Ducks Score In 14 Of 18 Events For An Overwhelming 49-Point Winning Margin 

By David Woods for DyeStat

Bobby Goddin photos

RESULTS | DAY 2 PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS

INDIANAPOLIS – After feeling at home in the Midwest, just wait until these Oregon Ducks really get to compete at home.

Oregon’s women, in their first year in the Big Ten, are two-thirds of the way to a conference triple crown. After running to victory in cross country Nov. 1 at Savoy, Ill., they won by the biggest margin in 30 years to win in indoor track and field Saturday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

And the outdoor championship is May 16-18 at Hayward Field.

Oregon scored 131 points to 82 for defending champion Illinois. The 49-point margin was the biggest since Illinois over Wisconsin 132-83 in 1995.

USC was third with 76, scoring 63 in four sprints. Iowa was fourth with 51 and Washington fifth with 50.

Oregon scored 79 points in six races longer than 400 meters, and that was nearly enough. 

But it would be a mischaracterization to assert there is no balance at Oregon, which scored in 14 of 18 events and has NCAA contenders in the 60 and 200 meters, 60 hurdles and shot put.

“That’s a complete team,” coach Jerry Schumacher said. “That’s a lot of great athletes doing their job in their respective events. That’s what conference championships are. They’re team championships.”

Underscoring the Ducks’ dominance is that if there had been medals instead of points, they would have had five gold, seven silver and three bronze for 15. The Fighting Illini had seven medals (1-3-3).

Clearly, the Ducks can fly far from home in this expanded Big Ten.

“It’s really cool to be a part of,” said mile winner Wilma Neilsen, who put her hands in the familiar “O” shape as she crossed the finish.

With a last 200-meter lap of 28.96, she clocked 4:38.77 and led teammate Mia Barnett across the line. Freshman Ali Ince was seventh, giving Oregon 20 points.

Doing Duck double duty in finals 45 minutes apart, Ella Nelson was third in the 800 and 600.

In the 60 hurdles, Aaliyah McCormack beat Michigan’s Aasia Laurencin by .005, both timed in 7.97. Those times rank No. 3 in the NCAA.

“I’m so excited to go to new places,” McCormick said. “It’s my first time being in Indiana. The travel was really a lot, but I’m really excited to be a part of the Big Ten.”

Foremost individual champions were not Ducks, but USC sprinter Dajaz DeFrand, Nebraska shot putter Axelina Johansson and Nebraska high jumper Jenna Rogers.

DeFrand lowered her meet record in the 60 to 7.10, which ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and No. 7 in the world. She won the 200 over Oregon’s Jadyn Mays, 22.62 to 22.66. Mays was second in the 60, too, in 7.15.

DeFrand, of Lincoln, Neb., was a five-time ACC champion at Florida State before transferring to USC.

Johansson broke a meet record – and Swedish indoor record -- of 63 feet, 4.25 inches (19.31m) on her final attempt. She climbed to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate indoor list.

“I did not expect to throw this far, but the atmosphere was so great and everybody was cheering me. I got pretty pumped,” Johansson said of the new Fall Creek Pavilion venue.

She was an NCAA champion in June 2023 but was third last year and 10th at the Paris Olympics. “Pretty bad,” is how she described 2024.

“I was just motivated to do really good this year, and I feel like the training is finally paying off,” Johansson said. “Finally getting my confidence back.”

Oregon’s collegiate record-holder, Jaida Ross, who was fourth at Paris, threw 60-7.25 (18.47m) on her last attempt to move from fourth to second.

Rogers broke a meet record of 6-3.50 (1.92m), beating outdoor NCAA champion Rose Yeboah of Illinois. Rogers, who tied for third at the 2024 Olympic Trials, ranks No. 3 in the NCAA and No. 8 in the world at 6-4.25 (1.94m).

Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland, a Paris finalist in the 400 hurdles, won the 400 in 51.74.

USC broke a meet record in the 4x400 relay of 3:29.97 (which would have earned seventh in the SEC).

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