Sophomore Cole Hocker's Lead-Off Leg Caught Coach Ben Thomas By Surprise And Put Oregon Back On Track For A Special Moment After 11-Month Layoff

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Filled with gratitude for the first opportunity to race as a team in 11 months, the members of the Oregon men's distance medley relay team entered last week's Razorback Invitational without any serious expectations, except to run a qualifying time for NCAA Indoor Nationals. 

Sophomore Cole Hocker got into an immediate competitive race on the 1,200-meter leg with Iowa State's Jason Gomez — and both ran startling times of 2:49 before handing off — and the Ducks were suddenly on their way to something special. 

"I went out and sort of just felt the race and I felt pretty good at 800," Hocker said. "It also felt good to be back out on the track, I think some of that (feeling) just helped take over nerves and stuff. Yeah, it was a good leg." 

Hocker's leg jump-started the team and perhaps the entire weekend in Arkansas for the Ducks.

"I knew they were fit, I just didn't know they were that sharp," Oregon distance coach Ben Thomas said. "The way the guys executed each leg and ultimately to run 9:19 out of the gate like that is super-exciting, because I know there is more there and we need to do it at the end of the season."

Sophomore Luis Peralta kept pace with Iowa State's Cebastian Gentil — both running 47s for 400 meters. 

It wasn't until junior Charlie Hunter took the baton on the third leg that Oregon actually took the lead and then began pulling away from the Cyclones. 

Hunter, who split 1:47.65, heard Thomas shout that the team was three seconds ahead of last year's collegiate record pace (9:24.52). 

Hunter ran half a second faster than he had in 2020 on the same leg and then handed off to senior Cooper Teare, who split 3:54.61 (nearly a second faster than 2020) as the Ducks completed the relay in 9:19.42 for an all-time world indoor best and absolute collegiate record. 

"The way these guys have stuck with it and kept their edge, it's been really special," Thomas said. "This meet was awesome to see it pay off."

The Ducks built momentum throughout the meet, adding school records in the 60-meter dash (freshman Micah Williams ran 6.56) and the triple jump (freshman Emmanuel Ihemeje jumped 53-10.25/16.41m). 

Suddenly, the Oregon men appear to be the favorite for the NCAA Indoor title and earned a No. 1 ranking from the USTFCCCA. 

Oregon plays host to its first winter cross country meet of the season Friday at Lane Community College and will employ a lineup primarily consisting of runners who don't have indoor eligibility. 

Thomas said the team will evaluate as it goes to maintain "maximum flexibility," but it appears that Oregon is all-in to try and win the indoor title and will not use Teare, Hocker or Hunter for cross country. 

A month ago, Thomas admitted, the distance group was "in cross country mode."

A day after the DMR, Hunter ran 3:54.54 to break the Australian national indoor record in the mile. 

Teare and Hocker went 1-2 in the 3,000 meters in 7:46.10 and 7:46.44, respectively. For Hocker, that broke a 54-year-old American U-20 record held by Jim Ryun. 

Hunter said he plans to do all he can to help Oregon at the NCAA Indoor meet and then fly back to Australia to compete in the national track and field championships in April. Then he'll come back to Eugene for the important meets leading up to the NCAA Outdoor meet, planned for Hayward Field. 

Hocker, who won the 2018 Foot Locker Cross Country Championship as a senior at Cathedral High in Indianapolis, was praised by Thomas and Teare for his role in setting the DMR record. 

"The first split was the most extraordinary split of all," Thomas said. "A 2:49, I don't think I've ever witnessed a collegiate DMR that went out in 2:49. For Cole Hocker to lay that down, it's a whole other level in performance in terms of his middle distance ability."

Hocker offered evidence of his capabilities in early December at the Sound Running Track Meet, where he nearly outkicked Olympic 1,500 meters champion Matthew Centrowitz over 5,000 meters, clocking 13:32.95 — for No. 5 on the all-time  American U-20 list.

"First off, Cole Hocker is my favorite person to talk about, ever," Teare said. "He's severely underrated, he's starting to get some recognition, but he's the future of American running. He's insane."

Teare said he had a mental reset after last year's NCAA Indoor meet was canceled and that he put in months of focused, yet fun, training. 

"It was some of the most consistent and fun training that I've ever done," he said. 

Teare met with Thomas and head track and field coach Robert Johnson to discuss plans for early 2021 and for now he is focused on doing all he can to win a team indoor championship. 

His ultimate goals later this spring include taking a stab at the all-time Oregon record in the 5,000 meters (13:14.80 by Bill McChesney Jr. in 1982) and competing in front of the Oregon crowd at the U.S .Olympic Trials.

"Since last summer, the Trials have been kind of that end goal and an awesome opportunity," Teare said. "I remember in 2016 I ran at the Trials with the Nike Elite Camp, we just ran a high school mile and being in that atmosphere was surreal, and getting that opportunity to see what goes on. Five years later having the opportunity to compete and having an outside shot to make an Olympic team has to be the end goal. 

"In between, there's a lot of things I want to do. I don't have a national title under my belt yet, and I think that's the first step."