Simeon Birnbaum bests an all-star field to win the boys mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals
Incoming University of Oregon track & field athlete Simeon Birnbaum (Rapid City, South Dakota) won the Garmin Boys Mile Championship in 4:02.22 on Sunday afternoon at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Israel La Rue
Simeon Birnbaum stood at the top of the high school middle distance runners after winning the boys mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals Sunday at Hayward Field. He ran 4:02.22 to beat a field that featured two other sub-4 runners and twins who have been competing in professional meets all outdoor season.
“A lot of people were saying that these were the guys that I had to beat to be the best,” Birnbaum said. “I knew I was the best, and I was able to take them down pretty steadily today.”
Birnbaum also won the two other mile races he entered this season, at the Drake Relays and the Hoka Festival of Miles, where he set a meet record and a PR of 3:57.53.
“These guys” as Birnbaum said, were twins from Newbury Park High School, Leo and Lex Young, who elected to not race in high school meets this season until this weekend.
The twins said that because of California Interscholastic Federation’s rules, they were forced to choose between an outdoor high school season or the chance to run in professional meets. Since they haven’t competed against their peers all season long, they said they had been looking forward to this weekend.
The twins have run at professional meets including the Bryan Clay Invitational, LA Grand Prix and Portland Track Festival. Both brothers set PRs at the LA Grand Prix in May. Leo ran 3:39.66 in the 1,500. Lex ran 13:34.96 in the 5,000, breaking the boys high school record by 2.34 seconds.
Connor Burns, who was also in the field Sunday, had broken Galen Rupp’s 5,0000-meter high school record 20 days earlier.
Burns and Birnbaum will both join Oregon’s program in the fall. The Young twins are going to Stanford, so they’ll all compete against each other frequently.
Two days before Sunday’s showdown, Birnbaum got a taste of a professional race, running 3:37.93 in a men’s professional 1,500-meter race, finishing third and moving ahead of Alan Webb into second all-time among high school boys. Only Hobbs Kessler, who ran 3:34.36 in 2021, has run faster.
“I pretty much learned that I can compete with them,” Birnbaum said. “I mean, I can't compete with the top pros. Obviously, like, Diamond League people. But USA pros I can run with. I think that's where I belong. So I get confidence from that. And if I can run with them, I can definitely run with the NCAA. And I think I can take almost all those guys down.”
His confidence was displayed as his race plan unfolded. He stayed at the back for the first lap, then moved to the middle of the pack. With 250 to go, he made his move on the outside, pulling onto Leo Young’s shoulder on the turn, then outkicking him down the stretch.
“I let them all battle up front,” Birnbaum said. “And then I got to the front with Leo, and then we started kicking the last 100. It was seeing who had it, and I had that one extra gear that I usually can find.”
Before Birnbaum made his move, Leo had positioned himself to take the lead on the final lap.
“I took the lead maybe 350 meters to go,” Leo said. “And it went pretty well. Unfortunately, I lost it on the line, but, I mean, that's how racing is sometimes.”
Leo finished second in 4:02.58.
Mile champion Simeon Birnbaum receives his medal along with the next top five finishers, including Leo Young, Rocky Hansen, Connor Burns, Lex Young, and Carter Cutting. Photo by Maggie Troxell
The race turned into a tactical one with multiple runners taking leads throughout the race, Rocky Hansen – who had finished 0.07 behind Birnbaum at the Hoka Festival of Miles – led the race two laps in.
“Championship racing is just so much different than the rest of the season,” Hansen said “Everyone is wanting to conserve themselves a little more. No one really wants to take it out because they all want to win, and I wanted to win, too … and I thought, well, no one's going to take it. No one's going to push. I'll do it.”
Hansen finished third with a time of 4:03.63.
Hurdler Akala Garrett honors her uncle by closing her high school career with two more national titles
University of Texas bound athlete Akala Garrett won the girls 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field.
By Maddie Lang
Before stepping into her blocks, World U20 champion hurdler Akala Garrett paid homage to her late uncle, Dr. Eric Ward Sr., by touching her left shoulder, where she has a “Ward strong” tattoo.
Ward Sr. passed away in 2021. A week before his passing, he told his niece that she was going to win worlds.
“He told me what I was going to do and I did it,” said Garrett, a senior from North Carolina.
Garrett’s tattoo gave her some additional strength this weekend when she defended both her 400-meter hurdle and 100-meter hurdle titles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field.
On Saturday, she won the 100-meter title with a time of 13.37. The runner-up, Nonah Waldron of Michigan, finished in 13.50.
On Sunday, she competed in the 400-meter hurdles. The first 300 meters were an even field, but once the home stretch came around, Garrett’s strength kicked in and she won the event in a time of 57.51. The runner-up, Sidney Green from Texas, finished in 58.45.
“It felt very controlled. It didn’t feel forced or pushed,” Garrett said. “I stayed in my own lane and focused on the finish line for me. It wasn’t about anybody else.”
In her high school career, Garrett won five Nike Outdoor Nationals titles and two World U20 titles.
“I try to keep count, but it’s kind of hard to keep count of all of those,” she said with a grin on her face.
At the World U20 Championships last year, she won the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay alongside MeKenze Kelley, Shawnti Jackson and Roisin Willis.
At the Nike Outdoor Nationals, she has won the 400-meter hurdles three years in a row and won the 100-meter hurdles two years in a row. She was runner-up her sophomore year.
“I kept saying, ‘Four times, four times,’ all day,” she said. “I had to make sure I came back and did what I needed to do to defend my title.”
While Garrett loses count of all the titles she has won, her shelf that holds the plethora of awards also feels the weight of them.
“I have a bookshelf, but I think I’m going to get a little hanger for them because they’re not fitting on the shelf anymore,” she said jokingly. “They’re falling down.”
Garrett heads to the University of Texas in August where she will join the 2023 National Champion Longhorns.
The team currently doesn’t have any strong hurdlers. Garrett knows she has a chance to make a name for herself at the NCAAs and add on to the legacy of Texas Track and Field.
“My main goal is to obviously make it to the NCAAs and add on to what Texas already has,” she said. “They just won the national title and they didn’t really have any hurdlers, so my goal is to add to that.”
Garrett looks up to several big names: Tokyo Olympic Champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levron, 2016 Olympic Champion Dalilah Muhammad, NCAA champion Britton Wilson and Diamond League champion Femke Bol.
“I can’t really pinpoint one that I look up to because they’re all phenomenal in different ways,” she said.
Garrett wants to make herself a household name just like the rest of theirs.
“Sydney is the queen. Britton is the collegiate queen. Femke Bol is the foreign queen. Dalilah Muhammad is the OG queen,” she said. “There’s so many queens. I want to be the young queen. So I’m trying to work my way up to get my name well known.”
Throwers appreciate their time in the spotlight at the NON Shot Put Showcase
Many of the top high-school shot put athletes in the nation competed at Nike Outdoor National’s Shot Put Showcase on Saturday night. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Israel La Rue
In the midst of the Nike Outdoor Nationals Saturday evening at Hayward Field, a shot put showcase took center stage, grabbing the attention of spectators and allowing the throwers to have fun with all eyes on them. Ben Smith and Madeleine Fey got the crowd to slow clap for their performances.
“Usually at normal track meets, the people watching, the numbers are pretty low,” said Smith, a junior from Wisconsin who finished second in both the shot put and discus earlier in the meet. “So being out here, seeing everyone joining along, cheering for you, it's a different experience. It's a fun experience, and I hope I can be part of it in the future too.”
Since the showcase was a low-stakes competition, the throwers were able to be more loose and show their personalities between throws.
When “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert played in the stadium, athletes were dancing and vibing out to the song. Before each matchup, the throwers did a handshake or celebration of some kind before throwing. Theo Puterbaugh did LeBron James’ chalk toss celebration, throwing chalk up in the air before entering the circle.
“I never do stuff like clap outs or getting crazy going,” said Fey, a junior from Texas who won the discus championship by 5 meters and finished fifth in the shot put. “I'm kind of shy, but it was very invigorating and just exciting. I hope I can take this and actually have more fun at other meets.”
The shot put showcase was structured as a tournament bracket with the athletes being seeded from one to eight. In every matchup, throwers had only one throw. If someone fouled, they wouldn’t be able to throw again, and if both throwers fouled, the higher seed advanced.
“It's pretty nerve wracking,” Smith said. “Especially when there's so many things that could go wrong. But the environment was just fun, stress free. Try and do as best as you can, but you're just coming out here to show off.”
The lower seeded opponent threw first, giving the higher seed a chance to see what mark they needed to beat to advance.
Smith won the boys shot put showcase as the No. 1 seed, going through the No. 8, No. 4 and No. 3 seeds and throwing better than he did in the boys shot put championship, with throws of 20.83m and 20.08m.
