The 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship came to a close on Saturday with Georgia securing the women’s national title.
Sixteen finals took place and six Ducks competed at Hayward Field on Saturday.
The day began with Fresno State’s Cierra Jackson setting a meet record in the women’s discus with a 65.82-meter throw.
Later, the track events began with the women’s wheelchair 100 meters. American Paralympian Hannah Dederick clocked in at 16.50 to secure first place for Illinois in a preview of what’s to come at the Para National Championships coming to Hayward in August.
Oregon’s biggest chance to string together points came in the 1,500 meters, where Silan Ayyildiz, Klaudia Kazimierska and Mia Barnett all made the final.
The stacked field featured a physical race, with bumping and little room to make a move to the front of the group.
“I’m glad I’m representing my school and I’m healthy,” Ayyildiz said. “It’s just, the 1500 when it comes to the race, you have to fight.”
Ayyildiz tried to stay top three throughout, but the final 400 meters sped up, and she ended in fourth with a time of 4:09.75. Kazimierska finished just a spot behind her at 4:10.42.
“I wasn’t patient. I feel like I didn’t just run my best today,” Kazimierska said. “It was my last race out there at Hayward, so it’s just a very emotional moment for me.”
Sophie O’Sullivan recorded a personal best to come in first and give Washington a one-point lead over Georgia for the national title.
The Ducks catapulted into third place after the 100-meter hurdles. Junior Aaliyah McCormick picked up speed as the race went on to clock in at 12.81. She won the first and only event for Oregon at the outdoor championships in a race that had a did not start, did not finish and disqualified.
“Hurdles can be a very difficult race. You’re running and jumping at the same time, and that can be a little bit of an obstacle,” McCormick said. “I knew not to worry about anything else that is going around me, but to just stay close to my lane.”
Georgia and USC went back and forth for possession of first place in the team standings. Trojans’ senior Samirah Moody came in first in the 100 meters, with two teammates also finishing in the top eight. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, went one and two in the 400 meters.
Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland broke two-time 400-meter hurdles Olympic Gold Medalist Sydney McClaughlin-Levrone’s record in the event, clocking in at 52.46 seconds. It was 1.80 faster than second-place and Georgia picked up more points with Michelle Smith in third-place.
The Ducks fell to tenth at the conclusion of the weekend. Ryann Porter tallied one point with her eighth-place finish in the triple jump and Annika Williams picked up a did not start in the final event of the heptathlon.
Even though USC secured second and third place in the 200 meters, the Bulldogs gained the points they needed to take home the National Championship. The 73-point performance was capped off with a win in the 4×400-meter relay. USC came in second and Texas A&M rounded out the top three.
The collegiate track and field wrapped up on Saturday, but there’s still more to come at Hayward Field this summer. The Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Outdoor Championships are up next, slated to run June 19 through 22.
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