James West, Jacob Miller, Charlie Hunter and Cooper Teare take down 2008 indoor mark set by Texas, in addition to eclipsing overall program DMR record that included anchor Edward Cheserek at 2014 Penn Relays to highlight several collegiate leaders on meet’s opening day

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For all the memorable achievements celebrated by the Oregon men’s track and field program, the one item that was currently missing from the Ducks’ exceptional resume was a collegiate indoor relay record.

James West, Jacob Miller, Charlie Hunter and Cooper Teare checked off that box in dominant fashion Friday at the Razorback Invitational at Randal Tyson Indoor Track.

The Oregon quartet clocked 9 minutes, 24.52 seconds to win by more than 11 seconds over Texas in the distance medley relay and eclipse the 2008 collegiate indoor record of 9:25.97 set by the Longhorns at the same venue at the Tyson Invitational.

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Oregon also broke the overall DMR program record of 9:25.40, a lineup that was anchored by Edward Cheserek when the Ducks captured the Championship of America wheel at the 2014 Penn Relays. Cheserek also anchored Oregon to a pair of NCAA Division 1 indoor DMR titles in 2015 and 2016, two of the Ducks’ four all-time championships in the event.

Oregon now boasts the collegiate outdoor 4xmile record, a lineup including Matthew Centrowitz, Andrew Wheating, Shadrack Biwott and Galen Rupp that clocked 16:03.24 at Oregon Twilight in 2009, along with the indoor DMR standard.

In addition, the Ducks now boast both the men’s and women’s collegiate indoor DMR records. The women set the mark in 2017 at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge by clocking 10:48.77 at The Armory in New York, taking more than two seconds off the 2009 record held by Tennessee.

Although the Stanford women didn’t set a collegiate record during their DMR race, the Cardinal did add to the program’s impressive legacy as Ella Donaghu, Ashlan Best, Julia Heymach and Jessica Lawson prevailed in 10:55.89, holding off host Arkansas’ Carina Viljoen, Morgan Burks-Magee, Krissy Gear and Katie Izzo in 10:57.08.

Stanford’s effort ranked No. 19 in collegiate indoor history, giving the Cardinal five of the top 20 all-time performances, the only program to produce as many elite marks in the event.

In addition to both DMR performances, there were several other individual highlights that also achieved national-leading marks.

Kansas State senior Lauren Taubert enjoyed a significant improvement in the women’s pentathlon, accumulating 4,352 points, highlighted by a personal-best 19-8.25 (6.00m) in the long jump.

Taubert, who increased her mark by 223 points from her 11th-place finish at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, elevated to the No. 4 pentathlete in program history and ascended to No. 30 all-time among collegiate indoor performers.

Georgia freshman Anna Hall, the national high school record holder competing in her first collegiate pentathlon, took second with 4,202 points and Oregon freshman Mathilde Rey placed third with 4,142 points. Rey, who competes internationally for Switzerland, elevated to No. 2 in Ducks’ program history behind Brianne Theisen-Eaton.

Oregon also received an individual victory from senior Rhesa Foster, who produced a fourth-round mark of 20-9.75 (6.34m) in the women’s long jump.

LSU had a pair of women’s individual winners, including freshman Thelma Davies clocking a national-leading 22.96 in the 200.

Junior Abigail O’Donoghue also took over the collegiate lead in the women’s high jump by establishing a new program record, clearing 6-2 (1.88m) on her second attempt.

Georgia senior Kayla Smith cleared a personal-best 14-4 (4.37m) on her third attempt to win the women’s pole vault, with Auburn sophomore Madi Malone achieving a third-round mark of 71-11 (21.92m) to prevail in the women’s weight throw.

LSU senior Rayvon Grey built on his own collegiate lead in the long jump, producing a third-round mark of 26-6.50 (8.09m).

Florida senior Clayton Brown, already the collegiate leader in the men’s triple jump, elevated into the top three in the high jump by clearing 7-4.50 (2.25m) on his third attempt.

Texas junior Micaiah Harris lowered his own collegiate lead in the men’s 200 to 20.49.

Kansas State junior Colin Echols secured victory in the men’s weight throw with a sixth-round mark of 67-6 (20.57m) and Georgia freshman Haze Farmer cleared 17-4.50 (5.30m) on his first attempt to win the men’s pole vault.

Georgia also held three of the top four spots on the opening day of the men’s heptathlon, with redshirt freshman Kyle Garland leading with 3,447 points.

In the Olympic Development pole vault showcase, defending U.S. Indoor men’s champion Andrew Irwin cleared 18-1 (5.51m) and reigning World Indoor women’s gold medalist Sandi Morris opened her season by clearing 15-5.50 (4.71m).