Fey won the girls shot put showcase championship as the fifth seed, beating the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, including the girls shot put champion, Gracelyn Leiseth. Leiseth actually had the longest throw of the girls bracket, 15.51m, but she didn’t make that throw in her matchup with Fey.
After winning their sides of the bracket, Fey and Smith faced off in a boys vs. girls final. The same rules applied – one throw for each.
Fey walked up to the circle first, but she wasn’t alone in her final walkup of the weekend. She had an entourage of the girls throwers hyping her up as she stepped into the circle.
“It felt so cool,” Fey said. “I felt like, I'm not going to curse, but a B-A.”
Smith also had an entourage, but he had a different take on it.
“I think it made me more nervous,” he said. “I mean, these random people hoping that I would throw far. But like I said before, it’s all in fun.”
Fey threw 14.65m to beat Smith, who fouled on his last attempt.
“I don't think I'm the first person to say it, that the throws get kind of neglected during the meet,” said Smith, who appreciated that wasn’t the case on Saturday. “Having us all out here as a showcase right in the spotlight, in the middle of Hayward, getting recognition that we deserve … the stars of the show.”
JaiCieonna Gero-Holt becomes the number two American high school sophomore heptathlete
Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Maddie Lang
Heptathlete JaiCieonna Gero-Holt studies film of herself and 2022 World Athletics Championships bronze medalist Anna Hall to prepare for her events. When she watches, she asks herself the question, “What do we need to do to get here?”
Gero-Holt looks up to Hall and all she has accomplished. She uses Hall’s events from when she was on the same stage to improve in her events.
“When Anna Hall was doing the pentathlon at Nike Nationals, I sound really stalkerish when I say this, but I filmed everything that she did,” she said. “Occasionally I’ll look back at that.”Gero-Holt won the heptathlon at the Nike Outdoor Nationals on Saturday at Hayward Field and became the No. 2 American high school heptathlete Saturday afternoon. Her final score of 5,481, a record for sophomores, puts her behind only Hall’s 2019 record of 5,847.
On Friday, she competed in four events.
She was runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles, one of her favorite events, with a time of 14.72, and scored 879 points. Ahead of her was Catherine Littlewood from Arizona with a time of 14.39.
“Hurdles were kind of in a little, you could say, bump,” she said.
In the high jump, her other favorite event, Gero-Holt set a new personal best of 1.84 meters, scoring 1,029 points. Her runner up was Rylee Lydon from Illinois with a jump of 1.72 meters.
“I’m happy because I do want to up that,” Gero-Holt said. “But it does feel good because it just shows how much more capable I am to go higher in that event.”
Gero-Holt also won the shot put with a throw of 13.20 meters, scoring 741 points. Right behind her was Littlewood once again with a throw of 10.85 meters. And she finished fourth in the 200-meter dash in 25.82, which was good for another 813 points. Valerie Jirak of Wyoming won the event with a time of 25.08.
At the end of her first day of competition, Gero-Holt sat comfortably in first with 2,649 points.
She didn’t stick around to watch or hang out. She left immediately to rest and rejuvenate herself for her next day of events.
“You’ll notice a lot of people will linger around after the first day,” she said. “But for me, I left right away. I went to get food, I stretched right after, I iced and I went to bed early and got some good sleep.”
During the day, between events, she puts in her headphones and listens to music to help rest her mind.
“One thing people don’t know, and I feel like they’ll skip out on, is resting your mind,” she said. “It’s not just about the body. It’s not just about the physical. It’s about the internal.”
Gero-Holt started the second day with the long jump, where she took third with a jump of 5.54 meters and scored 712 points. Heidi Hudson from Minnesota won with a jump of 5.61 meters.
Next up for Gero-Holt was the javelin throw, which she won with a throw of 39.04 meters, scoring 649 points. The runner-up, Madilyn Todorovich of Montana, threw for 35.85 meters.
Gero-Holt placed 12th in the final event, the 800-meter run, with a time of 2:32.80, scoring 658 points. Lydon won the event in a time of 2:12.63.
With two more heptathlon meets in her season, Gero-Holt remains hopeful that she’ll be able to accomplish even more. For her, her biggest critic is herself.
“Nobody is going to know the athlete better than the athlete themselves,” she said. “The coaches can coach, but for as long as I have been doing this, as long as Anna Hall or Kendall or whoever is doing it, you are not going to find anybody better to critique their own selves than the athlete.”
Gero-Holt will be between her junior and senior years of high school during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, but she still wants to take a shot at making the team.
“If that doesn’t happen, that is just God telling me that it’s not my time and he has bigger and better plans,” she said. “I won’t be too upset because the next time that comes around, I’ll still be 21. So I’ll still be young. I’ll be better. I’ll be stronger. I’ll be faster.”
Hana Moll wins pole vault title – for herself and for her sister
Hana Moll of Northwest Pole Vault TC (WA) won her second Nike Outdoor Nationals title Friday at Hayward Field. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Israel La Rue
The national high school outdoor record holder in the girls pole vault, Hana Moll, won her second Nike Outdoor Nationals title Friday at Hayward Field, but this title is different from the one she won in 2021. She didn’t have her twin sister, Amanda, to compete with.
Hana, who set the record of 15 feet earlier this season at Arcadia, jumped 14-6.
“I feel like I wasn’t only doing it for myself but for my sister who wasn’t able to compete,” Hana said. “So it feels just more than my accomplishment.”
Amanda, the indoor high school record holder at 15-1.5, has been dealing with a mental block after slipping off of her pole at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March.
“It's definitely affecting me,” Hana said. “I'm glad it hasn't affected my vaulting, but, yeah, she's working through it. I think she's in a better place than she was a couple of weeks ago, but it’s nice to have her in the stands.”
Amanda also didn’t compete in this year's Washington state championships, where Hana won her first 3A girls pole vault title with a jump of 14-7.
The sisters have had a long history of competing against each other in this event.
When Hana broke the outdoor record, it was 2.5 inches higher than the previous record, which Amanda had set in 2022.
Hanna placed second last year at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships behind Amanda. Both qualified for the U20 World Championships, where Hana won gold and Amanda finished fourth.
On Friday, since Hana passed on the first three heights, she had a long time between her warmups and her first jump. To pass the time, she did some handstands, a lot of high knees, stretched and rolled out her muscles to stay warm.
“I usually don't do handstands while I’m competing,” Hana said. “It’s before, if I'm bored. But, yeah, I really like doing handstands.”
After passing on the first three heights, Hana jumped over 13-6.25 on her first attempt, then passed for the fourth time of the day at 13-10.
At 14-2, only three jumpers remained, and Hana was sitting in second place because Jathiyah Muhammad didn’t need more than one jump for the previous marks. Hana’s club teammate, Ella McRitchie, cleared 14-2 on her first attempt, putting her in first.
Hana didn’t need more than one jump as well at 14-2, and with Muhammad being the only one out of the three jumpers to not jump over the mark on her first try, Hana sat in first place waiting for the next mark.
Hana cleared 14-6 in her first attempt and secured her win as Muhammad and McRitchie weren’t able to clear the mark.
She tried 14-9 which would’ve been a meet record, but she missed all three attempts.
Hana will be competing in two more meets this summer – USATF nationals, in the senior division, and the Ed Murphy Classic – before going off to the University of Washington with Amanda this fall.
Although she’s been competing without Amanda for several meets now, Hana still misses her sister.
“I don't have that person that I can connect with on that,” she said. “But I was feeling her vibes from the stands.”
Future Oregon sprinter Rodrick Pleasant wins his first race at Hayward Field
Rodrick Pleasant of Urban Youth TC (CA) won the men’s championship 100-meter dash in a time of 10.21 at Hayward Field on Friday night. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Maddie Lang
Rodrick Pleasant opened up his next four years in Oregon with a Nike Outdoor Nationals title. The senior from Gardena, California, is committed to play football and run track at the University of Oregon this fall.
Pleasant won the men’s championship 100-meter dash in a time of 10.21 at Hayward Field on Friday night.
“The race was great,” Pleasant said. “It was my first time running on Hayward Field. It’s amazing. This place is second to none.”
Wearing an all-red singlet, Pleasant stepped into his starting blocks. As the gun went off, Pleasant bolted out of his blocks, but a second gun went off, indicating a false start.
To his right, Kendrick Jones Jr. of Temple, Texas, was disqualified for a false start.
“The very first start I was kind of nervous because it was debatable,” said Pleasant. “I knew I had a false start, but I didn’t want them to kick me out for it.”
Racing with an open lane to his right, Pleasant stepped into his blocks for the second time. At the sound of the gun, he exploded out.
