performer in collegiate history.
Oregon's momentum carried over into the first track final of the day where Nielsen and Silan Ayyildiz combined for 15 points. Nielsen took over the lead early and never gave it back, stopping the clock in 4:32.40 to win the women's first NCAA title in the event since Jordan Hasay in 2011. Ayyildiz charged down the homestretch to out-lean a pair of runners for fourth, good for five more points.
Both were part of the Ducks' runner-up finish in the distance medley relay Friday.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes, the sprint tandem of Mays and McCormick accounted for 24 points. Mays ran a season's best of 7.12 in the 60-meter final—the event immediately following the mile—to collect runner-up honors. Roughly 25 minutes later, McCormick ran to second place in the hurdles behind a new lifetime best of 7.91.
Like Ross earlier in the day, Mays saved her best for last. Drawing a lane in the first of two sections in the 200, Mays put down a personal best of 22.45—just .03 within Ariana Washington's school record—which stood up through the next section for second place overall and the team's final, and clinching, points.
Mays improved her career-best national finishes in both races Saturday having placed third in both a season ago in Boston.
"It was a little emotional for me, you know, my last race as a Duck...my last everything as a Duck," Mays said. "It's kinda crazy just to look back on my years before because I remember my first nationals to a tee. I remember everything that happened so it's cool being a veteran on this team and coming back and helping my team win a national title.
"Like I said, that was a main motivation for both me and Jaida (Ross) in our last meet as a Duck. There were a couple second places in there but it all adds up at the end of the day so it's fine. We're national champions and no one can take that from me."
The Ducks' outdoor season begins next week with the Oregon Preview (March 21-22) at Hayward Field. Tickets for that meet and the entire home schedule which includes the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 16-18) and the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 11-14) are currently on sale.
NCAA Indoor Championships (Virginia Beach, Va.) – Day Two
MEN
800 Meters
1. Matthew Erickson – 1:46.43 [10 points]
WOMEN
60 Meters
2. Jadyn Mays – 7.12 (SB) [8 points]
200 Meters
2. Jadyn Mays – 22.45 (PB) [8 points]
Mile
1. Wilma Nielsen – 4:32.40 [10 points]
4. Silan Ayyildiz – 4:33.98 [5 points]
3,000 Meters
--. Silan Ayyildiz – DNF
60m Hurdles
2. Aaliyah McCormick – 7.91 (PB) [8 points]
Triple Jump
12. Ryann Porter – 13.00m/42-8
Shot Put
2. Jaida Ross – 18.98m/62-3.25 (indoor PB) [8 points]
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
Aaliyah McCormick | NCAA 100M Hurdles National Champion
Thursday, June 19
Matti Erickson | NCAA 800M Runner Up
Saturday, June 14
Hayward Field History
Thursday, June 12
2024-25 Oregon Track & Field Intro Video
Thursday, June 12