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Hampton, Bienenfeld Advance to NCAAs

May 25, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Oregon men's track and field team added two national qualifiers Wednesday at the 2022 NCAA West Preliminary with Ty Hampton in the javelin and Aaron Bienenfeld in the 10,000 meters. The Ducks also advanced seven runners to Friday's quarterfinals round.
 
Hampton secured the Ducks' first national qualifier of the meet, finishing as the third-overall performer in Wednesday's competition. The Pac-12 champion recorded a day's best of 71.72m/235-4 with his first attempt of the afternoon. Hampton will be making his first-career appearance at the national meet.
 
"The execution is still the same, and you still have to go out there and do the same thing you prepared for," the North Bend native said. "I usually like to throw far early on…just sets the pace. The end goal is 'you definitely have to perform at nationals' and I'm dead set on that."
 
In the final event of the day, Bienenfeld successfully navigated an early fall near the back of the 48-man pack to clinch an NCAA qualifier in the 10,000 meters. He crossed the line in 28:47.04, good for fourth in the race. Bienenfeld will be making his second-career appearance at the NCAA Championships, and first with the Ducks (2021 with Cincinnati).
 
The Frankfurt, Germany, native is slated to return to the track Friday in the 5,000 meters.
 
Advancing to Friday quarterfinals…
Reed Brown – 1500 meters
Elliott Cook – 1500 meters
Matthew Erickson – 800 meters
Ryan Mulholland – 100 meters
Will Mundy – 400m hurdles
Luis Peralta – 800 meters
Micah Williams – 100 meters
 
The Men of Oregon sent two qualifiers apiece in three events—100, 800 and 1500 meters—to Friday's quarterfinals, and added a seventh with Will Mundy in the 400-meter hurdles.
 
In his first of two races Wednesday, Elliott Cook clocked a lifetime best of 3:40.80 and finished among the top five in heat three to secure an automatic placement into the next round. Reed Brown posted a time of 3:43.04 in a second-place finish in the opening heat of the event.
 
Friday's quarterfinal is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. (PT).
 
Micah Williams, the 2022 Pac-12 Men's Track Athlete of the Year, cruised to a time of 10.24 to win heat two and advance to the next round. He'll be joined in Friday's quarterfinal (4:35 p.m. PT) by fellow Duck and teammate Ryan Mulholland. The redshirt freshman stopped the clock in 10.41 (-0.8) to win the heat and move on.
 
The UO men pulled another two quarterfinalists in the 800 with Matthew Erickson and Luis Peralta. The big 'Q' went to Peralta who won heat two in 1:48.50, a season-best time. Running in heat four, Erickson recorded a lifetime best of 1:48.27 to post the second-fastest at-large qualifier of the day.
 
The two Ducks will run for a top-12 spot Friday at 5:05 p.m. (PT).
 
Mundy clocked the fastest at-large time (51.37) in the 400-meter hurdles out of lane nine. He finished fourth in his heat and 17th overall to move on to the next round (Friday—5:25 p.m. PT) in Fayetteville.
 
The 2022 NCAA West Preliminary continues Thursday with the start of the women's program featuring seven chances to advance to the national meet in four events—10,000 meters, long jump, shot put and javelin. Beginning with the running events at 4 p.m. (PT), day two of the West Preliminary will stream on SEC Network+ and through the ESPN app.
 
Chances to Advance | Thursday
10,000 Meters – Alessia Zarbo, Caramia Mestler
Long Jump – Alysah Hickey, Dominique Ruotolo
Shot Put – Jaida Ross, Mine De Klerk
Javelin – Kohana Nakato
 
Notable: Sophomore Eric Lyon (66.86m/219-4) finished 13th in the javelin, one spot out of qualifying for the NCAA Championships…competing out of flight two, Lyon held his top-12 spot until the 13th throw (of 16) in the final round of flight three…Max Vollmer (decathlon) is already through to the national meet as a top-24 scorer—8,022 points—during the season.
 
Wednesday Results
Q – advances to NCAA Championships | q – advances to Friday quarterfinals
100 Meters – first round
6. Micah Williams – 10.24q
24. Ryan Mulholland – 10.41q (-0.8)
38. Xavier Nairne – 10.57 (-0.8)
 
800 Meters – first round
11. Matthew Erickson – 1:48.27q (PR)
14. Luis Peralta – 1:48.50q
46. Elliott Cook – 1:59.04
 
1500 Meters – first round
4. Elliott Cook – 3:40.80q (PR)
9. Reed Brown – 3:43.04q
32. James Gormley – 3:47.28
38. Jack Yearian – 3:50.00
44. Evan Holland – 3:54.13
 
400m Hurdles – first round
17. Will Mundy – 51.37q
 
10,000 Meters – semifinal
4. Aaron Bienenfeld – 28:47.04Q
 
Long Jump
--. Pierce LaCoste – NM
 
Hammer
19. Mason Strunk – 63.94m/209-9
 
Javelin
3. Ty Hampton – 71.72m/235-4Q
13. Eric Lyon – 66.86m/219-4
21. Dalton Rasmussen – 63.58m/208-7
35. Asher Krauel – 60.57m/198-8
36. Jett Kinder – 60.28m/197-9
 
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