The first 75 meters were a close match, but Pleasant soon took his lead. He came across the finish line .09 ahead of runner-up Maurice Gleaton Jr.
When he runs, Pleasant wears a necklace with a picture of him and his grandfather, who passed away when he was in seventh grade.
He wanted something to take with him wherever he went. He and his mom had it made at a jewelry store.
“He means the world to me,” Pleasant said. “Just having him around me makes me feel really good. It makes me feel confident and know he’s here watching me.”
As Pleasant wraps up his high school track career, he is quickly transitioning towards his first football season as an Oregon Duck. His last high school class was June 9, and he is moving into the UO on June 18. Summer session classes start on June 26.
“It seems like I just finished school,” Pleasant said laughing..
Pleasant has been running track since he was 4 years old and began playing football when he was five. He’s used to the transition from sport to sport.
“Football and track are really different because it’s a straight line to side-to-side,” he said. “It’s going to take a couple of weeks but I’m planning on staying out here and getting after it.”
Pleasant is one of the few Oregon athletes to double in football and track. Devon Allen, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and 110-meter Olympic hurdler, is the most recent Oregon alum to pair the two.
“He gives me hope,” said Pleasant. “I’ve talked to him. Just mental things and making sure that I do everything right.”
Pleasant plans to study business and go into some sort of sports business or sports management.
“I love athletes,” Pleasant said. “I love sports and I love it all.”
Pleasant, who will compete Sunday in the 200 meters, said he was happy to “defend the home turf.”
He added, “I can’t wait to do more here.”
Meet Preview: Nike Outdoor Nationals 2023
By Ricky Quintana
The future superstars of track and field will descend on Eugene, OR June 15 – 18 for the Nike Outdoor Nationals at the incomparable Hayward Field to experience the “Hayward Magic” so many athletes have come to know and love. And many of them are from Oregon or headed to Oregon next year to become future Ducks.
Here is a small sample of the mind-blowing, generational talents that will be on hand for four days of jaw-dropping competition.
Mia Brahe-Pedersen, a junior from Lake Oswego won her state 100-meter championship in an eye-popping 11.00, the 4th fastest U.S. high school time ever and 5th fastest U20 time in the world ever. She will face another Oregonian, Sophia Beckmon of Oregon City who has run an 11.32 (+1.5 m/s wind) best this season behind Brahe-Pedersen’s 11.00 at state. Beckmon will also be in the long jump where she has jumped 22’4”, the second longest jump in U.S. high school history by one inch.
Hana Moll (Capital High School, Olympia, WA) was the first U.S. high schooler and the world’s only U20 female athlete to clear 15-0 in outdoor competition. And her sister, Amanda Moll, is the first U.S. high schooler and the world’s highest pole vaulter under 20 years of age ever at 15’1/12” which she accomplished indoors. They will be on hand at their favorite venue.
Connor Burns (Southern Boone, Ashland, MO), Simeon Birnbaum (Stevens, Rapid City, SD) and Rocky Hansen (Christ School, Arden, NC) have already run under 4 minutes in their high school careers and will be joined by Lex and Leo Young of Newbury Park (CA). Lex recently ran the U.S. high school record of 13:34.96. This is arguably the best high school mile field ever assembled. The highest number of sub-4 high schoolers in the same race is four – NON could have five! Burns and Birnbaum will be Ducks next year and the Young brothers are bound for Stanford.
Rodrick Pleasant (Serra, Gardena, CA) will run track and play defensive back for the Ducks next year. Pleasant, Maurice Gleaton (Langston Hughes, Fairburn, GA), Ernest Campbell (Refugio, TX), Ashton Torns (Austin Westlake, TX) and John Sherman III (LaVergne, TN) have all run sub 10.32 for 100-meters this season. They will tangle in the deepest field of 100-meter high schoolers ever assembled.
And for you fans, we will have a Nike Outdoor Tailgate party at The Eugene Running Company on Thursday night, Shakeout runs on Friday and Saturday mornings from Nike by Eugene and Hayward Field led by EKIN team and OTC members, and free entry on Fan Appreciation night beginning on Friday at 4 PM. Treat yourself to a kids 60-meter dash with local participants from the KIDSPORTS program, the high school 100-meter dash finals and an OTC Distance Carnival for professional runners from the Bowerman Track Club, OTC and Union Athletic Club athletes tuning up for the USATF Championships on July 6-9 at Hayward Field. Again, all of these above events are free and open to everyone so please come on by and enjoy!
You will not want to miss a moment of this year’s Nike Outdoor Nationals. More information can be found on all the top entrants, schedule of events and happenings at NikeOutdoorNationals.com.
Long jumper Sophia Beckmon caps high school career with title and a record at OSAA championships
Video by Logan Brown
By Israel La Rue
When Sophia Beckmon is competing, her personality completely changes.
“Other than track, I'm always, like, a people pleaser,” she said. “But when it comes to the sport, I'm the most selfish person ever.”
The Oregon City High School jumping phenom won her third OSAA 6A long jump championship Saturday at Hayward Field, breaking the state meet record she set last year with a jump of 20-9.
Beckmon broke her record by 7.5 inches on her first attempt of the day. Second-place finisher Elizabeth Graham of Tualatin was nearly two and a half feet behind.
Beckmon added second-place finishes in the 100 and 200 after her long jump title. She finished behind her friend Mia Brahe-Pederson in both events – by .32 in the 100 and by .51 in the 200.
Oregon City High School senior Sophia Beckmon wins the 6A girls long jump with a record-setting mark of 20-9 at the 2023 OSAA Track & Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. Photo by Maggie Troxell
Vanessa Beckmon, Sophia’s mother, said her daughter comes from a long line of introverts and dealing with the attention that comes with being a high caliber athlete can be a lot.
“She's getting better at it,” Vanessa said. “But it's a full process, I think, getting used to it. When we get home and we're all done with all of this, there is a lot of downtime, a lot of nothing, a lot of alone time to kind of reset everything. We make sure she has that time to reset.”
Beckmon started competing in track and field events during fifth grade because the company her mother was working for at the time hosted free track events for kids.
“She ran the mile, she ran the 100, she did the long jump, she ran the 400 as well,” Vanessa said. “She did everything and learned very quickly after that that she wanted to be a sprinter, but was also really good at the long jump.”
Beckmon focused solely on track and field and soon began seeing good results. She won a long jump title at the U15 Junior Olympics the summer after her eighth grade year.
With Beckmon’s progression came bigger meets. Bigger meets meant traveling all over the country. That’s when the media attention that comes with these meets became a challenge, but she is getting used to it.
“For someone who is really actually shy, she doesn’t like all the attention,” said DeShaun McKenzie, her jumps coach. “I mean, it's tough for her to even clap. So when she gets the clap going, the crowd is all eyes on her.”
McKenzie has been Beckmon’s jumping coach since her eighth-grade year. He said he caught wind of her after middle school from her club team.
“[I saw] immense talent,” he said. “It was just like clay. So if you had, like, clay that it doesn't get dirty, it doesn't stick to stuff, and it's super moldable. That was her, and I was just excited. I was excited to be able to work with her.”
McKenzie said because of her talent and athleticism, he got to a point where he invented drills for Beckmon and focused mainly on her takeoff.
“She was really flat,” he said. “So I would try to increase the velocity at the point of takeoff. Instead of deceleration into the board, I tried to get some acceleration and make those last three steps. Not the last two, but quick and powerful.”
Beckmon’s support system will continue to grow as she moves halfway across the country to compete for the University of Illinois.
“I think it'll just be important for her to have the people around – that she has her coaches here and in Illinois when she goes,” Vanessa said. “That family atmosphere to support her and help her do whatever she wants to do.”
High school junior Mia Brahe-Pedersen runs 11.0 for the 100 meters, but she isn’t satisfied
Video by Logan Brown
By Maddie Lang
Announced as the “fastest young lady in the United States of America,” Lake Oswego sprinter Mia Brahe-Pedersen stepped into her blocks Saturday for the final of the 6A 100-meter dash at the OSAA Track and Field Championships. The fans at Hayward Field went silent and turned their gaze to the start line.
As Brahe-Pedersen blazed through the race, fans watched in awe as the junior finished in a time of 11.0 flat, a new meet record, .32 ahead of the runner-up, her friend Sophia Beckmon of Oregon City.
“I was that close to going sub-11,” Brahe-Pedersen said. “I just know it’s coming soon.”
Lake Oswego High School junior Mia Brahe-Pedersen embraces Oregon City High School senior Sophia Beckmon after winning the 6A girls 100-meter dash in 11.00, a new Oregon state record, at the 2023 OSAA Track & Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. Photo by Maggie Troxell
Brahe-Pedersen, a junior, left the OSAA Track and Field State Championships with four victories – two individual, two relays – plus three meet records. She helped Lake Oswego tie with Tualatin for the 6A girls team title.
