1500m

Simeon Birnbaum

Last time out: Birnbaum is coming off a semifinal win in the West First Round after lowering his prelim time of 3:41.36 to a 3:37.00.

Looking back: Birnbaum’s 2025 season ended with a seventh-place finish in the championship, posting a time of 3:47.64. The sophomore showed what he was capable of in his first outdoor race of 2026, breaking the NCAA 1500m record at the Oregon Team Invitational. Head coach Jerry Schumacher gave him the green light to attempt that record in anticipation of more strategic races ahead, including this weekend’s championship, but Birnbaum made a statement in his season debut, and Friday presents his chance to follow through.

Tomas Palfrey

Last time out: Palfrey locked in his finals appearance with a slower time than his prelim race, declining from a 3:40.23 to a 3:44.67.

Looking back: Palfrey’s 2025 season ended in the Championship prelim, where he finished in 3:40.82. The senior opened his 2026 outdoor season with a DNF in which he sacrificed his race to pace Birnbaum’s record. In his true season debut at the Oregon Twilight, he set a personal best of 3:40.23.

Elliott Cook

Last time out: Like Palfrey, Cook slowed down in his semifinal race, going from a 3:40.17 in the prelim to a 3:45.24.

Looking back: Cook’s most recent finals appearance came in 2024, when he finished second in the nation with a 3:39.57. Cook’s 2026 season has come full circle to a peak at the right time, with his first round prelim time nearly matching his season-best 3:40.14 from Oregon Twilight.

3000m Steeplechase

Benjamin Balazs

Last time out: Season best time of 8:29.30, good for third place in the first round.

Looking back: Balazs finished seventh in last season’s championship race with an 8.24.46.

5000m

Simeon Birnbaum

Last time out: Birnbaum finished ninth in the first round race with a 13:42.69.

Looking back: Birnbaum’s 2025 season ended in the prelim race, where he ran a 14:10.98.

Luke Tewalt

Last time out: Tewalt finished tenth in the first round, posting a 13:47.55.

Looking back: In his final race at Wake Forest University before transferring to Oregon, Tewalt finished the 2025 season No. 14 in the nation with a time of 13:37.47.

10000m

Evan Burke

Last time out: Burke finished 11th in the first round with a time of 28:58.43.

Looking back: In his debut season at Oregon after transferring from Stanford, Burke took 17th place in the 2025 final with a time of 28:47.56.

110m Hurdles

Kai Graves-Blanks

Last time out: Graves-Blanks improved over his first-round prelim time of 13.44 to a 13.42 in the semi- final, but he fell from sixth place to eighth.

Looking back: Graves-Blanks ran for Iowa in last year’s championship, finishing 19th with a time of 13.54. He set a personal best of 13.28 earlier this season at the Desert Heat Classic.

4x100m Relay

Kai Graves-Blanks, PJ Ize-Iyamu, Jaelon Barbarin, Fuad Omer

Last time out: The Ducks took fourth place in the first round, finishing in 38.86.

Looking back: This same unit broke Oregon’s school record earlier this season, running a 38.59 at the Desert Heat Classic.

Triple Jump

Tre Betts

Last time out: Betts finished 12th in the first round, but his distance of 16.04m was a season best.

Looking back: Betts won the Division II triple jump championship at Pittsburg State last season with a distance of 16.46m.

Shot Put

Ben Smith

Last time out: Smith won the first-round event with a 20.50m heave.

Looking back: Smith utilized a redshirt in 2025, but surged to conference recognition in the 2026 indoor season, finishing fourth in the championship with a 20.37m throw en route to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Smith has reached a new level late in the outdoor season, throwing a personal best 20.88m at the Big Ten Championships.

Kobe Lawrence

Last time out: Lawrence finished 12th in the first round with an 18.69m throw.

Looking back: Lawrence finished fourth in last season’s championship with a distance of 20.32m.

Discus

Ben Smith

Last time out: Smith set a personal best in the first round with a 59.88m throw, earning him fifth place.

Javelin

Pat Vialva

Last time out: Vialva finished fifth in the first round with a 74m throw.

Looking back: Vialva’s season ended in the first round last season. The senior is in the best form of his career late in the season, throwing a personal best 77.40m at the Big Ten Championships.

Daniel Thrana

Last time out: Thrana finished ninth in the first round with a distance of 71.80m.

Looking back: Thrana opened his first season of NCAA competition with a personal-best 78.32m throw at the Oregon Team Invitational.