Ducks Begin Weekend with Five Wins in Corvallis

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon track and field team opened its weekend with five wins at the OSU High Performance meet in Corvallis, including three victories from the UO women during Friday evening's distance carnival. The Ducks' list of winners features Emilie Girard (1500), Dania Holmberg (5,000), Caramia Mester (10,000), Pierce LaCoste (long jump) and Travis Brewster Jr. (discus).
 
Along with Friday's victories, the Ducks also produced four personal bests and four season bests at Whyte Track and Field Center. Day two of the High Performance meet will begin at 11 a.m. with the javelin. Saturday also brings the start of the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson featuring the Ducks' sprint group; first event is scheduled for 5:25 p.m.
 
Girard came away with a victory in the invitational section of the 1500 meters, recording a season-best time of 4:19.14 and out-leaning Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell (4:19.17) at the line. Girard sat in third at the bell just behind Mitchell and her OSU teammate Mari Friedman but rallied past the two conference rivals for the win.
 
LaCoste out-distanced the field with a windy mark of 7.66m/25-1.75 (+2.4) in the long jump, locking in the win on his first attempt of the afternoon. With Friday's result, the Eugene native moves to fourth in the Pac-12 and into the top 15 of the NCAA West Region rankings. LaCoste was one of four UO men in the top 10 along with multi-event standouts Jett Kinder, Max Vollmer and Nathan Poff.
 
In the Ducks' first win of the weekend, Brewster produced a season-best measure to secure the top spot in the discus. He had a day's best of 49.65m/162-10 in the first round, a mark that stood up through the rest of the competition. The Brightwood, Ore., native finished just off his PR of 49.85m/163-6 from last year's High Performance meet.
 
With a strong final lap, Holmberg turned a slim three-tenths lead into a seven-second win over the final 400 meters of the invitational 5,000 meters. She stopped the clock in 16:26.90 to take nearly 30 seconds off her previous best of 16:55.05 set in 2019 during her career at Seattle Pacific.
 
Mestler capped the Ducks' night in Corvallis with a win and lifetime-best performance at 10,000 meters. Running 1-2 with Emma Jenkins of Portland over the final seven laps, Mestler held the lead throughout and clocked in with a time of 34:15.18 in her first 10K since last year's Pac-12 Championships; she took more than 38 seconds off her time (34:53.94) from the conference meet.
 
For a second-consecutive weekend, Ellie Akough established a new lifetime best with a 55.29m/181-4 on her third attempt of the day. She finished second overall having added five feet to her previous best from last week's Oregon Relays. Akough entered the year with a PR of 51.68m/169-7 and is now within three feet of the UO top-10 in the event.
 
Harper McClain was the top collegiate performer—and second overall—in the invitational section of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Competing in the event for just the second time, McClain posted a new PR of 10:38.28 to slash over two seconds off her debut steeplechase time of 10:40.60 one month prior at the Hayward Premiere.
 
The Ducks are back home May 6 for the Oregon Twilight. Single-meet and season tickets for the home schedule, plus all-session and single-day tickets for the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships, are currently on sale. Click HERE or call 800-WEBFOOT (932-3668) to purchase.
 
Friday Results
MEN
Pole Vault
2. Harrison Canfield – 4.73m/15-6.25
7. J Kai Yamafuji – 4.58m/15-0.25
9. Arthur Katahdin – 4.58m/15-0.25
 
Long Jump
1. Pierce LaCoste – 7.66m/25-1.75w, +2.4 (SB)
7. Jett Kinder – 6.78m/22-3
8. Max Vollmer – 6.65m/21-10
10. Nathan Poff – 6.51m/21-4.25
 
Discus
1. Travis Brewster Jr. – 49.65m/162-10 (SB)
18. Max Vollmer – 36.00m/118-1
 
WOMEN
1500 Meters | Invitational
1. Emilie Girard – 4:19.14 (SB)
 
5,000 Meters | Invitational
1. Dania Holmberg – 16:26.90 (PR)
 
10,000 Meters
1. Caramia Mestler – 34:15.18 (PR)
4. Anika Thompson – 34:57.60
--. Harper McClain – DNF
 
3,000m Steeplechase | Invitational
2. Harper McClain – 10:38.28 (PR)
 
Pole Vault
4. Meagan Kiefer – 3.52m/11-6.5 (SB)
 
Long Jump
5. Gianna Bullock – 5.44m/17-10.25
10. Colleen Uzoekwe – 5.27m/17-3.5 (-2.2)
 
Discus
4. Ellie Akough – 45.56m/149-5
 
Hammer
2. Ellie Akough – 55.29m/181-4 (PR)
16. Ashley Hodulik – 43.78m/143-7
 
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