The first gun of the night for Brahe-Pedersen went off to start the 4x100-meter relay.
Riley Ha, a junior, opened up the race. As she handed off to Brahe-Pedersen you could feel the stands watch in amazement as Brahe-Pedersen gave her team a tremendous lead down the backstretch.
With her team in the lead, Brahe-Pedersen handed off to Josie Donelson. Their anchor, Marina Turpin, closed out the race in first, securing the state title.
“This is just one out of many titles that the team is going to get for just today,” Brahe-Pedersen said immediately afterward, “and then we’re chasing after that team title. So let’s get it done. This is just the beginning of it.”
Next came the 100, which Brahe-Pedersen dominated as expected.
In the 200 meters, Brahe-Pedersen exploded out of the blocks. She had already made up the stagger in the first 25 meters. She crossed the finish line in 22.65—another meet record, and half a second ahead of Beckmon, runner-up again. And she didn’t think she had run as well as she could have.
Her coach, John Parks, said, “[She] probably ran the best curve of her life, and then just kind of cramping up. Not badly, but just where she didn’t have that extra pop.”
With one more event left and her team's total score sitting at two points below first-place, Brahe-Pedersen knew the battle wasn’t over yet.
“The job’s not done,” she said immediately after the 200. “I still have the 4x4.”
In order for her team to win the title, they had to win the 4x400-meter relay.
The first two laps of the team’s relay were neck and neck with Tualatin. As Turpin handed off to Brahe-Pedersen, the team was sitting in second place.
It didn’t take long for Brahe-Pedersen to seal the lead for her team. She came into the third and final hand off 50 meters ahead of Tualatin. The team finished in 3:48.78, breaking the state meet record they had set the year before.
The win tied the Lakers with Tualatin for the State Championship title with 77 points. They had a total of six first-place finishes and four new meet records. Brahe-Pedersen was involved in 32 of them.
“I’m just really excited that I was able to contribute to what my team is trying to do here today,” she said.
Looking forward to the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward starting on June 15, Brahe-Pedersen felt she has several things she can improve on to get her times even lower.
In the 100, she said, “I kind of just started fighting for the clock. I need to just focus on getting through the race, and the times are just going to be a result of doing it properly.”
For the 200, she said, she has to watch her hydration. “Just just making sure I stay fueled better,” she said.
And beyond that?
“Hey, we’re not done,” Brahe-Pedersen said. “We’ve still got another year after this, and I just hope Oregon is ready.”
Early exposure to para competition pays off for athletes at OSAA state championships
Hillsboro High School sophomore Elizabeth Keen competes in the Para 400-meter dash at the 2023 OSAA Track & Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Maddie Lang
Neither Micah Laws nor Elizabeth Keen originally chose to compete in track and field. However, after being pushed by loved ones and friends to try it, they fell in love with the sport.
Laws, a freshman at Cascade High School, began running in fourth grade because, he said with a grin, “I was made to do it by my mom.”
“With visual impairment,” Laws said, “I don’t have a lot of options for sports.”
Keen, a sophomore at Hillsboro High School, was 9 years old and attending one of her friend’s races when her friend's coach threw Keen into a race wheelchair and had her compete.
“I kept coming back,” she said, “because I really liked the competitive side of track and going against people that were the same as me.”
Both athletes won medals Friday night at the OSAA State Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
This is Laws’ first season running distance and his first time running at Hayward Field. He competed in the Para 1,500 meters Friday night where he ran by himself, finishing in 5:39.08.
“Being alone was a lot more nerve racking,” he said.
He has high hopes for himself and hopes to one day beat the Para-1500 record. To reach this goal, Laws wants to start taking running more seriously and training in the off-season.
Keen competed in the Para 400-meter dash against one other competitor, who did not use a wheelchair. She ran a time of 2:05.64, which is just two seconds off of her PR.
Keen felt frustrated after her race. She said it was hard having to compete against someone who is ambulatory and would have rather competed alone. She felt as though the first-place title was unfairly taken from her.
“It makes me feel like all my hard work was nothing,” she said.
During her high school season, Keen competes either with able-bodied athletes or in her own race. She doesn’t have many competitors who race like her.
“I honestly at this point just compete against my own time,” she said.
During the summers, Keen is a part of several different Paralympic track and field clubs, and she competes against and trains with other wheelchair track and field athletes.
No track to practice on? No problem for three-time OSAA individual champ Jace Martin
Adrian High School senior Jace Martin wins a total of four 1A state titles in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, and 4x400-meter relay at the 2023 OSAA Track & Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. Photo by Maggie Troxell
By Israel LaRue
Adrian High School track star Jace Martin didn’t need a track to get a Division I college scholarship. He’s broken records and won championships all while practicing in a basketball gym.
Martin won four 1A state championship events Friday at the 2023 OSAA Track and Field Championships – the 100, 200 and 400 meters plus the 4x400 relay. On Thursday, he had set 1A state meet records during the prelims in the individual events.
In the 100, he ran 10.60, breaking his own record that he set last year of 10.99; in the 200, his time of 21.88 beat Jake Ovgard’s record of 22.35 set in 2011; and in the 400, Martin ran 49.80 to beat Adrian’s Maurus Hope’s record of 49.83 set in 2007.
Martin didn’t need a track to win all of these championships and break records, as Adrian doesn’t have a track for its athletes so the track team mostly practices inside of the school’s basketball gym.
“It's a shorter distance, obviously,” he said. “You can't run a full 100 in the gym. It's harder on your legs. So we do a lot of recovery stuff. It's not ideal for speed, but we make it work with what we got.”
Martin is the first athlete from Adrian to receive a Division I scholarship, and he got multiple offers to choose from.
D1 athletes at service academies aren’t on athletic scholarships like other Division I athletes are; instead they are appointed to the service academies and have their schooling paid for. In return, the athletes serve their country after graduation.
Martin committed to Air Force for track and field over Notre Dame. He started his journey to become a Falcon before his senior year.
“It's a long process,” he said. “It took me about a year. I mean, there were lots of interviews, lots of papers, lots of late nights and lots of studying. Very stressful. So it made it that much better when I heard I got accepted.”
To become an Air Force athlete, students must get a letter of recommendation from their state representative. U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz wrote Martin’s letter of recommendation.
Only four track and field athletes were appointed to the Air Force Academy in this year's recruiting class.
“I think it has what I want both athletically and, most importantly, academically,” he said. “I mean, prestige-wise, and in terms of pushing you to your limits, getting you to excel, there's no really higher up than Air Force.”
Martin’s goal is to become a Judge Advocate General (JAG) or a military lawyer.
“I know there's a lot of cool opportunities there, so I'm trying to keep an open mind,” he said. “If I come out wanting to be a pilot, then I'm all for it.”
After breaking state meet records on Thursday, Martin switched up his strategy for Friday’s finals.
“I'm just going for placings,” he said. “I'm pretty happy with the times yesterday, so now I'm just trying to finalize it and get it all done.”
With running so many events, Martin barely had any time to recover between races.
The 1A 100m race started at 6:08 p.m.. Martin won with a time of 10.95, about a half-second ahead of runner-up Keith Gaskell. He didn’t get to the podium until 6:18, and then was awarded his medal at 6:20. Martin was interviewed for about five minutes. The 1A 400m race started at 6:38. Martin literally had less than 10 minutes of true rest between the two races.
He had a plan to deal with it, though.
“Mostly just kind of keep my legs loose, keep them relaxed,” he said during those five minutes of interviews after the 100. “Like I said, I had a big day yesterday, have a big day today. There's really good competition. So really just kind of saving my energy across all my events to get in good placings where I want, and then be able to be competitive in that 4x4.”
Martin then won the 400 in 50.94, with second-place finisher Ralph Pohlschneider finishing 1.31 seconds behind him.
After the 400, Martin had about an hour and 20 minutes before the 1A 200m race started. He won his third state championship of the day with a time of 22.02, just .20 ahead of runner-up Zion Fantroy. But after the 200, he was feeling the effects of the three races.
“I mean, two full days of two 400s, two 200s and two 100s – my legs are starting to catch with me,” he said. “I thought I came off the curve really well, but I hit that 20 meters mark, and I was like, ‘Oh, boy, here it comes.’”
He still had to anchor the 4x400 relay about an hour later. During his post-race interview after the 200, he was visibly tired. His plan: “Legs up and pray I can make it around that last hundred,” he said.
Adrian then won the relay finishing .23 ahead of Imbler High School.
Adrian is currently building a track that will be complete by the end of the summer. One of the benefactors will be Martin’s sister, Addy. She’s currently a sophomore at Adrian and, like her brother, won three individual state titles Friday in the 100, 200 and 400.
