McCormick Wins USATF U20 Hurdles Title

EUGENE, Ore. – Aaliyah McCormick continued her impressive freshman season Friday by adding 2023 USATF U20 champion in the 100-meter hurdles to her list of accomplishments. Fellow freshman Aiden Smith collected more hardware for Oregon with a third-place finish in the U20 10,000 meters.

In her first competition since the Pac-12 Championships, McCormick posted the fastest qualifier in the first round and returned with a winning time of 13.02 to win the U20 title. The San Diego, Calif., native who just completed her freshman at Oregon is now in line to represent Team USA at the Pan American U20 Championships (Aug. 4-6) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Smith added a second U20 medal for the Ducks with his bronze finish in the 10,000 meters. He crossed the finish line in 32:43.76 to secure his spot on the podium. Smith is also entered in the U20 5,000 that will be run Sunday at 4:24 p.m.

Raevyn Rogers and Makenzie Dunmore, both members of the 4x400 relay that clinched the Women of Oregon's NCAA title in 2017, had qualifying outings in their respective events. Rogers was third overall across semifinal heats of the 800 meters. She posted a time of 2:00.44 to guarantee a spot in Sunday's final.

The difference between the first and eighth qualifiers is less than a second (2:00.02 to 2:00.85).

Dunmore grabbed the first of two at-large spots in the 400 meters, clocking in at 51.51 in heat two of the semifinal round. The USATF final in the 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 6:19 p.m.

Freshman Harrison Rheinhardt doubled back from Thursday night's senior-level 1500 meters to qualify for the final in the U20 field, posting a time of 3:51.90 in heat one of two. It was the third-fastest effort of the round. He'll be joined in the final by UO signees Tayson Echohawk (3:52.12) and William Heslam (3:52.19). The final will go off Sunday at 3:12 p.m.

With the start of the U20 competition, Oregon signees Simeon Birnbaum and Dan Watcke each turned in qualifying efforts in the first round of the 800 meters. Birnbaum (1:50.54) and Watcke (1:51.10) had the first- and third-fastest times of the day, respectively. The final is Saturday at 4:08 p.m.

In the first #ProDucks result of Friday's schedule, Alaysha Johnson won her heat in 12.60 (-0.1) to ease into the semifinals. Her effort was good for fifth fastest of the opening round. The semifinal round will start Saturday at 6:02 p.m. with the final set to close out the day's schedule.

Notable: Freshman Anthony Trucks finished 10^th in the first round of the U20 110-meter hurdles (14.00), just .02 shy of top-three automatic placement from heat one…Joe Delgado was seventh in the decathlon with 7,994 points, moving up two spots in the standings over the course of day two…Isaiah Griffith had a best of 16.04m/52-7.5 to finish ninth in the triple jump, just one spot away from advancing to the final.

Up next: Four current Ducks—Ben Balazs (U20 steeplechase), Lily Jones (U20 100), Jadyn Mays (200) and Jaida Ross (shot put)—will be in action on day three of the USATF Championships. The television window from 6-8 p.m. (PT) on CNBC and Peacock will feature track finals in the 400 meters, 1500 meters, steeple and 100-meter hurdles.

Friday Results
MEN
100 Meters – semifinals
10. Kyree King – 10.15
11. Micah Williams – 10.19

800 Meters | U20 – first round
1. Simeon Birnbaum – 1:50.54Q
3. Dan Watcke – 1:51.10Q

1500 Meters | U20 – first round
3. Rheinhardt Harrison – 3:51.90Q
4. Tayson Echohawk – 3:52.12Q
6. Will Heslam – 3:52.19q

10,000m | U20
3. Aiden Smith – 32:43.76

110m Hurdles | U20 – first round
10. Anthony Trucks – 14.00

Triple Jump
9. Isaiah Griffith – 16.04m/52-7.5

Decathlon – day two
7. Joe Delgado – 7,994 points
              13. 110m Hurdles – 14.91 [860 points]
              7. Discus – 43.61m/143-1 [738]
              5. Pole Vault – 4.60m/15-1 [790]
              10. Javelin – 55.49m/182-0 [670]
              2. 1500 Meters – 4:26.03 [771]

WOMEN
100 Meters – semifinals
15. English Gardner – 11.42
--. Jenna Prandini – DNS

400 Meters – semifinals
7. Makenzie Dunmore – 51.51q

800 Meters – semifinals
3. Raevyn Rogers – 2:00.44Q

100m Hurdles – first round
5. Alaysha Johnson – 12.60Q

100m Hurdles | U20 – final
1. Aaliyah McCormick – 13.02

100m Hurdles | U20 – first round
1. Aaliyah McCormick – 13.23Q

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