Five Wins in Seven Events at PNW Invite

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon track and field team opened its 2022 outdoor campaign Saturday with five wins at the PNW Invitational. Evan Holland (1,500/3,000m) was a double winner along with first-place outings by Nicole Louw (1,500m), McKenna Ramsay (400m) and Mason Strunk (hammer).
 
In their five wins, the Ducks posted three 1-2 finishes and added two additional runner-up efforts.
 
Holland clocked a winning time of 3:53.37 over 1,500 meters in his first of two events Saturday. He was back for the final individual event of the day, coming away with a second win in a time of 8:33.95 in the 3,000 meters.
 
The Women of Oregon placed four in the top seven of the 1,500 meters including a 1-2 outing for Louw and Ella Nelson. Louw crossed the finish line in 4:24.82, taking more than four seconds off her previous collegiate best of 4:29.36 from last year's Pac-12 Championships. Nelson followed closely in 4:25.26 for Oregon. The two Ducks were more than six seconds clear of the rest of the field.
 
Ramsay and Carly Kleefeld registered another 1-2 finish Saturday with their combined effort in the 400 meters. Ramsay stopped the clock in 55.89 while Kleefeld ran a PR of 56.55, replacing her previous best from the 2018 season when she was running at Lane.
 
Strunk produced the Ducks' first winning performance of the outdoor season, battling wet conditions to produce a mark of 59.64m/195-8 in his final attempt. He led a 1-2 UO finish with Tyler Arbaugh who put down a day's best measure of 56.98m/186-11, also in the sixth round.
 
In the women's hammer, Ellie Akough posted a runner-up finish with a day's best of 50.09m/164-4 from the sixth round. Teammate Ashley Hodulik (45.54m/149-5) was sixth in the competition.
 
All four Ducks in the hammer competed unattached a season ago so Saturday's meet marked the official outdoor debuts for Oregon.
 
The UO women posted another second-place showing with freshman Mine De Klerk in the discus. Sitting in third entering the sixth round, the Welkom, South Africa, native registered a toss of 49.45m/162-3 to surpass teammate Jaida Ross who finished third in 49.16m/161-3, a new personal best. Akough was fifth with a mark of 45.03m/147-9, replacing her previous PR from last season competing unattached.
 
De Klerk was the runner-up in the discus at the 2021 World U20 Championships. Saturday was her debut for the Ducks.
 
Saturday Results
MEN
1,500 Meters
1. Evan Holland – 3:53.37
 
3,000 Meters
1. Evan Holland – 8:33.95
 
Hammer
1. Mason Strunk – 59.64m/195-8
2. Tyler Arbaugh – 56.98m/186-11
 
WOMEN
400 Meters
1. McKenna Ramsay – 55.89
2. Carly Kleefeld – 56.55 (PR)
 
1,500 Meters
1. Nicole Louw – 4:24.82 (PR)
2. Ella Nelson – 4:25.26
6. Anika Thompson – 4:39.68
7. Melissa Berry – 4:44.84
12. Harper McClain – 4:49.48
 
Discus
2. Mine De Klerk – 49.45m/162-3
3. Jaida Ross – 49.16m/161-3 (PR)
5. Ellie Akough – 45.03m/147-9 (PR)
 
Hammer
2. Ellie Akough – 50.09m/164-4
6. Ashley Hodulik – 45.54m/149-5
 
Saturday's meet marks the first of three-consecutive weekends of competition for Oregon coupled with the SDSU Aztec Invitational (March 25-26) in San Diego and the home-opening Hayward Premiere (April 1-2) back in Eugene.
 
Single-meet and season tickets for the Ducks' home schedule, and all-session tickets for the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships are currently on sale. Click HERE to purchase tickets online or call 800-WEBFOOT (932-3668).
 
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