She said the Martins have a lot of experience running and practicing away from a traditional track.
“When we were little, yeah, we would just get out of the yard, race back and forth,” she said. “Sometimes it was like an obstacle course and you had to run barefoot across the rock. So maybe that's what it is.”
Jace Martin said the new track will have a “red surface” just like Hayward Field.
“I'm a little bummed that they're putting it in right after I graduate,” he said. “I'm like, one year sooner would have been great, but no. It's looking awesome right now.”
Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell warmed up for Pac-12 Championships with an Oregon Twilight victory
Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell won the Women’s 1,500-meter race in 4:14.76 at the Oregon Twilight on Friday, May 5, 2023. Photo by Maggie Troxell.
By Israel La Rue
Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell didn’t plan on running at the Oregon Twilight Meet, but on Friday she decided to run the 1,500 meter race and won with a time of 4:14.76.
“I wasn't actually originally supposed to even, like, race today,” Mitchell said. “But I'm planning on doing the steeple 1500 double at [the Pac-12 Championships].”
The Pac-12 Championships are this weekend at Walnut, Calif. Mitchell said that the last time she ran a 1,500 was at the Bryan Clay Invitational in mid-April, and she felt like she needed to get another race in.
“I wasn't focused on time or anything,” she said. “Just, like, practicing running 1,500 going into the prelim on Friday.”
Mitchell ran a solid race staying at the top of the pack until the last lap. In the last 400 meters, she exploded to take the lead and finish strong.
Mitchell will run in the 1,500 prelims on May 12, and if she makes the cut for the final she will run on May 14. In between those two races, Mitchell will run the steeplechase. So getting this last 1,500 in before the prelims was much needed.
She has the chance to win her first Pac-12 title this weekend. At last year's Pac-12 Championships Mitchell finished second in the 3000 meter steeplechase and came in third place in the same event at the 2021 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships.
Mitchell scored Oregon State’s first points at last year’s NCAA Championships since the 1986 season. She placed sixth in the steeplechase and set a school record of 9:34.59.
Mitchell ran her last race in Eugene for Oregon State but hopes to return to Hayward Field for the USATF Outdoor Championships.
“It's my last outdoor season in the Beaver uniform,” she said. “So just trying to enjoy it.”
Mine De Klerk Is Hopeful For Her ‘Big One’ at the Pac-12 Championship
University of Oregon’s Mine De Klerk won the Women’s Discus with a throw of 51.97 meters at the Oregon Twilight on Friday, May 5, 2023. Photo by Maggie Troxell.
By Maddie Lang
After a strong win in the discus throw Friday night at the Oregon Twilight Meet, throwing 51.97 meters on her third throw, Oregon’s Mine De Klerk is looking for even more.
“I know a big one’s coming, hopefully next week,” De Klerk said, looking toward the Pac-12 Championships. She said she has felt strong in practice and that she’ll know when she has thrown the big one for the season.
“Maybe with a little bit more pressure and competition, I'll finally get the big one I’ve been training for,” she added.
One of De Klerk’s biggest emphases lately has been her change in approach in her other event, shot put.
She said that the gliding approach wasn’t working for her anymore.
At one practice this season, De Klerk and her teammates were just having fun when Brian Blutreich,Oregon’s new throws coach, told her, “Just spin.” She attempted a rotating approach, and he told her it wasn’t bad for someone who hadn’t done it before.
After conferring with her father and her coach from back home in South Africa, she decided to give the new approach a try. De Klerk said she’s been working on it for a few months but still has a ways to go before she fully has it down.
“It’s gonna take awhile to get the timing right, but I don’t think it’s been going that bad,” De Klerk said.
Her season record with the new approach is 16.29 meters. Her personal best, which she set last April using the gliding approach, is 17.19. She has plenty of room to improve on her throw.
De Klerk said, “[There’s been] a lot of changes, and I think there’s still a lot more things to change. But for now it’s been good.”
Eugene Marathon winners Sara Lopez and Clint McKelvey qualify for Olympic Trials
Sara Lopez won the women’s race with an Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:33:48 at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maggie Troxell.
By Israel La Rue
Sara Lopez won the women’s race at the Eugene Marathon in 2:33:48, becoming the only female runner in the field to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, which has a significantly faster qualifying time than the previous one.
“I’m on top of the world,” Lopez said. “This is the best day.”
The new standard is 2:37, eight minutes faster than the 2020 standard of 2:45. The change will mean a smaller field, but Lopez thinks the elite runners will rise to the challenge.
“I think it’s really good for the sport,” she said. “I think women’s running in the U.S. is so deep right now. So I think it’s really good for the sport. It really pushes us women to the best that we can be.”
Clint McKelvey won the men’s race with an Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:16:34 at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maggie Troxell.
Men’s winner Clint McKelvey was one of five male finishers who qualified for the Olympic trials. The men’s standard also got lowered, but not as drastically. The 2024 standard of 2:19 is only one minute faster.
McKelvey won with a time of 2:16:34, which is the third-best time in the race’s history.
“The number one goal was getting the Olympic trial standard and getting the time to go to Orlando,” McKelvey said.
Lopez and McKelvey both said the conditions – cool and cloudy, with a bit of rain – were perfect to run this marathon.
“I’m from Seattle, so when it was drizzling in the beginning I was like OK, this is perfect,” Lopez said. “This is what I’m used to, so that’s good.”
McKelvey isn’t from the Pacific Northwest; he trains in Arlington, Va. But he agreed.
“It even drizzled a couple of times during the race, which was kind of nice to keep cool ‘cause it wasn’t enough to soak your shoes,” McKelvey said. “I think even pretty late in the race, I never felt like I was getting too hot or anything, which is really what you need in a marathon. I think we really lucked out with a good day.”
The other four male runners who hit the qualifying standard are David Fuentes, Jesse Joseph, Zachary Hine and Bradley Taylor.
Now that the two runners have clinched spots in Orlando next year, the goal is to continue training for the trials.
“It feels really good,” Lopez said. “It feels like a nice weight off my shoulders, and we can just focus on some speed this summer and get ready for the trials next year.”
Fans and their signs add to the Hayward Magic at the Eugene Marathon
Dan Myers and his daughter, Olivia Myers, hold colorful signs while cheering on runners at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maddie Lang.
By Maddie Lang
Dan Myers and his daughter, Olivia, waited on the curb Sunday morning with colorful signs sprinkled in glitter and pom poms. Olivia’s hot pink sign had the words “Go mommy. You can do this. Finish strong.” Dan’s neon yellow one read, “This is a lot of work for a free banana.”
The first few runners in the Eugene Marathon sprinted past while father and daughter prepared for their shining moment. As soon as they saw Kellie Myers, they held their signs up proud and took a deep breath. She ran by, and for 30 seconds Olivia and Dan yelled their loudest cheers and waved their signs in support. They had traveled all the way from Chico, California, to support Kellie as she attempted to qualify for the Boston Marathon and they let no second go to waste supporting her.
Kellie Myers from Chico, California smiles after running a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:23:57 at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maddie Lang.
A few hours later, on the concourse at Hayward Field, Kellie was wrapped in a foil blanket and proudly holding her trophy, a banana.
She had a wide smile as she was surrounded by her husband and daughter. She had just run a 3:23:57 marathon, qualifying for the Boston Marathon next April.
She said she wanted to prove to Olivia that she can accomplish whatever she puts her mind to. The mantras on the signs of “you can do this” and “finish strong” are important mindsets that she wants to teach Olivia through example. She said she wants her daughter to know it’s “OK to do what you’re afraid of.”
The supporters and their signs were part of what made the Eugene Marathon experience so unique and special.
The course winds through the city of Eugene all the way from Amazon Park, across the Willamette River, up to the Owosso Bridge and back to the finish on Hayward Field. Its primarily flat terrain is what attracts athletes from across the country and outside the United States who come to run Olympic and Boston Marathon qualifying times.
The high hopes of the runners give the fans much to cheer about. Their cheers and cowbells can be heard from blocks away, giving the whole city of Eugene something to cheer about on the cloudy Sunday morning.
Other signs had inside jokes written on them like, “Half-marathon today, Netflix tomorrow,” or, “If you’re not first, you’re last,” which is a reference to the popular movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
At another spot on the course, Jay Puffinburger, his golden retriever puppy and his mother, Cheri waited for their turn to cheer on his fiancée, Dayu Aryanthi, and her friend Molly Bineham. Jay held a sign covered in confetti and pom poms that told his fiancée she is amazing.
Cheri rang a cowbell a friend had brought her from Switzerland and held a bright green sign reading, “This was a great idea 6 months ago.” Emphasis on the “was.” The early runners commented on her sign, saying, “That’s so true,” “You’re so right” and “There’s a lot of truth to your sign.”
