Edward Cheserek, a 15-time national champion, cemented himself as the most dominate collegiate runner in NCAA history on Friday during the first day of the NCAA Track and Field Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas.
By taking the 5,000-meter, crossing the line in 13 minutes, 41.20 seconds, he won his 16th NCAA title, an all-time best.
Earlier in the day, Cheserek and Matthew Maton went 1-2 in the mile prelims to qualify for the finals, so Cheserek may not be done racking up titles during this weekend as he finishes his final indoor season as a Duck.
The win, in combination with the distance medley relay’s fourth-place finish, placed the men’s team at the top of the leaderboard, narrowly edging out Texas A&M by a point.
Meanwhile, the women’s team had a quiet day, finishing in 14th overall after the DMR team placed third in a closely-contested race that concluded with the top three teams finishing less than a second apart.
Most of the Ducks who competed in prelims advanced to the finals, including Ariana Washington and Hannah Cunliffe. They both qualified in the 60 and 200 meters, going 1-2 in the latter. Cunliffe also had the top time in the 60, while Deajah Stevens placed third. Stevens would have ran in the 200-meter finals, but she was disqualified.
Western Kentucky transfer Kyree King also found success in the men’s 60 – and a school record. By placing third with a time of 6.57 seconds, King moved on to the men’s finals while smashing former Duck Samie Parker’s 14-year-old all-time indoor record in the process.
Sasha Wallace already had the school record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, but with a fast finish in 7.87 seconds, Wallace replaced her old record of 7.91. She also took the top time, completing the race more than .1 of a second faster than the next finisher. Alaysha Johnson also moved on to the finals, finishing in 8.05 for sixth.
Raevyn Rogers, a three-time national champion, placed first in her heat but fifth overall in the 800-meter after crossing the line in 2 minutes, 5.36 seconds.
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