By David Woods for DyeStat

Photo courtesy University of Virginia (@uvatfcc)

In seven days, college men in the distance medley relay have wrecked the indoor record book. Seven of the nine fastest times ever were run in that span.

Virginia can lay claim to the collegiate record, running to a time of 9:14.19 Friday night at Fayetteville, Ark.

At Boston University, the Oregon women joined the spree by breaking a DMR collegiate indoor record of 10:42.05.

Virginia’s men, anchored by Gary Martin’s 3:50.09 for 1,600 meters, were just short of the 9:14.10 run by Washington at Seattle last Saturday. Washington ran on its 307-meter oval, and 200 meters is the maximum circumference for official indoor records.

The world and collegiate indoor bests had been 9:16.40 by Oklahoma State in 2023. 

In races six days apart, Washington and Virginia both bettered the outdoor world record of 9:14.58 set by Brooks Beast last year at Eugene, Ore.

Opening splits by Virginia were Wes Porter, 2:50.51 for 1,200 meters; Alex Sherman 46.26 for 400; Conor Murphy 1:47.33 for 800.

At Arkansas, Oklahoma State was second in 9:16.24, anchored by Ryan Schoppe’s 3:52.43.

What Boston’s last chance DMR lacked in records was compensated for in drama.

Finishing virtually together were Wake Forest, 9:17.17; North Carolina, 9:17.19; Princeton, 9:17.30.  Respective anchors were Rocky Hansen, 3:50.22; Ethan Strand, 3:49.22, and Harrison Witt, 3:51.58.

Georgetown was fourth in 9:19.24. Anchoring in 3:53.81 was Tinoda Matsatsa, who was coming off an 800-meter collegiate record.

DMR all-time NCAA indoor bests

(sub-9:20)

9:14.10 Washington 2025 -oversized track

9:14.19 Virginia 2025

9:16.24 Oklahoma State 2023

9:16.40 Oklahoma State 2025

9:16.65 Washington 2023

9:17.17 Wake Forest 2025

9:17.19 North Carolina 2025

9:17.30 Princeton 2025

9:17.43 Northern Arizona 2025-ot

9:17.92 North Carolina 2024-ot

9:18.81 Washington 2024

9:18.95 Virginia 2024

9:19.24 Georgetown 2025

9:19.88 Virginia Tech 2025

9:19.93 Michigan 2024-ot

9:19.99 North Carolina 2023-ot

9:19.99 Wisconsin 2023-ot

On the women’s side at Boston, mile record-holder Silan Ayyildiz anchored in 4:26.46 for Oregon, whose time broke the collegiate record of 10:43.39 set by Washington last year. The Ducks' other splits were by Julia Nielsen (3:18.06), Moriah Oliviera (52.47) and Mia Barnett (2:05.07).

North Carolina was second in 10:44.71, Georgetown third in 10:47.20, Harvard fourth in 10:47.92 and North Carolina State fifth in 10:48.51.

Four teams ran faster than Oregon a week ago on Washington’s oversized track, led by BYU’s 10:37.56.

Elsewhere at Boston, Cole Hocker won his first 5,000 meters of the year in 12:57.82. He and training partner Cooper Teare, second in 12:57.97, met the standard of 13:01 for September’s World Championships at Tokyo.

Hocker was narrowly beaten by Grant Fisher’s world indoor record for 3,000 meters Feb. 8 at the Millrose Games. The 1,500 Olympic gold medalist is also aiming to make the Tokyo team in the 5,000.

Hocker and Teare climbed to Nos. 5 and 6 on the all-time U.S. indoor list.

Also under 13:01 were Australia’s Jay Rayner in 12:59.43 and India’s Gulveer Singh, whose 12:59.77 was 12 seconds better than his national outdoor record.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.