Jenkins Wins B1G 10k Title In Classic Finish

Friday, May 16

Eugene, OR

12:00 PM

University of Washington

Big Ten Outdoor Championships

May 16, 2025 | Track & Field

By: UW Athletic Communications

Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Friday-Sunday, May 16-18
Eugene, Ore. | Hayward Field

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EUGENE, Ore. – Husky sophomore Evan Jenkins became Washington's first Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Champion tonight in an absolute gut-wrenching finish to 25 laps around Hayward Field. The Camas, Wash. native powered to a late lead, seemed to have lost it to Oregon's Aiden Smith with 20 meters to go, but somehow found another drop in the tank to pull back in front and win the 10,000-meters title as both men dove over the finish line.

After nearly a half hour racing, Jenkins won in 29:24.48 compared to 29:24.65 for Oregon's Smith, as the Huskies and Ducks amazingly accounted for the entire top-eight of the men's 10k final. Oregon went 2-3-4 with UW's Acer Iverson taking fifth and Tyrone Gorze finishing seventh.

It was the huge highlight for the Dawgs on the first day of its three-day Big Ten Outdoor Championships debut.

WHAT A FINISH!!! ??

EVAN JENKINS TAKES THE WIN BY .17!! ??#B1GTF x @UWTrack pic.twitter.com/1laSMJr9ND
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) May 17, 2025

Distances

Jenkins stayed patient through the 10k as he was out of the top-10 for most of the race. Once the pace started picking up, he had to close a gap to get back up to the leaders, and then continued to bide his time until he was up into the top-five with a lap to go. The sub-four miler used his closing speed to go into the lead for the first time on the backstretch, and he pulled away from all but Oregon's Smith, who passed on the outside but Jenkins clawed back with both men losing their form and giving every last ounce to get over the line first.

Jenkins becomes UW's first 10k conference champ since Brian Fay won the 2023 Pac-12 title.

In the women's 10,000-meters, Maeve Stiles and Josephine Welin each ran their first 10k's of the season, and for Welin it was the first of her career. Stiles has been working her way back impressively after a long layoff after cross country. She was 10th tonight in 33:55.59. Welin has also battled back to full health this season and she placed 13th in 34:39.67.

Evan takes us through the finish of his first Big Ten Conference title ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/TMczYBaXZy
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) May 17, 2025

The 1,500-meter prelims were held right before the 10k's, and the UW women's milers put all four of their entries through to the 12-woman final, as they will take up 33% of the field on Sunday.

Sophie O'Sullivan dominated her heat to win in a time of 4:18.86 and move on. Then UW had three women in the final prelim heat, and found a way to get all three through. Amina Maatoug was second in 4:16.42, Mia Cochran was third in 4:18.19 as they each auto-advanced, then Julia David-Smith got one of the time qualifiers with a 4:19.89.

In the men's heats, the Dawgs got wins in the first and third sections. In the opening heat, Rhys Hammond ran a tactically savvy race for the win in 3:48.18. In heat three, Nathan Green stepped on the gas on the final lap and powered to the win in 3:45.52. Ronan McMahon-Staggs and Ben MacMillan came up just short of advancing.

The Huskies go 4? for 4? in qualifiers for the women's 1500m Final!

?? Amina Maatoug, 4:16.42Q
?? Mia Cochran, 4:18.19Q
?? Sophie O'Sullivan, 4:18.86Q (heat win)
?? Julia David-Smith, 4:19.89q#GoHuskies #MileCity pic.twitter.com/ReJZZy452T
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) May 17, 2025

Jumps/Vault

The first final of the weekend for the Dawgs was the men's pole vault, with a trio of Huskies hunting points. Simon Park was the first to come in, and he posted back-to-back third attempt clearances at 16-8 1/4 and 17-0 1/4 for a new season-best that could get him in the mix for NCAA Prelims. That would be good for ninth overall.

Mathis Bresko entered at 17-0 1/4 and missed his first two attempts before getting a clutch third-attempt make to avoid the no-height. He then was over 17-4 1/4 on his first jump, and then made a new season's-best 17-8 1/4 again on his first before he went out jumping at 18-0. Bresko would finish sixth for three team points.

Scott Toney, the indoor conference champion, came in at 17-4 1/4 and cleared it on his first attempt. He then had a first-attempt make at 17-8 1/4 and cleared 18-0 on his second attempt as five men remained. Toney couldn't find it at the next bar, however, going out at 18-2, and he finished fourth for five team points, giving UW eight total for the event.

Two attempts two ?? so far for Scott Toney in the pole vault as he's the first man up and over 17-8.25!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/qLMlpFKKe5
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) May 16, 2025

Sprints

Washington took two tickets to the final of the men's 400-meter hurdles, as Bodi Ligons and Matthew Wilkinson got the two fastest time qualifying marks, each placing third in their prelim heats. Ligons ran a new PR of 51.00 in the first heat, and Wilkinson came through in 51.23 in heat two. They'll let it rip in Sunday's final at 2:12 p.m.

In the prelims of the women's 200-meters, senior Danielle Hunter ran 24.23 to finish 20th overall. She'll run in the 100-meters on Saturday.

Throws

The Dawgs picked up one point in the javelin as junior Carson Olmstead reached the podium in his first Big Ten Championship, with by far the best series of his career. On his second attempt, Olmstead bombed one out 222-feet, 8-inches, which was exactly 11-feet farther than his old PR. One round later he nearly matched it, throwing 221-6. Olmstead made the final for another three throws, and went 218-5 in the fifth round, again well past his old PR. He would finish eighth overall for one coveted team point.

Jack Olsen had a tough day and couldn't get ahold of one, as he placed 13th overall with a best of 191-10 on his opening throw.

Added 11-FEET to his PR today ?? and had three throws past his old career-best.

Carson Olmstead is a Big Ten scorer!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/1iRzxlBZvQ
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) May 17, 2025

Multis

Jami Schlueter opened up his final conference decathlon competition today, chasing his first title after taking second in the hep at Big Ten Indoors. He opened with a 100-meter run of 10.87, the third-fastest overall, then went 22-8 in the long jump. After a 44-9 3/4 mark in the shot put, Schlueter was up to second-place overall.

In the high jump, Schlueter made 6-2 3/4, just barely missing a couple tries at 6-4. He went into the 400-meters in third-place, and stayed there with a solid run of 49.55. He'll head into day two with 3,939 points, 89 points out of first and 55 points out of second.