College Teams Continue To Ease Into The Spring At Hayward Premiere; Izzy Thornton-Bott, Shana Grebo, Aaron Bienenfeld, Ty Hampton Get First Chance To Compete At Home For Oregon 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The first meet of the season at this year's World Championships venue, Eugene's Hayward Field, will feature about a dozen Division 1 college teams, primarily from the Northwest. 

The Hayward Premiere begins on Friday afternoon and features some invitational distance races from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and the bulk of the meet will take place Saturday. 

Washington State's Colton Johnsen, an NCAA Indoor qualifier in two events, will open his outdoor season as the top seed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He was 12th in last year's NCAA final. 

Weber State's Christian Allen, 16th at last fall's NCAA Cross Country Championships, heads the field in the men's 5,000 meters. 

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In the women's 5,000, Everlyn Kemboi from Utah Valley will race against Oregon's Alessia Zarbo and Aneta Konieczek. 

Oregon's Aaron Bienenfeld, 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters, will race for the first time at Hayward Field in a Ducks uniform in the 1,500 meters.  

The women's 1,500 includes Jenn Randall and Anna Connor from Cascadia Elite, Oregon's Izzy Thornton-Bott and Oregon State duo Grace Fetherstonhaugh and Kaylee Mitchell. 

Gonazaga's James Mwaura, an Olympic Trials qualifier last year, is the top entry in the men's 10,000. 

One of the best fields in the meet is shaping up Friday in the men's javelin.   

Zach Holland of Umpqua Community College finished second at last week's Texas Relays with a throw of 78.80m (258-6). He'll throw against Oregon freshman Ty Hampton, who made his college debut last week at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego with 70.20m (230-4). 

After racing three times last week, Oregon will give star sprinter Micah Williams a break, although he could see action in the 4x100 relay. Likewise, Jadyn Mays and Iman Brown are expected to have light duty this week after running the fastest and third-fastest 200 meters times in the country in San Diego.

Thornton-Bott is also on the start list for Saturday's invitational women's 800 meters, where she will race Connor, Portland's Laura Pellicoro and Oregon's Konieczek and Mia Moerck. 

Shana Grebo, who broke Oregon's school record in the 400-meters in her first try last weekend in San Diego, is entered in the 400 and 200 on Saturday. 

Oregon's Luis Peralta is entered in the men's 800 meters and will face post-collegiate racer Derek Holdsworth of Bell Lap Elite. 

In addition to Oregon, the D1 schools sending teams include Washington State, Oregon State, Montana, Eastern Washington, Long Beach State, Idaho, Wichita State, Weber State, Portland, Northern Colorado and Gonzaga.