Ayyildiz, Birnbaum Sweep B1G 5,000m Titles

Thursday, February 26

Indianapolis, IN

All Day

University of Oregon

Big Ten Indoor Championships

Simeon Birnbaum, B1G Indoor 5,000 champion

Photo by: GoDucks.com

02/26/26 | Track and Field

Meet Central

The Ducks lead both Big Ten Indoor team races at the end of day one.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – In a repeat of their efforts at last year's outdoor meet, Silan Ayyildiz and Simeon Birnbaum won 5,000-meter titles Thursday at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. At the end of day one, the Men and Women of Oregon lead their respective team races with 29 and 32 points.

Led by Ayyildiz, the Women of Oregon scored 24 points in the 5,000 meters with a 1-2-3 finish and the team's first points of the weekend. Ayyildiz stopped the clock in 15:37.90, an indoor personal best and new Fall Creek Pavilion facility record. All three Ducks—Ayyildiz, Diana Cherotich and Juliet Cherubet—finished under that previous record of 15:56.81 set last year by Ayyildiz.

Thursday marked the fourth overall Big Ten title for Ayyildiz who, in addition to the back-to-back titles indoors, also won the cross country title in 2024 and last year's outdoor 5K title.

The UO men followed suit with another collection of points in a 1-4-5-7 finish at 5,000 meters. After missing last year's indoor meet, Birnbaum made the most of his Big Ten Indoor debut with a winning time of 13:45.78. With the additional contributions of Abdel Laadjel, Benjamin Balaz and Evan Bishop, the Ducks tallied 21 points in the race.

In the final event of the night, the Men of Oregon had a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay. The quartet of Tomas Palfrey, Fuad Omer, Cain Evans and Elliott Cook combined for a time of 9:38.85 while overcoming a fall on the first leg.

The Oregon women added five points with Liisa-Maria Lusti's fourth-place effort in the pentathlon. She finished the five-event competition with 4,252 points. Lusti took the top spot in the long jump with her first-attempt measure of 6.38m/20-11.25, going from seventh to fourth in the standings. She then held on to that placing with a season-best 2:20.44 in the 800 meters.

The women's DMR posted a sixth-place finish, good for three points toward the Ducks' total. The team of Samantha McDonnell, Lakely Doht-Barron, Allura Markow and Wilma Nielsen finished in 10:59.74.

Aiden Carter leads the heptathlon after day one, scoring 3,297 points with the help of lifetime bests of 12.71m/41-8.5 in the shot put and 2.07m/6-9.5 in the high jump. He is 18 points ahead of his day-one score—3,279 points—at the Razorback Invitational in late January. Carter was just off his personal best in the 60 meters, crossing in 7.01 compared to the 6.99 he ran earlier this season.

Day two of the heptathlon includes the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.

The UO men picked up a qualifier in the 600 meters with Matthew Erickson posting a time of 1:16.52, a new personal best. He was the seventh fastest out of Thursday's heats. Erickson replaced his prior best of 1:16.83 from last year's conference meet. The final of the 600 is scheduled for Saturday at 12:50 p.m. PT.

Erickson, along with teammates Cain Evans and James Harding, will be on the track Friday for prelims in the 800 meters. Erickson is the reigning Big Ten indoor champion in the event.

Notable: Connor Burns, originally second in the men's 5,000 meters, was later DQ'd (interference).

Up Next: Day two of the conference meet begins with the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles at 8:30 a.m. PT. Friday scoring chances will also include the women's high jump and men's and women's long jump. The meet is being streamed on B1G+ and RunnerSpace.

Thursday Results
Big Ten Indoor Championships (Indianapolis, Ind.)
MEN
200 Meters
13. Grant Valley – 21.27

600 Meters – prelims
7. Matthew Erickson – 1:16.52q (PB)
24. Ben Greene – 1:20.53 (PB)

5,000 Meters
1. Simeon Birnbaum – 13:45.78 [10 points]
4. Abdel Laadjel – 13:51.74 [5 points]
5. Benjamin Balazs – 13:56.44 [4 points]
7. Evan Bishop – 13:59.95 [2 point]
--. Connor Burns – DQ (interference)

Distance Medley Relay
2. Palfrey/Omer/Evans/Cook – 9:38.85 [8 points]

Heptathlon – Day 1
1. Aiden Carter – 3,297 points
               3. 60 Meters – 7.01 [879]
               2. Long Jump – 7.36m/24-1.75 [900]
               4. Shot Put – 12.71m/41-8.5 (PB) [650]
               1. High Jump – 2.07m/6-9.5 (PB) [868]

WOMEN
200 Meters – prelims
12. Amirah Shaheed – 23.88
14. Brazil Neal – 24.12

5,000 Meters
1. Silan Ayyildiz - 15:37.90 (PB, FR, UO #5) [10 points]
2. Diana Cherotich - 15:39.45 [8 points]
3. Juliet Cherubet - 15:42.39 [6 points]
10. Katie Clute - 16:10.72

Distance Medley Relay
6. McDonnell/Doht-Barron/Markow/Nielsen – 10:59.74 [3 points]

Pole Vault
--. Emily Fitzsimmons – NH

Pentathlon
4. Liisa-Maria Lusti – 4,252 points [5 points]
               5. 60m Hurdles – 8.49 [1,019]
               4. High Jump – 1.70m/5-7 [855]
               14. Shot Put – 10.94m/35-10.75 [591]
               1. Long Jump – 6.38m/20-11.25 [969]
               7. 800 Meters – 2:20.44 (SB) [818]

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