In 1941, Robert McCloskey wrote “Make Way for Ducklings” about a family of mallards navigating the crowded streets of Boston. Eighty-five years later, another family of ducks in Boston made their own way, writing their names into the NCAA and Oregon record books at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

It was a chaotic weekend for Ducks track and field as the program was strewn across the country. Oregon athletes competed across three states and took home school records in each. In Boston, Wilma Nielsen, Juliet Cherubet, Diana Cherotich, Tomas Palfrey and Benjamin Balazs all had stellar performances. Nielsen continued to improve her mile time, Cherubet was right alongside her, Cherotich blew past everyone in her competition and Palfrey and Balazs both moved up in the Oregon books. Nielsen ran a personal-best mile time of 4:21.04 on the second day of the invitational. Nielsen’s time is now the fastest in University of Oregon history, streaking past Silan Ayyildiz’s time of 4:23.46 from the 2025 edition of the BU Valentine Invitational.

Shockingly, though Nielsen set a new personal best, school record and surpassed Ayyildiz, she wasn’t the fastest on the day. That title went to Elle St. Pierre, who ran a world-leading time of 4:17.83. Nielsen still ran fast enough to secure second in the NCAA record book. Cherubet joined Nielsen in the all-time Oregon performers in the mile. In the second running of the mile, Cherubet shaved off just under five seconds from her time of 4:32.03 at the Razorback Invitational and ran a 4:27.46. She took over as the third fastest mile in Oregon women’s track and field history.

Cherotich shaved about three seconds off her best 5,000-meter time as she dominated the women’s event. Cherotich ran a personal best of 15:13:38 (down from 15:16.72) and put herself firmly at the top of Oregon’s record book. Palfrey set a school record too. He ran a 7:39.03 in the men’s 30,000-meter, setting an Oregon record. Just under three-tenths of a second later, Balazs ran a personal best. He crossed the line at 7:39.31, taking over the No. 2 spot in the Oregon record book. Just over 2,000 miles away in Lubbock, Texas, Kobe Lawrence and Ben Smith stole the show in the shot put event at the Jarvis Scott Invitational.

Lawrence threw an Oregon record and personal best 20.16 meters. The redshirt sophomore passed Ben Smith’s 19.82m throw from the Razorback Invitational. Smith placed second in the invitational with a 19.08m throw. At the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Ducks took first in the men’s and women’s 60-meter and first in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, respectively.

Grant Valley set a personal best of 6.71 in the men’s 60m. He was joined by Jaelon Barbarin who placed third with a personal best of 6.81. Brazil Neal set a personal best in the women’s 60m at 7.37. Amirah Shaheed took third place, also with a personal best 7.38. In the 60m hurdles, Aaliyah McCormick set a season best 7.95.

The Big Ten Indoor Championships start at the end of February in Indianapolis. The games will span the last three days of the month, Feb. 26-28. The NCAA Indoor Championships will take place Mar. 13-14.