Tewalt Wins #B1GTF Title at 10,000 Meters

Friday, May 15

Lincoln, NE

All Day

University of Oregon

Big Ten Outdoor Championships

Luke Tewalt, B1G 10,000 meters finish (May 15, 2026)

Photo by: GoDucks.com

05/15/26 | Track and Field

The Men of Oregon sit in first place with 38 points after day one.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Luke Tewalt won the 10,000 meters Friday night to close out day one of the 2026 Big Ten Championships at Nebraska Outdoor Track. The Men of Oregon scored 38 points between the 10K and javelin, and lead the team competition after three events scored.

Highlighted by a bronze showing by senior Emily Fitzsimmons in the pole vault, the Women of Oregon are in fifth place in the team standings with 11 points after day one.

Tewalt led a 1-3-5 UO finish with teammates Evan Bishop and Evan Burke, respectively, to rack up 20 points in the final event of the day. Tewalt closed in 55.08 to pull away from the lead pack and secure the win. With the win, he clinched the men's 13^th all-time conference title in the event, and first since Edward Cheserek in 2017.

All five Oregon men finished in the top 10 with Connor Burns and Juan Gonzelez—running back in his home state—crossing in ninth and 10^th, respectively.

Fitzsimmons tied her own school record with a third-attempt clearance of 4.48m/14-8.25 to secure a third-place finish. The performance represents a career-high placing at a conference meet, surpassing her fifth-place showing at last year's Big Ten Indoor meet. Fitzsimmons passed at the next height and, after an initial run through, she had two solid attempts at a would-be 15-0.25 clearance.

The six points from Fitzsimmons were the Ducks' first of the weekend.

Anika Thompson picked up another five points for the Oregon women with a fourth-place finish in the 10,000 meters. In her season debut, the Junction City, Ore., native crossed the line in 33:47.18 for her best conference finish in the event. Thompson had a previous high of sixth at the 2024 Pac-12 meet in Boulder, Colo.

The UO men got on the board with 18 points from their javelin trio of Daniel Thrana as runner-up, Pat Vialva in third and Vlad Turcu in fifth. In addition to his bronze finish, Vialva recorded a lifetime best of 77.40m/253-11 which moved him to fourth on the program's all-time list. Turcu improved his personal best twice, lastly at 68.87m/225-11 on his fifth attempt.

Thrana had a day's best of 77.64m/254-9 in the second round, good for his eighth measure beyond 75 meters this season.

The Ducks' mid-distance crew advanced five to the finals of the 1500 meters. The UO men are sending Simeon Birnbaum, Elliott Cook and Jeffery Rogers to Sunday's final. For the women, Juliet Cherubet and Wilma Nielsen will race for conference points. The 1500-meter finals will start at 10:58 a.m. PT as part of the Big Ten Network broadcast.

After day one of the combined events, both Aiden Carter and Liisa-Maria Lusti sit in third place of the decathlon and heptathlon, respectively.

Carter got his day started with an all-conditions best of 10.77 (+3.5) in the 100 meters, and went on to add a lifetime best in the shot put—13.15m/43-1.75—and an outdoor-best effort of 1.97m/6-5.5 in the high jump. He ran 49.81 in the 400 meters, just off his all-time best, to end Friday with 4,029 points.

Lusti finished in the top three of the four events including a runner-up finish and an all-conditions best of 23.67 (+2.1) in the 200 meters. It was her first time under 24 seconds. She will begin day two of the heptathlon with 3,583 points.

The combined events resume Saturday at 7:30 a.m. PT with the decathlon 110-meter hurdles followed by the heptathlon long jump at 8 a.m.

Notable: The 10,000 meters were delayed to 8 p.m. PT (weather delay); originally scheduled to start at 6:10 p.m. … Saturday's schedule was adjusted forward approximately two hours due to the potential of inclement weather tomorrow evening; combined events will continue with original schedule.

Up Next: The Ducks have entries in eight of nine scored events on day two including the conclusion of the combined events and the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase where UO junior Benjamin Balazs is the defending Big Ten champion. Team points will also be on the line in the men's and women's long jump, women's high jump, women's shot put and men's discus.

Oregon Scoring Chances | Saturday
(all times PT)
10:00 a.m. – women's long jump | Liisa-Maria Lusti, Cassandra Atkins, Sharifa Davronova
10:15 a.m. – women's high jump | Toby Stolberg
10:15 a.m. – women's shot put | Alicia Khunou
12:00 p.m. – men's long jump | Titouan Bizet
12:55 p.m. – heptathlon 800 meters* | Liisa-Maria Lusti
1:00 p.m. – men's discus | Ben Smith, Kobe Lawrence
2:00 p.m. – decathlon 1500 meters* | Aiden Carter
2:45 p.m. – men's steeplechase | Benjamin Balazs
* final event

Friday marked the beginning of the postseason campaign which will culminate with the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (June 10-13) at Hayward Field. All-session and single-day tickets for the NCAA Championships are currently on sale.

Friday Results
Big Ten Championships – Day 1 | Lincoln, Neb.
MEN
1500 Meters – prelims
6. Elliott Cook – 3:45.15Q
8. Jeffery Rogers – 3:45.91q
10. Anthony Fast Horse – 3:46.54
23. Simeon Birnbaum – 3:54.45Q

10,000 Meters
1. Luke Tewalt – 29:49.24 [+10 points]
3. Evan Bishop – 29:50.63 [+6 points]
5. Evan Burke – 29:53.43 [+4 points]
9. Connor Burns – 30:07.64
10. Juan Gonzalez – 30:14.17

Javelin
2. Daniel Thrana – 77.64m/254-9 [+8 points]
3. Pat Vialva – 77.40m/253-11 (PB, UO #4) [+6 points]
5. Vlad Turcu – 68.87m/225-11 [+4 points]

Decathlon, Day 1
3. Aiden Carter – 4,029 points
               4. 100 Meters – 10.77w (+3.5, all cond. PB) [912 points]
               7. Long Jump – 7.12m/23-4.5 (-1.4) [842]
               5. Shot Put – 13.15m/43-1.75 (PB) [676]
               3. Hight Jump – 1.97m/6-5.5 (out. PB) [776]
               5. 400 Meters – 49.81 [823]

WOMEN
200 Meters – prelims
--. Amirah Shaheed – DQ

1500 Meters – prelims
4. Wilma Nielsen – 4:17.02Q
11. Ella Thorsett – 4:23.52
12. Juliet Cherubet – 4:23.73Q
13. Ali Ince – 4:24.01
20. Nicole Humphries – 4:28.66

10,000 Meters
4. Anika Thompson – 33:47.18 [+5 points]
--. Silan Ayyildiz – DNF
--. Diana Cherotich – DNF

400m Hurdles – prelims
13. Annaleise Taylor – 59.20

Pole Vault
3. Emily Fitzsimmons – 4.48m/14-8.25 (=PB) [+6 points]

Javelin
11. Greyson Glivinski – 48.08m/157-9
13. Hayden Williams-Downing – 47.58m/156-1

Heptathlon, Day 1
3. Liisa-Maria Lusti – 3,583 points
               3. 100m Hurdles – 13.66 [1,027 points]
               3. High Jump – 1.77m/5-9.75 [941]
               8. Shot Put – 11.10m/36-5 [602]
               2. 200 Meters – 23.67w (+2.1, all cond. PB) [1,013]

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