Ducks Claim Three Wheels at Penn Relays

Friday, April 28

Corvallis, Ore.

All Day

University of Oregon

Oregon State High Performance

Photo by: Kirby Lee

04/28/17 | Track and Field

Penn Relays Results OSU High Performance Results

OREGON WON A TRIO OF RACES ON FRIDAY AT THE PENN RELAYS, CLAIMING THREE WHEELS FROM THE PRESTIGIOUS MEEET; ANOTHER GROUP OF DUCKS WAS IN ACTION IN CORVALLIS AT THE OSU HIGH PERFORMANCE MEET

By: Nate Krueger

The Oregon track and field team put on an impressive performance on Friday with a trio of wins at the Penn Relays, and will be returning to Eugene with at least three title wheels from the prestigious meet. The contingent of Ducks in Philadelphia will be back in action on Saturday to wrap up the Penn Relays, while another group of student-athletes is competing back in Oregon at the OSU High Performance meet in Corvallis.

How it Happened - Penn Relays: The Women of Oregon began making headlines early in the day, continuing their dominance in the 4x100 meter relay. The quartet of Alaysha Johnson, Deajah Stevens, Makenzie Dunmore and Ariana Washington won the women's Championship of America finals in 42.35, breaking the Penn Relays record.

A few hours later, the Men of Oregon brought home their first wheel of the weekend in the distance-medley relay Championship of American final. Blake Haney, Marcus Chambers, Mick Stanovsek and Sam Prakel won the race in 9:32.61, highlighted by a blazing 400-meter leg by Chambers (45.58).

The Ducks claimed their third wheel in the sprint-medley relay to wrap the day's action in Philadelphia, this time breaking their sixth collegiate record of the season in the process. The quartet of Dunmore, Stevens, Hannah Waller and Raevyn Rogers ran an NCAA all-time best 3:39.05 to win. The collegiate record belonged to Oregon briefly, as Texas A&M topped the Ducks' time in 3:39.04 at the SEC Relays just a few moments later.

One day, three wheels. Back for more tomorrow at the 123rd @pennrelays #GoDucks #TougherTogether #PennRelays pic.twitter.com/isaa7kTfH3
— Oregon Track & Field (@OregonTF) April 29, 2017

Earlier in the day, the Women of Oregon performed well in the 4x1,500 relay Championship of America final, with Emma Abrahamson, Lilli Burdon, Jessica Hull and Samantha Nadel placing third in 17:39.78. The quartet of Damarcus Simpson, Kyree King, Julius Shellmire and Chambers finished third in the men's 4x100 heat to qualify to Saturday's Championship of American final.

Individually, Johnson ran the fastest time of the college women's 100-meter hurdle heats, advancing to Saturday's final in 13.05. In the shot put, senior Ryan Hunter-Simms advanced to the finals and placed fifth with a top throw of 57'0" (17.37m). On Thursday, freshman Jackson Mestler finished second in his 3,000-meter steeplechase heat in 9:10.02.

How it Happened - OSU High Performance: Fourteen Ducks were in action in Corvallis on Friday, getting underway shortly after their teammates wrapped their great day in Philadelphia.

Junior Madeline Middlebrooks got things started in the hammer throw, finishing second with a long throw of 182'8" (55.68m). Freshman Maddie Rabing also performed well, hitting a PR with a toss of 177'5" (54.08m). In the men's hammer throw, redshirt freshman Max Lydum set a PR of his own at 195'0" (55.68m), as did Austin Tharp with a top throw of 171'10" (52.38m).

On the track, Frida Berge placed fifth in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:21.27, eighth-fastest in UO history.

Notable: The women's 4x100 winning time of 42.35 is second-fastest in school history, just .23 shy of the collegiate record the quartet of Dunmore, Stevens, Hannah Cunliffe and Washington set two weeks ago at the Mt. SAC Relays … The Women of Oregon have set six collegiate records this season, and the Ducks as a whole have broken seven.

Up Next: The Ducks will be back in action at both the Penn Relays and the OSU High Performance meet tomorrow to wrap up another busy weekend.