The stadium lights illuminated Hayward Field. Fans filed into the green seats in the stadium; their cheers grew louder whenever the public address announcer named University of Oregon competitors.
The home fans helped fuel distance runner Klaudia Kazimierska’s final push in her 800-meter and 1500-meter first-place finishes, as well as Silan Ayyildiz and Matthew Erickson in their successful races later in the weekend.
“When my name was announced, I felt like everybody was screaming,” Kazimierska said. “My friends are here. My mentor is here, and lots of friends just from Eugene.”
Track and field is officially back in Eugene. The Ducks returned to their home stadium on April 18 and 19 for the Oregon Open and Oregon Team Invitational.
Ayyildiz, a junior distance runner, entered the outdoor season off of a historic indoor season. She shattered the NCAA record in the mile and won the 5000-meter Big Ten title. Still, Ayyildiz said she felt “nervous” heading into the 800-meter at the Oregon Team Invitational, saying she was getting used to the speed.
“I think it’s good practice to run a home meet,” Ayyildiz said, noting that her home is about a two-minute walk from the stadium. “I was like, I don’t know what to do today. I was just waiting all day for (the race).”
The Big Ten indoor champion ended up recording a lifetime best of 2:03.11 in her first competition of the season in front of her home crowd.
Oregon track and field athletes get to spend a lot of time at Hayward this season. They’ll return for the Oregon Twilight on May 9, and then Eugene will host the Big Ten Championships for the first time at the end of May and the NCAA Championships in June.
“Having that home-field advantage gives us a lot of confidence,” Erickson, a middle-distance runner, said. “I’m comfortable in this environment. I have warm-up loops I’ve been warming up on for four years now. Just the spots in and around Eugene, my friends and family are usually at these meets. It just feels like home, and so I take some confidence. There’s a relaxation there.”
