Friday, June 13
Eugene, OR
All Day
University of Oregon
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Four Ducks Score Led By Erickson's Second in 800
06/13/25 | Track and Field
The UO men finished in a tie for 11th Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
EUGENE, Ore. — One Oregon middle-distance runner got the tactical break he was looking for Friday, while another wasn't as lucky.
Matthew Erickson capped his final outdoor season with the Men of Oregon by taking second in the 800 meters on the penultimate day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Running in the pack entering the homestretch, Erickson found some daylight and kicked to second, a window of opportunity that didn't develop in the 1,500 for Simeon Birnbaum, who posted one of three seventh-place finishes on the day for the Ducks.
Those four scoring efforts plus a fourth-place finish from Kobe Lawrence in the shot put Wednesday gave the UO men 19 teams points in the meet, putting the Ducks in a tie for 11th place overall. The women's team race concludes Saturday, including the heptathlon, in which Oregon's Annika Williams sits fifth after Friday's four events that included top-five placings for her in the high jump and shot put.
The men's 800 saw Erickson follow his NCAA Indoor title with a second-place finish in 1:46.32. Running just off the lead at the bell, Erickson was jostled several times and fell off the pace a bit; seeing the momentum eventual winner Sam Whitmarsh had ahead of him, Erickson opted to sit a little longer and race for second in the homestretch.
"I knew if I was just patient enough, something would probably open up," Erickson said. "So I was just waiting for that. And when it did, I took the opportunity."
As the final 100 unfolded, Erickson was fifth with two competitors running abreast in front of him. He was looking to find space on the rail, but when a gap opened between the duo in front of him, Erickson split them and then tracked down a third competitor to finish behind only Whitmarsh. Oregon's Koitatoi Kidali gamely fought through the two laps and finished ninth, two days after a hard fall at the finish of his prelim that had him running Friday with a heavy wrap on his shoulder.
In the 1,500, Birnbaum had been looking to execute a similar race plan as Erickson — enter the homestretch just off the pace, look for an opening along the rail and capitalize. After leading the race until the bell lap, Birnbaum was where he wanted to be with 100 to go, but space never materialized and he appeared to still have plenty of gas in the tank while finishing in the middle of the pack in 3:47.64.
"Most races they move out on the home stretch, but it just never opened up," Birnbaum said. "It's a nightmare being back there and just seeing the winners run away from you."
Benjamin Balazs also finished seventh, in the 3,000 steeplechase, but was quite pleased to do so. Two days after setting a PR in qualifying, Balazs ran 8:24.46 on Friday to set it yet again.
"After that 8:29 in the prelim, I was lying on the track for like a minute," Balazs said. "I was cooked. I thought, OK, maybe one or two seconds quicker. But a 5-second PR in the final? Never thought that would happen."
Balazs entered the final lap Friday in 10th place. But as he did in the prelim, he maintained his pace and trusted that it would be strong enough to track down a couple of competitors. After entering the race just hoping to score a point and earn a trophy with an eighth-place finish, Balazs did one better.
"I honestly didn't know I had this in myself," he said. "It's showing me right now to never really doubt your training or doubt yourself. I've done a lot of hard things this year (in training), and like, it makes sense what I did. It makes sense now."
Safin Wills also soared up the leaderboard in the triple jump to earn Oregon's third seventh-place finish of the day. Two days after scratching on all three attempts in the long jump, Wills was in 15th place entering this third and final attempt of the preliminary round Friday; he then leapt 52-8.75, setting a season best and posting the mark that would hold up for seventh after the three jumps in the finals.
"Coming from Jamaica, we've been in a lot of big spots, a lot of big meets very, very, very often," Wills said when asked if he felt extra pressure before his third attempt. "I know I have the potential to go and jump far, so I don't really put much pressure on myself. And I've been doing this consistently all season. Honestly, it would have been much better to just get it done in the first round, and breathe a little better. But it got done and that's all that matters."
In other action on the field Friday, Aidan Elbettar earned honorable mention all-America honors with an 18th place finish in the discus, thanks to a mark of 185-4.
The effort by Wills but the finishing touches on the outdoor season for the UO men, and for seniors like Elbettar, Wills and Erickson, their careers competing for the Ducks at Hayward Field.
"I'm a competitor, so I hate losing," Erickson said. "But today was a really meaningful race for me, whether I was first or whether I was last. This is my last outdoor race as a Duck. I have one more indoor season of collegiate eligibility. But it's really awesome to be out there and representing the UO, representing Canada, representing my family. So it means a lot for me."
Up Next: The Women of Oregon have three points from Emily Fitzsimmons' sixth-place finish in the pole vault Thursday. The team takes six scoring chances, including three in the 1500, into the final day of the 2025 NCAA Championships at Hayward Field.
The ESPN2 broadcast is scheduled for a 6 p.m. (PT) start with additional ESPN+ links dedicated to all field and combined events.
Tickets for Saturday's women's finals are currently on sale.
Friday Results | NCAA Championships – Day 3
MEN
800 Meters
2. Matthew Erickson – 1:46.32 [8 points]
9. Koitatoi Kidali – 1:52.10
1500 Meters
7. Simeon Birnbaum – 3:47.64 [2 points]
3,000m Steeplechase
7. Benjamin Balazs – 8:24.46 (PB, UO #2) [2 points]
Triple Jump
7. Safin Wills – 16.07m/52-8.75 (SB, UO #7) [2 points]
Discus
18. Aidan Elbettar – 56.49m/185-4
WOMEN
Heptathlon – Day 1
5. Annika Williams – 3,545 points
16. 100m Hurdles – 13.96 (SB) [984 points]
5. High Jump – 1.75m/5-8.75 [916]
2. Shot Put – 14.12m/46-4 [802]
21. 200 Meters – 25.48 [843]
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Matthew Erickson capped his final outdoor season with the Men of Oregon by taking second in the 800 meters on the penultimate day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Running in the pack entering the homestretch, Erickson found some daylight and kicked to second, a window of opportunity that didn't develop in the 1,500 for Simeon Birnbaum, who posted one of three seventh-place finishes on the day for the Ducks.
