Kostas Zaltos Retakes Meet Record From Angelos Mantzouranis In Big Ten Hammer Final; Evan Jenkins Wins 10,000 As Huskies, Ducks Sweep Top Eight; Cody Johnston Breaks Meet PV Record

By Oliver Hinson for DyeStat

Brynn Kleinke/Kim Spir photos

RESULTS | RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

EUGENE — The Bowerman watch list might have to make way for two Minnesota hammer throwers.

Angelos Mantzouranis already had a spot on the list heading into the Big Ten Outdoor Championships as the top-ranked hammer thrower in the country, but his teammate Kostas Zaltos proved to be unstoppable in Thursday’s final, breaking the meet record and taking the win with a throw of 77.67 meters (254-10).

Zaltos threw over 76 meters on four of his six attempts and came within 0.14 meters (nine inches) of his personal best. In the last Big Ten championship of his career, he picked up his fourth conference title.

“It’s my last dance,” Zaltos said. “I was very pumped and excited to be here and perform, which I did. I’m so happy that I set a new meet record.”

Mantzouranis held the previous record; he set it last year with his throw of 75.15 meters (246-7). Zaltos said Mantzouranis told him after that meet that he “broke (the record) by a little bit just to give you something for next year.”

Zaltos responded to him, “‘Just wait, and I’ll just break it again.’”

He followed through on that promise, while Mantzouranis finished second with a mark of 75.11 meters (246-5). He wasn’t pleased with that performance; he said his body felt good, but he “wasn’t there technically.”

Isaiah Schafer took seventh for the Gophers, bringing their point total in the hammer throw to 20.

Zaltos and Mantzouranis, both from Greece, are currently ranked first and second in the country, but neither has won a national title. They’ll likely have to contend with Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji, last year’s runner-up and the 2023 champion, as well as Trey Knight (CSUN) and Texas Tanner (Air Force), both of whom have thrown over 75 meters this year.

Meanwhile, Cody Johnston broke a meet record of his own in the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.64 meters (18-6) for his first ever Big Ten title. Johnston said the win took a big weight off his shoulders; according to him, he was the favorite to win the pole vault in all three of his previous Big Ten championship meets, but he hadn’t done so in any of them.

Johnston described his training as “rough” heading into the meet. His team recently switched pole brands after one of his poles broke in practice, and he said the adjustment process has been difficult.

“All pole vaulters know, a different pole brand is just a straight up different pole,” Johnston said. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes into pole vaulting… if you’re not comfortable on your new poles, you’re not gonna be comfortable with your jump.”

Johnston found himself in a two-man battle with Minnesota’s Jak Urlacher, the defending champion, over the last few bars. Urlacher passed on 5.54 meters (18-2) after missing his first two attempts, and he won that bet, clearing 18-4 on his first attempt. After missing his first attempt on 18-6, though, he passed again, and he couldn’t clear 18-8, giving Johnston the win.

However, Urlacher’s second place finish put eight more points on the board for the Gophers, bringing their total on the day to 28.

The Nebraska men put 23 points on the board, in large part thanks to a 1-3-4 finish in the javelin. Arthur Petersen threw 78.91 meters (258-10) for the win, earning his second career Big Ten title. 

He said the chemistry between him and his teammates helped them put some impressive marks on the board.

“It’s amazing to have very good teammates that you train with every single day,” Petersen said. “I feel like it’s a great advantage I have compared to many other people, and I’m glad that I came to the U.S. (from Denmark) and started competing here.”

Iowa’s Mike Stein took second with a throw of 77.41 meters (253-11), followed by Nebraska’s Dash Sirmon (75.77) and Keyshawn Strachan (73.34) in third and fourth.

Washington's Evan Jenkins Dives Past Oregon's Aiden Smith For 10,000 Win

Many of the fans in Hayward Field will remember the final seconds of the men’s 10,000 meters, but the top two runners themselves — Washington’s Evan Jenkins and Oregon’s Aiden Smith — won’t remember any of it.

Both Jenkins and Smith said they started to black out in the last 100 meters, and they both dove — or fell — across the finish line. Jenkins stayed upright just a bit longer, and that made all the difference; he took the win in 29:24.48, while Smith finished just behind in 29:24.65. 

Jenkins said he had never experienced a finish like that one.

“I saw Aiden coming up on me, and I know he’s a great finisher, so I did the best I could to hang on,” Jenkins said. “I think both of our legs just gave in in that last 10 meters. I’m not sure how I came out with the win, but thankfully, I did.”

Jenkins and the rest of the field experienced two vastly different halves of the race. Their first 5,000 meters was a little slower than 15:20 (they came through 1,200 meters slower than the women’s field), and their second half was close to 14 minutes. Jenkins split a 58.70 on his final lap.

During those slow early laps, Jenkins said he was talking with some of his teammates, as well as his competitors. Halfway through the race, he asked Wisconsin’s Bob Liking if they could keep the leisurely pace going for another mile, but Liking said, “Sorry man, I gotta go.”

Liking led for several laps late in the race, but he was pushed out of a podium finish by an onslaught of Washington and Oregon runners. The Huskies took first, fifth and seventh, while the Ducks took the remaining five of the top eight spots, shutting out the Midwestern contingent of the Big Ten.

Oregon finished the day with 27 points, including 23 from the 10,000, while Washington sits third with 25.

USC, the favorite, didn’t put any points on the board, but the Trojans’ sprinters and hurdlers set the team up well for Saturday and Sunday. Johnny Brackins and Yougendy Mauricette recorded the two fastest times of the 400-meter hurdles prelims, and Brackins set a personal best with his mark of 50.00.

Garrett Kaalund led four USC qualifiers in the men’s 200 meters, posting a 20.12, the second fastest time of the day.