The two chuckled at the popularity of their sign. Their pup lay flat on the ground, but as soon as Aryanthi was in sight, she perked up, excited to say hi to such a familiar face. Jay and his mother began their cheers for Aryanthi and Bineham. Aryanthi stopped for a quick hello before she continued on to finish her first marathon in 4:31:46.
63 Years Since the First Sub-4 Mile at Hayward Field
Dyrol Burleson outkicks Stanford’s Ernie Cunliffe, in a dual meet against Stanford University to become the second American to break the 4-minute barrier. Photo provided by UO Libraries Special Collections and University Archives
By Natalie Baltierra
“When you see someone do the impossible, everything becomes possible.”
63 years ago this month, 20-year-old University of Oregon sophomore, Dyrol Burleson, ran the first sub-4 minute mile at Hayward Field on April 23rd, 1960.
Burleson clocked a time of 3:58.60 for the mile, outkicking Stanford’s Ernie Cunliffe, in a dual meet against Stanford University to become the second American to break the 4-minute barrier. His mark surpassed Don Bowden’s American record by one tenth of a second.
Under the guidance of Coach Bill Bowerman, Burleson never lost a race during his time as an Oregon Duck. He received the first full ride scholarship from Coach Bowerman and credits his undefeated collegiate career to his coach, as mentioned in an interview with sportswriter Gary Cohen.
Burleson was a three-time NCAA champion between his sophomore through senior seasons. He won the 1500m in 1960 and the mile in 1961 and 1962. Since freshmen were not allowed to compete during this time, Burleson competed in the 1500m at the 1959 Pan American Games and the AAU and US-USSR dual meet.
Since then, over thousands of athletes have accomplished the sub-4 minute mile feat – something that used to be thought of as an impossible task. It was not until British athlete Roger Bannister did the “impossible” to become the first person to run a mile in under four minutes in 1954.
Almost seven decades later, the "impossible” has nearly become the norm.
According to the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), a total of 103 NCAA-level (Division I, II, and III) athletes have run a sub-4 mile this past 2022-2023 NCAA Indoor Track & Field season.
A lot has changed since then and there are many factors that come into play when looking at the why and how of the remarkable increase of sub-4 minute miles: The evolution of training, advanced coaching, modern facilities, the introduction of “super shoes,” and much more.
Yet, one thing remains the same no matter the passage of time: The chase for the coveted sub-4 mile.
Today, the sub-4 feat is commemorated right here in our Eugene/Springfield community. Founded in 2022 by Olympian, World-Record Holder, and three-time U.S. Champion Ben Blankenship, Endless Mileage is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable environments and programming that inspire the next generation of track & field athletes to break barriers.
Under the Endless Mileage project, the Fast Forest is the visible recognition of the accomplishments of the American athletes who have run a sub-4 (men) and sub-4:30 (women) mile.
Located at Dorris Ranch in Springfield, Oregon – just three miles east of Hayward Field – over 692 trees have been planted to honor the 692 American athletes who have accomplished this feat through 2021, with more trees being added every year. Dyrol Burleson’s sub-4 minute mile is immortalized with the second tree planted in the grove.
Every tree has a biodegradable hang tag with the athlete’s name, official time, and date of the accomplishment so you will know when you have found the right one. Wander the grove or search for a specific athlete using the Fast Forest map here – and be sure to tell us what you think.
Women's History Month: Q&A with Mercedes Oliver, track and field photographer and member of 2022 Pre Classic Black Women Photographer cohort
Elaine Thompson-Herrah waits in the tunnel of Hayward Field to walk out to the medal stand after finishing third in the 100-meters at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. Photo by Mercedes Oliver
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of inspirational women in track and field history.
We sat down with Mercedes Oliver, a talented photographer and a member of the 2023 Prefontaine Classic media team. She has been documenting the sport of track and field for many years and last year took photos for TrackTown USA at the Pre Classic and for World Athletics at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. She is also a proud member of the Black Women Photographer organization.
To start, tell us about your current career and involvement with track & field
I work full-time as a graphic designer for a sports agency. On the side, I do photo. I really started [photography] in 2020 professionally because I was a creative director at University of Alabama at Birmingham and I wore a lot of hats. We needed some photos done, I picked up a camera, and found out that I just had a natural knack for it. So I started shooting more pictures. I did track in college, so I’m a huge track fan. I did it for about six years between college and my graduate degree. I’ve always been a fan of the sport. I always wanted to shoot photos for it or do some creative work for it because I think it’s amazing, so that’s how I got started in that realm of life.
Photo courtesy of Mercedes Oliver
You got connected to TrackTown USA through Black Women Photographers, who we had partnered with for some of our 2022 events. How did you get involved with the Black Women Photographers community?
One day I was on social media and people had been sharing [posts]. This was around when Polly [Irungu] had just started to grow BWP, they were sharing some work, and she reached out to me and said “I rarely see Black women in sports. This is kind of crazy, I’m so shocked.” We were just talking about it on social and she ended up nominating me for PhMuseum’s Black female photographers to look out for, and I was the only Black woman sports photographer on the list. That was a really cool moment for me and Polly, and we ended up developing our friendship from there. There’s not many Black women who shoot sports. It’s a very small number. From there I always tag them [BWP] in my pictures if I shoot something and they re-share or re-post. Once she opened the applications for track I was like, “Yeah, I love track. I’d love to bring my eye to the sport,” and she selected me and a few others to be on that photo team.
Only approximately one-third of sports photographers are women, and an even smaller percent are women of color. What are some of the challenges you face as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
You get hit on a lot. It’s a bit uncomfortable, like I’m just trying to get my shots in. I usually wear my hair in braids, and people do touch hair a lot, which is a bit odd. You’ll get people who will touch your hair, or they’ll ask you how long your hair is and that’s a bit awkward also because you like you feel like you stand out a little bit more. I don’t go around asking people about their hair 90% of the time, unless it’s something like, “Oh you got a new haircut.” So that’s a challenge. Sometimes you feel like you have to prove yourself, even if you’re at a certain level. Sometimes it feels like you have to almost give a resume of why or how you got this far. You get challenged a little bit more. You feel like you always have to present a resume. My work should speak for itself; you don’t question everyone else. You feel like you can’t make as many mistakes, like there’s not as much cushion for you as there is for others. You’re under a microscope it feels like, sometimes.
Flip-side to the same question – what are some opportunities you see as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
I think women are naturally more approachable and we make people more comfortable when we’re working with them. We have a level of empathy to help people open up if they are a little more timid in the photos. You want those big, emotional reactions sometimes and I always found that people tend to work better with a woman because we’re able to talk to you and not just treat you like an object being shot. It’s more like we’re working between friends, and not like you know I’m just doing my job and you feel like just a subject like let’s just get this done. That kind of energy.
Track & field is known in the sports industry for having incredibly unique and stellar photography. What is it about the sport that you think primes it to be so engaging via that medium?
Track athletes – there’s a lot of passion in the sport. They’re not millionaires out there. We’re not shooting people who make $5 million for one game no matter if they win or lose. They really have to work for prize money. They really have to show up. It’s real passion, and through the lens – you can see that. The emotional reactions are really genuine. Sadness, anger, happiness, you can see that and capture that because it’s so powerful in that space. In other sports, you get a little bit of it sometimes, but in track it’s such authentic emotion. You have to have more than a want of money in track. You really have to enjoy what you do because you have to spend so much time training. The level of what gets poured into it is so beautiful to capture because it’s such raw, authentic emotion and you can really feel and see that passion when you’re in that space.
Who are some of your favorite photographers to follow in the sports industry?
My best friend is Shanna Lockwood, she’s the Falcons photographer. I love her. She is my heartbeat. I love the team that I work with for these track events–Kelcey McKinny, Mikeisha [Kelly], Taylor [Sims]. A lot of them are track fans or old track athletes, so you see the passion and a bit more understanding of the sport come out. When you’ve been in those shoes you know what to capture on a different level. Kate Frese with the Phoenix Suns. She has the best arrival photos – she does this cool double exposure. Brandon Todd, he’s based in New York. He’s fantastic. He shoots literally everything, he’s amazing. I have a long list. There’s a younger guy named Jaden [Powell] who’s amazingly talented coming up. He sometimes works with Getty and he’s fresh out of college. He’s really talented. I could go on for honestly days. Chanelle [Smith-Walker] over at the Panthers is another one, and a Black woman in that space, which is very rare for the NFL. They’re just really great people on top of that. Really welcoming and loving and they’re some of my close friends. They help me and I help them.
What is your favorite photo that you took at Hayward Field this last summer?
