Women of Oregon Push NCAA Total to 14

Saturday, May 25

Fayetteville, AR

All Day

University of Oregon

NCAA West Preliminary

Jadyn Mays, NCAA West Prelims 200 meters

05/25/24 | Track and Field

The Ducks host the NCAA Championships (June 5-8) at Hayward Field.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Oregon women's track and field team collected 11 national qualifiers Saturday to close out the NCAA West Preliminary at John McDonnell Field. Coupled with the bids already secured, the UO women will have 14 entries at the national meet across 13 events. Among the day's highlights in Fayetteville, Shana Grebo re-set her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

Women of Oregon at NCAA Championships
Jadyn Mays, 100 + 200 Meters
Mia Barnett, 1500 Meters
Klaudia Kazimierska, 1500 Meters
Silan Ayyildiz, 5,000 Meters
Shana Grebo, 400 Hurdles
Katie Clute, 3,000 Steeplechase
Lily Jones-Jadyn Mays-Shana Grebo-Ella Clayton, 4x100 Relay
Shana Grebo-Ella Clayton-Katriina Wright-Shaniya Hall, 4x400 Relay
Cheyla Scott, High Jump
Jaida Ross, Shot Put + Discus
Shelby Moran, Hammer
Taylor Chocek, Heptathlon

The Ducks' first qualifier of the day came from Cheyla Scott in the high jump. Fresh off a runner-up finish at the Pac-12 Championships, Scott had a clean sheet through four attempts and secured her spot at the national meet with a final 1.84m/6-0.5 clearance. She is the first UO woman into NCAAs in the high jump since 2015 (Lauren Crockett).

Already through in the shot put, Jaida Ross made it 2-for-2 with Saturday's clutch showing in the discus. Down to her final attempt, the Medford, Ore., native posted a measure of 58.50m/191-11 to move from 15^th to third in the overall standings. This will be Ross' second time, joining 2022, competing in the shot put and discus at the NCAA Championships.

Competition on the track started with a qualifying effort in the 4x100 relay. The team of Lily Jones, Jadyn Mays, Shana Grebo and Ella Clayton got the baton around the track in 43.02, good for second in the heat and fourth overall. The time was just off the Ducks' season best of 43.00 from the Pac-12 meet.

In the 1500, the UO women will be represented at the NCAA Championships by Klaudia Kazimierska and Mia Barnett. Both competing in the faster of the two heats, Kazimierska (4:11.24) ran to a top-five auto qualifier while Barnett (4:14.17) posted the fastest on-time performance to secure her spot. Both will be making their second-career appearances at the NCAA Outdoor meet.

Freshman Katie Clute ran her way into a national qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by finishing first in the second of three heats. She stopped the clock in 10:19.38, using a push down the final stretch to grab the top spot. Clute began her first collegiate postseason with a runner-up showing at the Pac-12 Championships and will cap her freshman campaign on her home track in Eugene.

Back on the track for her first of two individual quarterfinals, Mays was the fastest qualifier in the 100 meters. She stopped the clock in a wind-aided 10.83 (+2.3), an all-conditions best and the third-fastest wind-aided time in NCAA West Prelims history. Mays got her week started with a windy 10.87 (+4.7) in Thursday's first round.

The Glendale, Ariz., native doubled back with another top-qualifying showing in the 200 meters. Mays made up the stagger on the turn and sprinted her way to a wind-aided 22.13 (+2.7), a time that stands as the second-fastest wind-aided mark in West Prelims history. Mays previously qualified for the NCAA 100 in 2022 and 200 in 2023.

Grebo, also back from 4x100 duties earlier in the day, lowered her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles on the way to advancing to the NCAA Championships for a second time. She recorded a time of 56.24, shaving .04 off her previous record and lifetime best. Grebo had the fifth-fastest qualifying time out of the quarterfinals.

Silan Ayyildiz collected the team's final individual NCAA qualifier with a gutsy final lap at 5,000 meters. At the bell lap, the UO sophomore had fallen behind the lead pack of five but still had a chance to grab one of the two at-large bids. With a push over the final 200 meters, Ayyildiz crossed the finish in a time of 16:05.82 to get that coveted 12^th spot.

In the final event of the weekend, Clayton, Grebo, Katriina Wright and Shaniya Hall teamed up for the final NCAA bid with their efforts in the 4x400 relay. The Pac-12 champions posted a time of 3:28.50 in heat two of three and had the sixth-fastest overall qualifier in the region.

Notable: Ella Nelson finished in 16^th place in the 800 meters (2:05.34)…Clayton finished 19^th in the 400 (52.49 SB)…Dalia Frias was 20^th overall at 5,000 meters (16:33.12)…Wright finished in 22^nd place in the 400 (53.28)…Melissa Berry was 23^rd in the 1500 meters (4:24.63)…Shelby Moran, already a qualifier in the hammer, finished 27^th overall in the discus (53.22m/174-7).

Up Next: The nation's best will now gather at the 2024 NCAA Championships (June 5-8) at Hayward Field in Eugene. Click HERE for tickets; both all-session and single day are available. The week's festivities start next Sunday, June 2, with the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame induction at the Hult Center. UO legend Bill Dellinger is part of this year's class. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday Results
NCAA West Preliminary (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Q – advances to NCAA Championships
WOMEN
100 Meters
1. Jadyn Mays – 10.83wQ (+2.3)

200 Meters
1. Jadyn Mays – 22.13wQ (+2.7)

400 Meters
19. Ella Clayton – 52.49 (SB)
22. Katriina Wright – 53.28

800 Meters
16. Ella Nelson – 2:05.34

1500 Meters
3. Klaudia Kazimierska – 4:11.24Q
6. Mia Barnett – 4:14.17Q
23. Melissa Berry – 4:24.63

5,000 Meters
12. Silan Ayyildiz – 16:05.82Q
20. Dalia Frias – 16:33.12
--. Maddy Elmore – DNS

400m Hurdles
5. Shana Grebo – 56.24Q (No. 1 UO)

3,000m Steeplechase
12. Katie Clute – 10:19.38Q

4x100m Relay
4. Lily Jones—Jadyn Mays—Shana Grebo—Ella Clayton – 43.02Q

4x400m Relay
6. Shana Grebo—Ella Clayton—Katriina Wright—Shaniya Hall – 3:28.50Q

High Jump
T1. Cheyla Scott – 1.84m/6-0.5Q

Discus
3. Jaida Ross – 58.50m/191-11Q
27. Shelby Moran – 53.22m/174-7

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