Balazs Runs to U20 Steeplechase Title

EUGENE, Ore. – Freshman Benjamin Balazs won a junior national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday at the 2023 USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field. At the senior level, Cole Hocker ran to a top-three spot in the 1500 meters to qualify for the World Championships.

In the Ducks' first result of the day, Balazs secured the team's second U20 title in as many days with his winning time of 8:49.64 in the steeplechase. The Portland native trailed CJ Singleton of Notre Dame at the bell but took over the lead with 300 meters to go. Balazs tallied a new lifetime best with Saturday's performance, taking down his previous mark of 9:07.56 from June at the Portland Track Festival.

The 2023 USATF U20 Championships serves as the selection event for the Pan Am U20 Championships (Aug. 4-6) in Puerto Rico. Balazs was ninth at last year's USATF U20 meet.

Fellow freshman Aaliyah McCormick won the U20 title in the 100-meter hurdles Friday.

Hocker, a three-time NCAA champion for the Ducks in 2021, ran to a third-place finish in the 1500 and will now represent Team USA at the World Championships (Aug. 19-27) in Budapest. He finished with a time of 3:35.46 to qualify for his second global competition; Hocker was sixth at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Three other past UO standouts finished in the top 10 with Sam Prakel (3:35.83) in fourth, John Gregorek (3:36.56) in ninth and Matthew Centrowitz (3:37.23) in 10^th.

Future Oregon teammates Simeon Birnbaum and Dan Watcke finished 2-3, respectively, in the final of the U20 800 meters. The two were separated by just .03 with Birnbaum just edging Watcke, 1:47.96 to 1:47.99, at the line.

Jaida Ross capped her standout 2023 season with a sixth-place finish in the shot put. Needing to move into the top eight to advance to the final, the Medford Ore., native produced her best toss of the day at 17.82m/58-5.75 to move from 11^th to sixth in the overall standings. Ross improved upon her 11th-place finish at last year's USATF Championships.

Alaysha Johnson, in a step-for-step finish with Masai Russell of Kentucky, just missed a top-three finish in the 100-meter hurdles. Both were credited with a time of 12.46, separated by .002 in the race photo with Russell getting the slight edge for third. Johnson was the fastest qualifier (12.37) out of the semis.

In her first career-appearance in a USATF final, Makenzie Dunmore finished sixth in the 400 meters. She crossed the finish line in 50.96 and could be added to the relay pool for Team USA in the 4x400 or mixed relays. Dunmore's previous best finish at the national meet was an appearance in the semifinals in 2017.

Eugene native and 2021 Pac-12 champion Jackson Mestler clocked a new lifetime best of 8:24.33 on the way to a seventh-place finish in the final of the steeplechase.

In the opening round of the 200 meters, past UO standouts Kyree King and Jenna Prandini both posted advancing times to move on to Sunday's semifinals. King (20.19) was third in heat four and fifth fastest overall in the rounds. Similarly, Prandini (22.58) finished third in her heat to move on safely.

The semifinals of the 200 meters start Sunday at 5:30 p.m. (PT) with the finals in each to follow starting at 7:10 p.m.

Devon Allen, in more first-round action, registered a time of 13.51 to advance to the semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles. Outside of the top-three auto spots in his heat, he grabbed the second of four on-time qualifiers to guarantee himself a lane in the next round. Sunday's semifinals start at 6:02 p.m.

Damarcus Simpson, a three-time Pac-12 champion during his UO career, finished sixth in the long jump on day three of the USATF Championships. He used a season-best effort of 7.91m/25-11.5 to move from 11^th place into fifth place. Simpson fouled on his remaining three jumps but was surpassed by just one to cement his sixth-place finish.

Signee Aiden Carter sits in fourth place after day one of the U20 decathlon. Through five events, Carter has scored 3,628 points heading into Sunday's finale.

Up next: Among the Ducks' schedule on day four of the national meet, Alysah Hickey (long jump) and Shelby Moran (hammer) will be in action while Aiden Smith, off this third-place finish in the U20 10K, returns to the track for the U20 5,000 meters. Prakel and Cooper Teare are also entered in the senior-level 5,000 meters.

Saturday Results
MEN
200 Meters | first round
5. Kyree King# – 20.19Q

U20 800 Meters | final
2. Simeon Birnbaum! – 1:47.96
3. Dan Watcke! – 1:47.99

1500 Meters | final
3. Cole Hocker# – 3:35.46
4. Sam Prakel# – 3:35.83
9. Johnny Gregorek# – 3:36.56
10. Matthew Centrowitz# – 3:37.23

110m Hurdles | first round
14. Devon Allen# – 13.51q

Steeplechase | final
7. Jackson Mestler# – 8:24.33 (PB)

U20 Steeplechase
1. Benjamin Balazs – 8:49.64

Long Jump
6. Damarcus Simpson# – 7.91m/25-11.5

U20 Decathlon | day one
4. Aiden Carter! – 3,628 points
              6. 100 Meters – 11.34 [786 points]
              2. Long Jump – 6.83m/22-5 [774]
              1. Shot Put – 12.98m/42-7 [666]
              4. High Jump – 1.87m/6-1.5 [687]
              7. 400 Meters – 52.22 [715]

WOMEN
U20 100 Meters | first round
10. Lily Jones – 11.78

200 Meters | first round
9. Jenna Prandini# – 22.58Q
--. Jadyn Mays – DNS

400 Meters | final
6. Makenzie Dunmore# – 50.96

100m Hurdles | final
4. Alaysha Johnson# – 12.46

100m Hurdles | semifinals
1. Alaysha Johnson# – 12.37Q

Shot Put
6. Jaida Ross – 17.82m/58-5.75

Current student-athletes in bold | ! – UO signee | # alum/ProDucks

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