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In an Oregon track and field outdoor debut that didn't feature any of the names that helped the Ducks win the women's indoor national title last week, one familiar face made her return to the track for the Ducks.
Last season, Katie Clute ran her very first steeplechase at the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field to open the outdoor season following a stellar prep career in Ohio and a strong start during cross-country and indoor track season as a college freshman.
As a sophomore, Clute took to Hayward Field for the first time once again Friday in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the same meet and won in dominant fashion, sporting a pink top while running unattached. Clute smoked the field, finishing in 10 minutes, 24.09 seconds to win her very first race of the academic year after sitting out both the cross-country season in the fall and the indoor season.
Clute said Friday that a break was needed, but she was excited to return to the track under the lights at Hayward.
"It was fun," she said. "I was a little nervous at first, it was the first one in a little bit, especially it being my first steeple in a little bit. But I felt more and more comfortable as I was doing it and I think my water jumps got better and I just got a little more comfortable."
Clute, the 2022-23 Gatorade State Athlete of the Year in Ohio for cross country and a seven-time state champion at Olmsted Falls High School, ended her freshman year strong during outdoor season last summer. The rookie finished second at the 2024 Pac-12 Championships in the steeple and sixth in the 5,000, ran a personal-best 9:56.99 steeple at the NCAA Championship meet to finish 13th, and won both the 3,000 and steeplechase at the 2024 USATF U20 Championships in June.
Clute later ran at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, finishing 11th in the August race.
Heading into her sophomore outdoor season, Clute says she wants to keep the same joy she ran with last season while she was learning the steeplechase for the first time.
"I'm trying to really approach it as having fun with it," Clute said. "That's something that really helped me last year and I was just really excited to try something new and I want to keep that with me."
Oregon hammer record-holder Shelby Moran returned to Hayward unattached over the weekend, throwing 230 feet, 2 inches to win the women's hammer easily.
The school record she set at Oregon last season was 229-8.
Moran had a strong final season with the Ducks in 2024, winning a Pac-12 title, finishing fourth at NCAAs and participating in the U.S. Olympic Trials, placing ninth.
The Ducks' next scheduled meet is the Battle at the Beach in Long Beach, California, April 4, and their next home meet is the Oregon Open and Team Invitational April 18-19 at Hayward Field.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Katie Clute makes her return to Hayward Field at Oregon Preview
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Last season, Katie Clute ran her very first steeplechase at the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field to open the outdoor season following a stellar prep career in Ohio and a strong start during cross-country and indoor track season as a college freshman.
As a sophomore, Clute took to Hayward Field for the first time once again Friday in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the same meet and won in dominant fashion, sporting a pink top while running unattached. Clute smoked the field, finishing in 10 minutes, 24.09 seconds to win her very first race of the academic year after sitting out both the cross-country season in the fall and the indoor season.
Clute said Friday that a break was needed, but she was excited to return to the track under the lights at Hayward.
"It was fun," she said. "I was a little nervous at first, it was the first one in a little bit, especially it being my first steeple in a little bit. But I felt more and more comfortable as I was doing it and I think my water jumps got better and I just got a little more comfortable."
Clute, the 2022-23 Gatorade State Athlete of the Year in Ohio for cross country and a seven-time state champion at Olmsted Falls High School, ended her freshman year strong during outdoor season last summer. The rookie finished second at the 2024 Pac-12 Championships in the steeple and sixth in the 5,000, ran a personal-best 9:56.99 steeple at the NCAA Championship meet to finish 13th, and won both the 3,000 and steeplechase at the 2024 USATF U20 Championships in June.
Clute later ran at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, finishing 11th in the August race.
Heading into her sophomore outdoor season, Clute says she wants to keep the same joy she ran with last season while she was learning the steeplechase for the first time.
"I'm trying to really approach it as having fun with it," Clute said. "That's something that really helped me last year and I was just really excited to try something new and I want to keep that with me."
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Oregon hammer record-holder Shelby Moran makes return to Hayward, throwing unattached
Oregon hammer record-holder Shelby Moran returned to Hayward unattached over the weekend, throwing 230 feet, 2 inches to win the women's hammer easily.
The school record she set at Oregon last season was 229-8.
Moran had a strong final season with the Ducks in 2024, winning a Pac-12 title, finishing fourth at NCAAs and participating in the U.S. Olympic Trials, placing ninth.
Other highlights for the Ducks
- Oregon freshman Ben Smith, competing unattached, won the shot put with a 62-3 3/4 best toss. That mark would have ranked ninth in Duck outdoor history if he were competing with an O on his chest. Smith also finished second in the discus with a 182-2 best throw.
- Duck freshman Jaelon Barbarin defeated sophomore Andrew Walker in the men's 100 in a photo finish in 10.72. Barbarin, who was on Michigan State's football team last fall before entering the transfer portal and ending up in Eugene, last competed at the Razorback Invitational in late January during indoor season.
- Another freshman, Nicole Humphries, won the women's 800 in 2:11.54 in the first win of her collegiate career.
- In the men's 2,000 steeple, a trio of Oregon runners went 1-2-3. Sophomore Benjamin Balazs finished first in 5:33.42, Sergio Del Barrio finished second in 5:38.79 and senior Vincent Mestler finished third in 5:48.53. All three were personal bests.
- Senior Aidan Elbettar won the men's discus at 187-1 1/2, a personal best.
- Oregon senior Kyle Gibbs won the men's pole vault at 17-4 1/2.
The Ducks' next scheduled meet is the Battle at the Beach in Long Beach, California, April 4, and their next home meet is the Oregon Open and Team Invitational April 18-19 at Hayward Field.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Katie Clute makes her return to Hayward Field at Oregon Preview
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