World leader Ethan Katzberg opened competition with a stunning victory on Friday at Hayward Field as athletes began the weekend in Eugene.
By Owen Murray
At the first day of The Prefontaine Classic, Ethan Katzberg led the day with a new world lead in his hammer win. The Canadian’s victory in a stacked field was his first at The Prefontaine Classic on a day where former Oregon Ducks returned to the podium at home and middle-distance stars primed the track for tomorrow’s Diamond League events.
The World No. 1 entering the meet, Katzberg was one of four athletes to foul in the first round of the men’s hammer throw. All four returned with second-round marks, led by Katzberg, who threw a new world-leading, Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League record 83.33m (273’ 5’’) to jump to the top of the field. He stayed there, despite a charge from a talented field, to claim his first Prefontaine Classic win after finishing with a silver medal in his debut last year.
“I had great competition, good atmosphere. The fans were awesome. The circle was great, so it was hard not to throw far.”
Katzberg, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, entered Friday as the favorite but faced a field which also included three other members of the world top-5. Those three, Rudy Winkler, Mykhaylo Kokhan and Merlin Hummel, were the other athletes to throw over 80m (262’ 6’’); none came within a meter of Katzberg’s winning mark. The Canadian crossed that 80m mark on every legal throw — four times — and threw at least 81.98m (268’ 12’’) three times.
“I got a little excited [on the first throw], did all the wrong things technically, and I paid for it,” Katzberg said. “And then that, I think, woke me up a little bit into the competition and the next throw was a lot better.”
Later, now-former Oregon Duck Wilma Nielsen kicked down the home stretch to take the women’s 1500m title from the hands of former Stanford Cardinal Juliette Whittaker. Lucia Stafford led much of the race behind pacer Maddy Mooney, but fell off the pace after taking the field through the bell.
“I did not think we were going to catch [Stafford],” Nielsen said. “She went with the pace, and we really didn’t.”
Nielsen and Whittaker traded places over the back stretch behind Stafford, then caught her off the last turn and stormed home with Nielsen 0.18 seconds faster between the two former collegiate stars. Whittaker’s personal-best time at 4:05.78 wasn’t enough to best Nielsen, who signed with Nike after completing her NCAA career last month with Oregon.
“I was really nervous. Representing Nike is a big thing. That was the dream,” Nielsen said. “So going out here, representing Nike for the first time, going pro — I was nervous, but I’m really happy. I got to represent it really well, both Ducks and Nike today.”
University of Georgia star Dejanea Oakley overtook Aaliyah Butler over the final 50m to lead a Bulldogs 1-2 sweep in the women’s 400m. Oakley’s 49.64 cleared Butler, her teammate in Athens; the pair won the NCAA team title at Hayward Field in June, where Butler ran a collegiate-record 48.79.
“This track meet was all based on whether I was feeling well enough to come here,” Butler, who had oral surgery between the NCAA Championships and Friday’s race, said. “I just kind of pushed myself through it, like, ‘I have a few more track meets coming up, and I definitely want to be at Prefontaine.’”
Oakley debuted at The Prefontaine Classic last season, where she finished fifth (Butler was second in the same race).
“Compared to last year, I definitely felt like I had more composure,” Oakley said. “I had more experience coming in, and it’s always good running at Hayward, of course.”
Brandon Miller struck gold in a men’s 800m field which also included Donavan Brazier, Bryce Hoppel and Cooper Lutkenhaus. The latter was the de facto leader through much of the race behind pacer Lloyd Frilot, but Miller stuck with a group which sat off Frilot’s pace and motored down the straightaway to take the title in a season-best 1:43.68.
“It was more instinct at the end of the day,” Miller, who entered the final lap in ninth place, said. “I saw, with 200m to go, Bizimana and Cooper fighting. I kind of knew that I had to take my spot and I was just kind of lurking from 300m on, and I just tried to [pass them] one by one.”
Liam Murphy won the men’s mile in a personal-best 3:50.49 ahead of seven other PB times, while Parker Wolfe won the men’s 2 mile in 8:10.13.
Women’s discus world leader Valarie Sion returned to Eugene and claimed another Prefontaine Classic crown with a 68.64m second effort. Former Oregon Duck Jorinde van Klinken finished second with a 68.21m throw, also in the second round.
Sandi Morris needed a season-best 4.85m (15’ 11’’) to claim the pole vault title — her first at the Pre Classic — ahead of Katie Moon, who took her to 4.85m before passing to 4.90m (16’ 1’’) and missing twice. Morris passed in two attempts or less at every height before missing all three of her chances at 4.90.
Competition resumes tomorrow at Hayward Field with the women’s hammer throw at noon.