Oregon T&F Accomplishes Rare Triple Crown

Via Oregon Official Release:

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Oregon track and field team swept the Big Ten outdoor titles Sunday afternoon to complete the 2025-26 conference Triple Crown, coupled with its sweeps earlier this season at the cross country and indoor meet. The Ducks have now won 10 of the 12 available Big Ten titles since joining the conference ahead of the 2024-225 season.

The Men of Oregon scored 121 points to secure the team title and out-pace the runner-up by 40 points, and with the help of a massive collection of points Sunday, the Women of Oregon racked up 110 points to rally past the field. The UO women scored 91 points on day three of the conference meet.

The Ducks combined to win 10 Big Ten titles this weekend in Lincoln including eight on Sunday: Simeon Birnbaum and Juliet Cherubet in the 1500 meters, Tayson Echohawk and Dalia Frias in the 5,000 meters, Aaliyah McCormick over the 100-meter hurdles, Sharifa Davronova in the triple jump, Ben Smith in the shot and Marie Josee Bovele-Linaka in the discus.

Luke Tewalt (10,000 meters) and Benjamin Balazs (steeplechase) won conference titles on day one and two, respectively.

2026 Big Ten Outdoor Championships | Team Standings (top five)

MEN

1. OREGON – 121

2. Minnesota – 81

2. Nebraska – 81

4. USC – 70.5

5. Ohio State – 62

WOMEN

1. OREGON – 110

2. Illinois – 92

3. USC – 90

4. Washington – 88

5. Nebraska – 81

Oregon’s combined Triple Crown is the first in the Big Ten since 1996-97 when the Wisconsin men and women accomplished the feat.

McCormick successfully defended her title in the 100-meter hurdles, and for a second-straight season, completed the indoor-outdoor conference sweep of the sprint hurdles. With a strong tailwind (+4.9), McCormick stopped the clock in 12.43 with Micaela De Mello (12.63) following up for third. The duo accounted for 16 points.

Bovele-Linaka was the first champion of the day for Oregon, using a season’s best of 59.01m/193-7 to secure her first Big Ten title. With that toss, a second-round effort, she moved from fourth to third on the program’s top-10 list. Bovele-Linaka joins Jaida Ross and school-record holder Jorinde van Klinken beyond 59 meters in UO history.

The Women of Oregon have now won three of the past four conference titles in the discus.

On her first jump of the day, Davronova broke the meet and Big Ten record with a wind-legal jump of 14.13m/46-4.25. That measure also makes her the first UO woman over 14 meters in program history. She led a 1-3 Ducks finish with Cassandra Atkins who had a day’s best of 13.52m/44-4.25, good for an all-conditions best.

A day removed from a third-place finish in the discus, Smith was back in the ring Sunday and turned in an NCAA-leading measure of 20.88m/68-6 to win the shot put. That mark came in the fourth round on the heels of a 20.56 effort on his previous throw. In addition to the lifetime best, Smith moves to No. 3 on the all-time Oregon list.

Smith and Kobe Lawrence (19.66m/64-6) finished first and fourth, respectively, for the last 15 points toward the men’s total.

The Ducks add 14 points in the women’s 1500 meters with Cherubet pulling away down the stretch to pace a 1-5 finish with teammate Wilma Nielsen. With the win, Cherubut (4:16.53) added a second Big Ten title this year after winning the indoor 3,000 in February.

Birnbaum won his third Big Ten title of the year with Sunday’s victory at 1500 meters. During indoor season, he swept the 3,000 and 5,000 titles in Indianapolis. The UO men added another distance win with Echohawk’s sprint over the final 100 meters in a 1-5-7 Oregon finish with Evan Burke and Evan Bishop, respectively.

Heading into the women’s 5,000, the Ducks trailed Illinois by six points (92 to 86) and USC was putting on a charge after a 1-3-5-6 finish in the 200 meters had the Women of Troy at 80 points. Frias’ win was the leading blow in a 24-point collection by the distance crew. Oregon put all five runners into the top eight with Frias, Silan Ayyildiz in third, Diana Cherotich in fourth, Anika Thompson in seventh and 1500- meter champ Cherubet doubling back to pick up a point in eighth.

The men’s 4×100 relay—Kai Graves-Blanks, PJ Ize-Iyamu, Grant Valley, Jaelon Barbarin—broke the UO record for a second-consecutive outing, lowering its own standard of 38.59 from the Desert Heat (May 2) to 38.47 in Sunday’s Big Ten final. Ize-Iyamu (9.80W, +5.6) and Graves-Blanks (13.30W, +4.5) added runner-up finishes in the 100 meters and 110-meter hurdles, respectively.

Up Next: The postseason continues with the NCAA West First Round (May 27-30) in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Big Ten Championships marked the start of the Ducks’ postseason campaign which will culminate with the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (June 10-13) at Hayward Field. All-session and single-day tickets for the NCAA Championships are currently on sale.

Sunday Results

Big Ten Championships – Day 3 | Lincoln, Neb.

MEN

100 Meters

2. PJ Ize-Iyamu – 9.80W (+5.6) [+8 points]

1500 Meters

1. Simeon Birnbaum – 4:00.98 [+10 points]

8. Elliott Cook – 4:03.07 [+1 point]

9. Jeffery Rogers – 4:03.15 

5,000 Meters

1. Tayson Echohawk – 14:08.84 [+10 points]

5. Evan Burke – 14:11.71 [+4 points]

7. Evan Bishop – 14:12.66 [+2 points]

–. Simeon Birnbaum – DNF

–. Luke Tewalt – DNF

110m Hurdles

2. Kai Graves-Blanks – 13.30W (+4.5) [+8 points]

4x100m Relay

2. Graves-Blanks, Ize-Iyamu, Valley, Barbarin – 38.47 (SB, UO #1) [+8 points]

Triple Jump

12. Tre Betts – 15.14m/49-8.25w (+3.9)

Shot Put

1. Ben Smith – 20.88m/68-6 (PB, UO #3) [+10 points]

4. Kobe Lawrence – 19.66m/64-6 [+5 points]

WOMEN

100 Meters

6. Amirah Shaheed – 11.13w (+3.8, all-cond. Best) [+3 points]

9. Lily Jones – 11.35w (+3.8)

800 Meters

7. Wilma Nielsen – 2:06.36 [2 points]

1500 Meters

1. Juliet Cherubet – 4:16.53 [+10 points]

5. Wilma Nielsen – 4:20.28 [+4 points]

5,000 Meters

1. Dalia Frias – 16:58.74 [+10 points]

3. Silan Ayyildiz – 17:00.55 [+6 points]

4. Diana Cherotich – 17:01.10 [+5 points]

7. Anika Thompson – 17:06.78 [+2 points]

8. Juliet Cherubet – 17:09.13 [+1 point]

100m Hurdles

1. Aaliyah McCormick – 12.43W (+4.9) [+10 points]

3. Micaela De Mello – 12.63W (+4.9) [+6 points]

4x100m Relay

3. Neal/Shaheed/Doht-Barron/Jones – 43.80 [+6 points]

Triple Jump

1. Sharifa Davronova – 14.13m/46-4.25 (MR, UO #1)

3. Cassandra Atkins – 13.52m/44-4.25w (+3.5, all-cond. PB)

11. Maleigha Canaday-Elliott – 12.84m/42-1.5w (+3.3, all cond. PB)

Discus

1. Marie Josee Bovele-Linaka – 59.01m/193-7 (SB, UO #3) [+10 points]

11. Alicia Khunou – 53.86m/176-8