Top-10 Program Marks Highlight Oregon Twilight

Friday, May 8

Eugene, OR

1:00 PM | Running Events - 4:00 PM

University of Oregon

Oregon Twilight

05/09/26 | Track and Field

The Ducks collected 11 wins during Friday’s regular-season finale.

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon track and field team closed out its regular season with 11 wins during the Oregon Twilight at Hayward Field. Simeon Birnbaum, Benjamin Balazs and Marie Josee Bovele-Linaka also added top-10 program performances to their winning efforts Friday evening.

Birnbaum led a 1-2-3 UO finish in the Wade Bell 800 meters, stopping the clock in a new meet record and lifetime best of 1:44.67, good for the No. 4 spot on the program's all-time outdoor list. Birnbaum broke the collegiate record over 1500 meters in his last home appearance, the Oregon Team Invite in April.

The Ducks' top three was rounded out by Bodey Lutes—in his official UO debut—and James Harding. Lutes, a freshman from Coos Bay, Ore., crossed the finish in 1:45.62, which is puts him sixth on the all-time U.S. U20 list and No. 3 on the U20 world list this year. Harding knocked his personal best down to 1:45.66 with Friday's effort.

Based on times entering the day, all three times rank among the top 15 in the NCAA this season with Birnbaum at third, and Lutes and Harding at 13^th and 14^th, respectively.

In the final event of the night, Balazs joined the Oregon all-time list for 1500 meters. The reigning Big Ten steeplechase champion, stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 3:36.23 to win the Bill McChesney Jr. 1500 meters. He entered the meet with a previous best of 3:41.59 from last year and now moves to seventh on the UO top-10 list.

Jeffery Rogers (3:36.57), Tomas Palfrey (3:37.49) and Tayson Echohawk (3:37.52) all registered lifetime bests in Friday's race.

Bovele-Linaka became the No. 4 performer in Oregon history with a season's best of 58.10m/190-7 in the discus. She moved from seventh to fourth on the Ducks' all-time list, replacing her previous best of 55.25m/181-3 from the Triton Invitational just over a month ago. Based on marks coming into the day, Bovele-Linaka currently ranks 12^th in the NCAA this season.

The Oregon women finished 1-2-4 in the discus with Bovele-Linaka, Alicia Khunou (54.78m/179-8) and Taylor Wiseman (49.95m/163-10), respectively. Wiseman was second in the shot put earlier in the day with a season's best of 15.17m/49-9.25.

Silan Ayyildiz picked up the women's last win of the night with her victory in the invitational section of the 1500 meters. With some pacing help from former teammate Klaudia Kazimierska, Ayyildiz ran to a season-best time of 4:06.97. Juliet Cherubet was third in 4:10.12, another season-best time, and Wilma Nielsen (4:11.78) was fourth in her outdoor season debut.

In the 'B' section of the 1500, Landen LeBlond ran to victory and lowered her personal best to 4:22.75, taking down her previous best of 4:23.19 from the Oregon Team Invitational last month. LeBlond had a second lifetime best Friday with her time of 2:09.93 in the 800 meters.

Ali Ince and Nicole Humphries were the Ducks' top performers in the two-lapper both in season's best times of 2:06.48 and 2:06.76, respectively.

The Ducks' first winner of the day was Hayden Williams-Downing who took the top spot in the javelin. On her final attempt of the afternoon, she tallied a day's best 46.88m/153-9 to increase the winning margin over the field. All three of her three legal marks were good enough to win the competition.

Oregon secured three other field wins Friday with Toby Stolberg (1.73m/5-8) in the high jump, Emily Fitzsimmons (4.17m/13-8.25) in the pole vault and Ben Smith (57.98m/190-2) in the discus. Smith and Kobe Lawrence finished 1-2 in that discus competition; Lawrence had a season's best of 55.51m/182-1 on his fifth throw of the day.

The sprints crew picked up a pair of wins at the Oregon Twilight with Lily Jones in the 100 meters and Fuad Omer in the 400. Jones, one of the 16 Ducks on hand celebrating Senior Day, led a 1-2 finish with teammate Niya Clayton, while Omer held off a charging Diego Aguirre of Utah State to secure his win.

Notable: Trio of former UO standouts were winners at the Oregon Twilight: Jaida Ross in the shot put, Ryann Porter in the triple jump and Shelby Moran in the hammer … Ross (19.07m/62-6.75) and Moran (72.78m/238-9) both set meet records … Porter's winning mark of 13.41m/44-0 was a season's best.

Up Next: The postseason begins next weekend with the Big Ten Championships (May 15-17) in Lincoln, Neb., followed the NCAA West First Round (May 27-30) in Fayetteville, Ark. The top 12 at each regional site will advance to the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships (June 10-13) held at Hayward Field.

All-session and single-day ticket packages for the NCAA Championships are currently on sale.

Friday Results
Oregon Twilight | Hayward Field
MEN
400 Meters
1. Fuad Omer – 47.47

Wade Bell 800 Meters
1. Simeon Birnbaum – 1:44.67 (MR, PB, UO #4)
2. Bodey Lutes – 1:45.62 (PB)
3. James Harding – 1:45.66 (PB)
5. Will Heslam – 1:50.04 (SB)
6. Ben Greene – 1:50.52

McChesney Jr. 1500 Meters
1. Benjamin Balazs – 3:36.23 (PB, UO #7)
3. Jeffery Rogers – 3:36.57 (PB)
4. Tomas Palfrey – 3:37.49 (PB)
5. Tayson Echohawk – 3:37.52 (PB)
6. Elliott Cook – 3:40.14
--. Simeon Birnbaum – DNF (pacer)

Discus
1. Ben Smith – 57.98m/190-2
2. Kobe Lawrence – 55.51m/182-1 (SB)

WOMEN
100 Meters
1. Lily Jones – 11.52
2. Niya Clayton – 11.78

800 Meters
2. Ali Ince – 2:06.48 (SB)
3. Nicole Humphries – 2:06.76 (SB)
6. Landen LeBlond – 2:09.93 (PB)

1500 Meters Inv.
1. Silan Ayyildiz – 4:06.97 (SB)
3. Juliet Cherubet – 4:10.12 (SB)
4. Wilma Nielsen – 4:11.78
9. Diana Cherotich – 4:18.38
10. Bahiya El Arfaoui – 4:18.38
12. Ali Ince – 4:26.28
--. Nicole Humphries – DNF

1500 Meters "B"
1. Landen LeBlond – 4:22.75 (PB)

High Jump
1. Toby Stolberg – 1.73m/5-8

Pole Vault
1. Emily Fitzsimmons – 4.17m/13-8.25

Shot Put
2. Taylor Wiseman – 15.17m/49-9.25 (PB)

Discus
1. Marie Josee Bovele-Linaka – 58.10m/190-7 (SB, UO #4)
2. Alicia Khunou – 54.78m/179-8
4. Taylor Wiseman – 49.95m/163-10 (SB)

Javelin
1. Hayden Williams-Downing – 46.88m/153-9
4. Liisa-Maria Lusti – 39.29m/128-11

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