Fred Kerley at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. Photo by Mercedes Oliver
I got this really cool abstract photo of Fred [Kerley] that people have literally DM’d me 100 times about, and I won’t tell anyone [how I did it]. It’s a secret. I gotta keep something to myself. It almost looks blown out, white surrounding him, but you can see on his back it says “USA,” that’s one of my faves. I love the portrait I got of Elaine right before she walked out for the medal ceremony at World Champs. I shot with available light and she was perfectly positioned behind the purplish blue wall so it looks like I shot it in the studio but it was just me standing next to her. She has great cheekbones, she’s very beautiful, so it really worked. She made it very easy. She did all the work, I just turned around and shot it. Those are my two favorites.
What is your bucket-list event to shoot?
Olympics, easy. That’s a huge moment, especially in track. You work four years and you have this one moment. It’s crazy. You train your whole life for it. It’s a hard sport, there’s a lot that goes into it.
Follow Mercedes on Instagram: @mercedesoliver.jpg
Women's History Month: Q&A with Sam Nadel, Six-Time All-American and Member of UO Women’s Triple Crown Team
Photo provided by Sam Nadel
By Natalie Baltierra
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of inspirational women in Oregon track and field history.
We sat down with Sam Nadel, a six-time All-American and a member of the University of Oregon Women’s Triple Crown team. Nadel scored points at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, as well as the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 2016-17 seasons.
What does being an alumna of the University of Oregon Women’s Track and Field team mean to you?
It is honestly such an honor and a privilege. Everyone knows the University of Oregon track and field team – it is literally at the top of the sport. I have always been so humbled and thankful to have been a part of that, especially the 2016-17 team. I have always been so grateful for that opportunity and just what it means within the context of track and field.
The UO Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams accomplished something that had never been done before: Win NCAA titles in the cross country, indoor and outdoor championships all in one year. How is this historic achievement significant to the growth of the sport and the impact on women’s athletics?
I think it is huge, especially with the University of Oregon. A lot of history is centered around the men of Oregon – you always hear about that. The women’s team winning the Triple Crown was huge because it really shows how much women in sports have grown over the years. To accomplish something like that was so big because it brought a lot of attention to women’s sports and shows what is possible. When other teams see that, it is like “Well, you know, maybe we could do that too.” It was a really key moment, not just for Oregon, but for women’s sports across the board in general.
Thinking back to being a part of all three Triple Crown teams, walk me through the energy and mindset when going into each championship race.
It was honestly awesome because I had never been a part of a group where it was so razor focused. Obviously, everyone had their individual goals for these meetings, but really everyone had that team goal we were working towards. That is something we all knew we wanted to accomplish. Being a part of this big team where everyone had the same mindset and focused on this one goal was really cool. The energy was very positive, very intentional, and very focused. Especially at the meets when you see your teammates put points up on the board, it was really inspiring when everyone is out there rooting for each other. For me, all I was thinking was how can I get some points up on the board and how can I contribute to the team score. It is a really special feeling when you feel like you are a part of that.
Did you feel any sort of pressure going into these races?
Yeah, definitely. I think there was that pressure there. There is quote that I always like to think of where Billie Jean King said, “Pressure is a privilege." I guess you can say the pressure was there, but I think we just saw it as a privilege. It was something that we all really wanted. I think having that pressure can be good when you are out there knowing your teammates are counting on you. I think that can have a positive effect on how you perform and doing it for something that is bigger than yourself. We all viewed it in a positive way. Everyone knew they wanted to do it, so it was not something that people shield away from or anything like that.
How did being a part of the Triple Crown team impact your commitment to the sport?
I always considered myself to be extremely committed to cross country and track, which is pretty much why I wanted to be a part of a program like the University of Oregon. I think that is a big part of what got me there. We accomplished so much more than I ever would have thought initially going into it. Accomplishing all of that is such a cool feeling and it heightened that commitment that was already there.
After my sixth year, I wanted to keep going to see what I could do at the professional level, so I joined the Boston Athletic Association.
I would say that winning that Triple Crown and being on that high made me think: If we could do this, what else can we accomplish? You know, sky is the limit thing.
As a very successful high school and college athlete, how did you make the transition from athlete to coach? What did you bring from your running career into coaching?
I felt like I had so much experience with the sport at a high level starting with running in high school, Georgetown for undergrad, Oregon for grad, and then a year for the BAA. Four high-level programs and each one was different in the ways we trained, and the coaches were different. I felt I had a ton of experience which gave me confidence for coaching – something I had always wanted to get into when I was done competing.
The way it happened was kind of funny. I was running for the BAA and I intended to be there for a few years. One of my teammates from Georgetown was an assistant at Stanford at the time, and they were looking for a replacement since one of their coaches was going to leave. He remembered that I said I wanted to get into coaching when I finished competing, so he called me up and asked if I would be interested in joining. I ended up moving to North Carolina as an assistant distance coach at UNC. It was an opportunity I felt like I could not say no to even though I intended to keep running for a couple years.
From being an athlete to coaching, it is a different role, especially starting off young as I was 25 years old at the time starting out. Overall, I was confident in what I could bring as a coach because I learned a lot from the experience I had [as an athlete].
Photo provided by Sam Nadel
My fifth year of my college career – when we won the Triple Crown – was the smoothest year that I had. I was injured on-and-off throughout college. It definitely was not this picture-perfect, super smooth ride. But I felt like I learned a lot from that. So, not only the experience from being at four different programs but also my own personal experience with my running and what I went through, I felt like I just had a lot I could give as a coach. That is what really aided in my transition from being just an athlete to coaching.
In terms of specific things that I bring into coaching, I learned a lot about different coaching styles, training styles, injury prevention (a big one for me personally) and the importance of building relationships with your athletes. I feel like a lot of coaching is really getting to know what motivates each individual athlete. I took a lot from my experience with that.
Tell me about some of the most influential coaches in your running career.
At every step of the way, each coach had an impact on me. My high school coach taught me a lot about commitment, the value of hard work, and going all-in for something both individually and as a team. We had a pretty good team when I was in high school. We trained a lot and I think a lot of people just thought we were doing a lot. But [my coach] really taught us the value of hard work, commitment, and doing it for your team.
When I was at Georgetown, Coach Mike, who is coaching at NAU now, taught me a lot about going all-in for something, doing everything you can, and committing yourself 100% to it – even though that does not mean it will always work out.
The coach that had the biggest impact on me was Coach Maurica, the women’s coach when we won the Triple Crown. It was my first time having a female coach and I think there was a big relatability factor to that. She had the biggest impact on me. I was hurt on-and-off since the end of high school and during most of my time in undergrad. I felt like I did not accomplish what I wanted to throughout my time in undergrad, but it was something deep down that I still really wanted to seek out. That is why I wanted to do that fifth year, and I wanted to do it at Oregon because I was going all-in. I figured if I really wanted to seek out my potential, and if there was anywhere that could get me back, it was going to be a place like that. And so, I really went all-in.
I remember [during] my visit [to Oregon] before I decided to attend, [Coach Maurica] and I talked a lot about what injuries I had gone through and what my journey had been like through both high school and college. She was very reassuring and was like “I think this is something that can be fixed in the weight room.” Long story short, I just had a lot of weaknesses and imbalances that I did not know about when I was in undergrad. Once I got on a program for that, it helped me a lot to stay healthy.
I was able to get along with her really well as there was that relatability piece, so we had a good relationship. With all those things, having her was huge because she was willing to listen to what I had gone through. It seems like she knew exactly how to get me out of the spiral of the injury cycle I was experiencing. I really bought into it, and it all ended up working out even better than I could have imagined. I am really thankful for that opportunity because my running was really something that I wanted to see out – I felt like I had it in me and I just could not get any consistency, really. I remember she had sold that to me on my visit, and it was true when I got there. Everything she said was true. Looking back, I am so thankful for that because if I did not have that who knows what I would be capable of running-wise or if I were to keep going.
Why is it important to have women coaches in the sport of track and field?
There are not a ton, but I think it is really important to have female coaches and not even just for women’s teams. I work with both the men and women at George Washington University, and I think there is a big value to that. I think women can bring a different perspective a lot of the time. That is important because there is that relatability piece for women but even for men, too. There is a lot to be said for being able to work with both [men and women] and having that impact on both teams. Just naturally, men and women can bring different things to the table.
I think we all felt that connection with [Coach Maurica]. When you feel that connection, you are going to run well because you want to do it – not just for you, not just for the team, but for her too. She made practice every day really fun. I think that energy does have an impact on performance. It is important to have that relatability piece and to see that she was a great athlete herself back when she was running at Stanford and hearing about what she accomplished. It is just so cool to see and learn from someone who was at a high-level.
Who are some women figures in sports you looked up to while growing up?
