Ducks Host Oregon Preview

EUGENE, Ore. – The outdoor season for the Oregon track and field team begins Friday with day one of the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field. Competition begins at 12 p.m. with the hammer. The high jump, the first in-venue event, starts at 2:30 p.m. followed by 'B' sections of the 5,000 meters at 4:50 p.m.

Top sections of the 5,000 meters will start just after 6:40 p.m. Friday evening's distance races will also include the 1500 meters and steeplechase. Along with the high jump and hammer, field events on day one will be the triple jump and javelin.

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.

Oregon senior Kohana Nakato headlines the Ducks' entries in the javelin. She enters the season as the No. 8 performer in program history with a best of 51.28m/168-3. In the men's field, Gavin Korkeakoski and UO newcomer Pat Vialva come into the year off NCAA West First Round appearances; Vialva did so at Montana State.

The women's javelin is set for a 3:30 p.m. start with the men's competition starting at 6 p.m.

There are 10 sections—five men, five women—scheduled in the 1500 meters. The event starts at 5:33 p.m. beginning with the women's races. Cross country All-American Aiden Smith is entered along with newcomers Nicole Humphries and Will Heslam slated to make their debuts in an Oregon kit.

Day one of the Oregon Preview will end with the steeplechase, the women running a full 3,000 meters and the men running a truncated 2,000 meters. Benjamin Balazs, Sergio Del Barrio and Vincent Mestler are entered for the UO men. Sections of the steeple start at 7:25 p.m.

Both days of the Ducks' outdoor opener will be streamed on RunnerSpace.

NOTABLE: On the heels of a standout indoor season, Matthew Erickson is the USTFCCCA West Region Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Erickson swept the Big Ten and NCAA Indoor titles in the 800. Jerry Schumacher and Shalane Flanagan were also recognized as the region's top coach and assistant coach on the women's side; the Women of Oregon won the 2025 NCAA Indoor team title.

For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.