**Oregon’s Carmela Cardama Baez is the first Duck to win the 10,000-merers at the NCAA Championships since Kathy Hayes in 1984. Photo by Otto Horiuchi**

By Kate Walkup

EUGENE, Ore. – Camryn Rogers of California set the tone for day two of the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships, breaking the collegiate record not once, but twice, in the women’s hammer throw. Her 75.52-meter winning toss was more than four meters farther than second place.

**BYU’s Courtney Wayment was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 3,000m Steeplechase, running 9:32.52 on Thursday. Photo by Otto Horiuchi**

“The plan was to get the job done, have a great competition and leave it all out on the field,” Rogers said. “I think today is a reflection of all of the really great training sessions we’ve had all year and up until this point.”

The events that came after Rogers’s record-breaking performance on Thursday afternoon followed suit. Eleven of the 12 qualifiers in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase ran personal records in the semifinals. Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli (9:35.57) and Washington’s Katie Rainsberger (9:36.71) clocked the sixth and seventh fastest times in collegiate history in the first semifinal.

In the second semifinal, Courtney Wayment of BYU (9:32.52) and Aneta Konieczek of Oregon (9:34.37) ran even faster, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown in Saturday’s final.

Carmela Cardama Baez of Oregon won the 10,000 meters with a strong finish and a personal record of 32:16.13, turning in the fourth-fastest time in meet history. Just prior to 800 meters to go, Cardama Baez made a move on Mercy Chelangat of Alabama, who had led the majority of the race. The national runner-up in 2019, Cardama Baez is the first Duck to win the 10,000-merers at the NCAA Championships since 1984.

“I knew [Chelangat] was really strong and if I let her go and wait too long, she would get me in the kick,” Cardama Baez said. “I really wanted to make it honest and give myself a shot. Today I was just happy to be here. This was my last race as a Duck. I just wanted to run for myself and have fun with it.”

Only five centimeters separated first and third place in the women’s long jump final. Tara Davis of Texas won the event (6.70m), trailed by Tyra Gittens of Texas A&M (6.68m) and Jasmine Moore of Georgia (6.65m).

“I’m very lucky to have come [to Hayward Field] and test the waters,” Davis said about competing in Eugene before the Olympic Trials. “Not many athletes are able to test the new stadium, and I’m just lucky to get the first take on the long jump pit.”

Champions were also crowned in four other events. Lisa Gunnarsson of LSU cleared 4.40m to win the women’s pole vault. Marie-Therese Obst of Georgia launched a throw of 59.69m to win the women’s javelin. Adelaide Aquilla of Ohio State recorded a best mark of 18.98m to take the victory in the women’s shot put. After two days of competition, Karel Tilga of Georgia earned the decathlon title with 8,261 points.

The women will return to Hayward on Saturday to close out the NCAA Championship finals.