The most inspired I felt was honestly being a part of that Triple Crown team and seeing what my teammates accomplished – someone like Raevyn Rogers winning that national championship every year. I mean, the amount of pressure I am sure she experienced and how she was able to pull it off every time.
But really, just being on that team, obviously, all the women were so accomplished. Everyone did feel both that individual and team pressure. I felt like everyone was able to really dial-in and handle it really well. That was always really inspiring to me. It was just my own teammates, honestly. Being a part of a team like that is contagious and everyone feels that energy. I think with them it goes an extra level because you know them, they are your teammates. I feel like I am most inspired by people that I really know because you see what they go through, you see what they struggle with, and you see them overcome struggles. For me personally, I have always felt the most inspired by seeing female athletes that I know and see what they accomplish.
It is a high-pressure environment, so seeing everyone come together and overcome all of that and actually do it – that is the most inspiring to me.
What advice do you have for young female athletes in sports?
Photo provided by Sam Nadel
The advice that I would give would be to seek out those role models that will help you achieve your goals. Build off those similar mindsets and work towards accomplishing something together. Find people that you really look up to – could be your teammates or anyone really in your sport. You are inspired by people that have accomplished things that you want to accomplish. Choose to be surrounded by people that have the same mindset. I think it is really important to surround yourself with those people because then the feeling and those goals just magnify. Something I noticed through coaching is sometimes there can be competition with one another when we should be coming together as a team and supporting one another to accomplish something together. It should not always be against one another.
What are some positive changes you hope to see in the future of women’s track and field?
Going back to your first question of our team doing something that has never been done before, I think we are moving in a really positive direction as far as accomplishing things like that. As far as things I would like to see in the future, I hope we continue to untangle certain stereotypes about women in sports. I think we are privier to it as coaches because we just see it more. For example, there is always a debate should we move the women up to 8K or 10K in cross country? Or should the distances be more equitable? Even stereotypes within women’s teams like, “Oh, women can be harder to manage,” you know, things like that. I think untangling some of those stereotypes and moving past some of that is really going to happen when you have more women accomplishing things like this and just having more experience. There are also stereotypes about women in coaching and I think those are only going to get untangled once you have more representation of women doing it.
Continuing to move in that direction to have more female representation in the sport and to have more women’s teams accomplishing more of these things is what is going to start making things a bit more equitable.
Abby Steiner shines at Hayward Field, captures 200m title at USATF Championships
Kentucky’s Abby Steiner celebrates after running a lifetime best 21.77 to win the 200m national title at Hayward Field. Photo by Tim Healy
By Joe Zochert
In her debut in the U.S. Championships, Kentucky’s Abby Steiner captured her first ever national title in the women’s 200 meters with a personal best and world leading time of 21.77 at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Steiner set the track on fire on a hot 90° day as she set a personal best and got the world lead just hours earlier in the semifinals with a 21.80.
After the race, Steiner talked about her approach in each round over the past two days and how it helped her put together multiple personal-best performances.
“I think the biggest thing was just taking it one round at a time and executing each race and not getting too far ahead of myself,” said Steiner. “So yeah, just doing what I needed to do coming out of prelims to get the preferred lane and then just attacking it in the final.”
The 200m collegiate record holder has had a long track season as she competed both indoor and outdoor for Kentucky this season. Just two weeks ago, Steiner competed at the NCAA Championships and captured the 200m title and played an integral part of Kentucky winning the 4x400m relay.
“I think the biggest thing is just to not put limitations on yourself and I completely trust my coach,” she said. “I know that his training cycles will have me ready for these meets.”
Steiner has not put any limitations on herself this year and has seen success as a result. For the 22-year-old, this year’s success comes on the heels of missing most of last year, including NCAA’s and the Olympic Trials, due to Achillis tendonitis.
“We always said, the way that last year ended that delay doesn't mean denial,” said Steiner. “And you know, God has a great plan for you.”
“I think just trusting in that, and knowing that, although last year was the end of a chapter, it wasn't the end of my story.”
At the USATF Championships, Steiner concluded her chapter with Kentucky as she competed in her last meet. She reflected on her time and the wild ride of learning the sport from her coach, Tim Hall.
“I came into Kentucky as a two-sport athlete who really didn't know that much about track,” said Steiner, who also played soccer her freshman year before focusing on sprints. “I didn't have a fall training my freshman year at Kentucky and it was a struggle my freshman year there was a lot to learn.”
“Just really trusting the process and my coach and you know, going through those progressions and to now you know, fulfilling that vision. So it's been a really special journey. A lot of ups and downs along the way, but this is a special up.”
With her chapter at Kentucky closed, Steiner shifts her focus toward the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 in July. She couldn’t be more excited to have it at Hayward Field.
“I'm excited to come back to Eugene after being here twice. It's a familiar environment,” she said. “So just really looking to take it one round at a time since it's my first World Championships.”
“I don't have a lot of expectations for myself, but hoping to kind of come out of the round similar to how I treated them this weekend and just go from there.”
At Worlds, Steiner will be competing against some of the best as she could potentially face off against Jamaica’s Sherika Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah. On Sunday night, Jackson ran the world-leading time of 21.55 after Steiner set it just hours earlier.
Even with the challenge of facing the best in the world, Steiner is taking in all the excitement of competing on the world stage.
“I'm really excited,” she said. “I'm excited to be on a world stage for the first time and being able to represent my country. It's really special.”
Lyles and Knighton do not disappoint in battle over 200m
Noah Lyles (left) edges out Erriyon Knighton (right) to win the 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships 200m title. Photo by Logan Hannigan-Downs
By Cassie Cole
Sprinting events have always been popular at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, and the men’s 200m final on Sunday did not disappoint.
Sprinting phenom Noah Lyles finished first in the event with a time of 19.67, but it wasn’t without a fight. Lyles and Erriyon Knighton finished first in their respective heats for both the preliminary and semifinal rounds, setting them up as the top competitors for the national title in Sunday’s final. Although Knighton had the lead from the gun, Lyles passed him in the final 30 meters. Knighton finished second in 19.69 seconds.
“It’s just about keeping my composure, being powerful, being assertive when I make every step and just reeling in Erriyon just one step at a time,” said Lyles.
Lyle’s national title was news enough for the track and field community, but it was a quick gesture he made as he crossed the finish line that caught people’s attention. Knowing that he had taken the lead, Lyles pointed in the direction of Knighton as the two crossed the line. Viewers interpreted the gesture as a taunt to Knighton, who is often compared to Usain Bolt as the next big sprinting star. After the race, Lyles confirmed that the point was not meant for Knighton.
“That was a message to everybody who keeps doubting me,” said Lyles. Lyles is the 2019 world champion in the 200m as well as the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, but he hasn’t run as many 200m races as usual this year.
“Erriyon is an incredible talent and he has proven that. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to lay down and die,” Lyles wrote on Twitter.
Lyles’ come from behind win came as a surprise to many viewers due to his slow start. He hung around seventh place for the first 80 meters before beginning to pass the other competitors in the field.
“I’ve been running from behind in a lot of races and it’s nothing to be afraid of,” said Lyles. “When I reach that top speed, I’m gonna keep it for the longest too.”
Lyles himself was a bit surprised by how well he ran today, explaining that his breathing was “a little heavier than [he] thought it was gonna be” when warming up Sunday morning. He chose to take his time and take his warmup slowly, which paid off—he felt so good after the semifinal round that he didn’t even feel like he had just raced.
Lyles didn’t have to run on Sunday, either. As the defending world champion in the event, Lyles has a bye that allows him entry into the world championships even if he doesn’t place in the U.S. finals. After a season of fewer 200m races than usual, however, Lyles wanted the experience.
“I didn’t have to run today but I did,” he said.
Lyles will represent Team USA at the World Athletics Champions in three weeks. He’ll be joined by Knighton and third place-finisher Fred Kerley, who won the national title in the 100m dash on Friday.
The world championships will be held at Hayward Field, the first time ever on U.S. soil, and Lyles is excited for a competition where the crowd knows his name.
“It’s nice to have some Hayward magic,” he said.
“Walking out into a stadium where nobody really knows how to even pronounce your name completely correctly, it gets to you sometimes,” said Lyles, who has competed in meets around the world but never at U.S. meets as large as Worlds. He’s also looking forward to the energy that comes with a home crowd, discussing his anticipation for “that big clap” that is often reserved for the favorite athletes.
As Lyles prepares for the World Championships next month, he already has big hopes for himself and Knighton.
“I know he’s gonna come to Worlds and he’s gonna bring it,” said Lyles, explaining that Sunday’s race likely gave Knighton the feeling of having a target on his back. “I expect him to PR and I expect myself to PR at Worlds.”