Indoor Season Picks Back Up in Nebraska

EUGENE, Ore. – More than a month removed from its indoor opener, the Oregon track and field team competes this weekend at the Graduate Classic in Lincoln, Neb. The two-day meet begins Friday at 10 a.m. (PT) with the men's pole vault featuring three UO entries. Action on the track starts at 11:35 a.m. with the 400 meters.

Among others in the field, the Ducks will see fellow Big Ten teams Minnesota and host Nebraska.

The UO men's middle distance squad takes center stage Friday afternoon with 11 entries between the 1,000 meters and mile. Simeon Birnbaum, Matthew Erickson and Tomas Palfrey headline the entries in the 1K race. Recent signee Abdel Laadjel, a transfer from Providence, will make his Oregon debut in the mile.

Emily Fitzsimmons and Isabella Nilsen, both top-10 program indoor performers, will make their season debuts in the pole vault Friday at 1 p.m. (PT). The Ducks have eight entries—four men, four women—in the long jump on day one of the Graduate Classic.

A total of eight UO newcomers are scheduled to compete Friday…

MEN
Joey Bonacci – pole vault
Kyle Gibbs – pole vault
Abdel Laadjel - mile
Cheikh M'Baye – long jump
Safin Wills – long jump

WOMEN
Cassie Atkins – long jump
Isabel Conde De Frankenberg – 400 meters
Landen LeBlond – 1,000 meters

Saturday's schedule will focus on the sprints and throws groups including an early season matchup in the shot put featuring Jaida Ross and Nebraska senior Axelina Johansson. Both women were named to The Bowerman preseason watch list. Ross, an Olympian in Paris last summer and the reigning outdoor champion, was the NCAA indoor runner-up a season ago.

The women's shot put is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. (PT).

Day two of the Graduate Classic will also feature rounds of the 60 meters and 60-meter hurdles. Jadyn Mays and PJ Ize-Iyamu, last year's Pac-12 champions at 100 meters, are set to make their 2025 debuts with Aaliyah McCormick, a two-time NCAA indoor qualifier, getting her season started in the hurdles.

RECAP: Ayyildiz breaks UO record at indoor opener (Dec. 7)

The Graduate Classic is the first of two meets for Oregon in January with the Razorback Invitational (Jan. 31-Feb. 1) scheduled for the end of the month in January. The 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships will be contested March 14-15 in Virginia Beach.

For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.