Those four scoring efforts plus a fourth-place finish from Kobe Lawrence in the shot put Wednesday gave the UO men 19 teams points in the meet, putting the Ducks in a tie for 11th place overall. The women's team race concludes Saturday, including the heptathlon, in which Oregon's Annika Williams sits fifth after Friday's four events that included top-five placings for her in the high jump and shot put.
The men's 800 saw Erickson follow his NCAA Indoor title with a second-place finish in 1:46.32. Running just off the lead at the bell, Erickson was jostled several times and fell off the pace a bit; seeing the momentum eventual winner Sam Whitmarsh had ahead of him, Erickson opted to sit a little longer and race for second in the homestretch.
"I knew if I was just patient enough, something would probably open up," Erickson said. "So I was just waiting for that. And when it did, I took the opportunity."
As the final 100 unfolded, Erickson was fifth with two competitors running abreast in front of him. He was looking to find space on the rail, but when a gap opened between the duo in front of him, Erickson split them and then tracked down a third competitor to finish behind only Whitmarsh. Oregon's Koitatoi Kidali gamely fought through the two laps and finished ninth, two days after a hard fall at the finish of his prelim that had him running Friday with a heavy wrap on his shoulder.
In the 1,500, Birnbaum had been looking to execute a similar race plan as Erickson — enter the homestretch just off the pace, look for an opening along the rail and capitalize. After leading the race until the bell lap, Birnbaum was where he wanted to be with 100 to go, but space never materialized and he appeared to still have plenty of gas in the tank while finishing in the middle of the pack in 3:47.64.
"Most races they move out on the home stretch, but it just never opened up," Birnbaum said. "It's a nightmare being back there and just seeing the winners run away from you."
Benjamin Balazs also finished seventh, in the 3,000 steeplechase, but was quite pleased to do so. Two days after setting a PR in qualifying, Balazs ran 8:24.46 on Friday to set it yet again.
"After that 8:29 in the prelim, I was lying on the track for like a minute," Balazs said. "I was cooked. I thought, OK, maybe one or two seconds quicker. But a 5-second PR in the final? Never thought that would happen."
Balazs entered the final lap Friday in 10th place. But as he did in the prelim, he maintained his pace and trusted that it would be strong enough to track down a couple of competitors. After entering the race just hoping to score a point and earn a trophy with an eighth-place finish, Balazs did one better.
"I honestly didn't know I had this in myself," he said. "It's showing me right now to never really doubt your training or doubt yourself. I've done a lot of hard things this year (in training), and like, it makes sense what I did. It makes sense now."
Safin Wills also soared up the leaderboard in the triple jump to earn Oregon's third seventh-place finish of the day. Two days after scratching on all three attempts in the long jump, Wills was in 15th place entering this third and final attempt of the preliminary round Friday; he then leapt 52-8.75, setting a season best and posting the mark that would hold up for seventh after the three jumps in the finals.
"Coming from Jamaica, we've been in a lot of big spots, a lot of big meets very, very, very often," Wills said when asked if he felt extra pressure before his third attempt. "I know I have the potential to go and jump far, so I don't really put much pressure on myself. And I've been doing this consistently all season. Honestly, it would have been much better to just get it done in the first round, and breathe a little better. But it got done and that's all that matters."
In other action on the field Friday, Aidan Elbettar earned honorable mention all-America honors with an 18th place finish in the discus, thanks to a mark of 185-4.
The effort by Wills but the finishing touches on the outdoor season for the UO men, and for seniors like Elbettar, Wills and Erickson, their careers competing for the Ducks at Hayward Field.
"I'm a competitor, so I hate losing," Erickson said. "But today was a really meaningful race for me, whether I was first or whether I was last. This is my last outdoor race as a Duck. I have one more indoor season of collegiate eligibility. But it's really awesome to be out there and representing the UO, representing Canada, representing my family. So it means a lot for me."
Up Next: The Women of Oregon have three points from Emily Fitzsimmons' sixth-place finish in the pole vault Thursday. The team takes six scoring chances, including three in the 1500, into the final day of the 2025 NCAA Championships at Hayward Field.
The ESPN2 broadcast is scheduled for a 6 p.m. (PT) start with additional ESPN+ links dedicated to all field and combined events.
Tickets for Saturday's women's finals are currently on sale.
Friday Results | NCAA Championships – Day 3
MEN
800 Meters
2. Matthew Erickson – 1:46.32 [8 points]
9. Koitatoi Kidali – 1:52.10
1500 Meters
7. Simeon Birnbaum – 3:47.64 [2 points]
3,000m Steeplechase
7. Benjamin Balazs – 8:24.46 (PB, UO #2) [2 points]
Triple Jump
7. Safin Wills – 16.07m/52-8.75 (SB, UO #7) [2 points]
Discus
18. Aidan Elbettar – 56.49m/185-4
WOMEN
Heptathlon – Day 1
5. Annika Williams – 3,545 points
16. 100m Hurdles – 13.96 (SB) [984 points]
5. High Jump – 1.75m/5-8.75 [916]
2. Shot Put – 14.12m/46-4 [802]
21. 200 Meters – 25.48 [843]
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
/ Track and Field
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Throws
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Distance
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Jumps
/ Track and FieldAaliyah 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
