Minnesota Leads NCAA Track: Zaltos, Mantzouranis Top Hammer

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    EUGENE, Ore. — The NCAA outdoor track and field championships kicked off on Wednesday, with Minnesota taking an early lead thanks to stellar performances from Greek hammer throwers Kostas Zaltos and Angelos Mantzouranis. Zaltos clinched the NCAA hammer throw title with an impressive throw of 256 feet, 2 inches, marking Minnesota’s first outdoor champion since 2018 and only the third since 1971. His teammate, Mantzouranis, achieved a personal best of 252 feet, 6 inches to secure second place, making them the first teammates to finish 1-2 in this event since Virginia Tech’s achievement in 2011.

    In other events, New Mexico made a significant impact by going 1-2 in the men’s 10,000 meters. Freshman Ishmael Kipkurui triumphed over defending champion Habtom Samuel with a time of 29 minutes, 7.70 seconds. Samuel, who had made history for New Mexico by winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000 or 10,000 titles last year, settled for second place this time. This strong performance placed New Mexico in a tie for second in the team standings with Florida, both scoring 18 points, while Minnesota lead with 23 points.

    Wisconsin’s Jason Swarens delivered a remarkable performance in the shot put, setting a personal record of 69 feet, 8 inches on his final attempt. This victory prevented Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan from claiming his fourth consecutive NCAA title. Swarens made history as the first male from Wisconsin to secure a national title in the shot put and became the first male thrower from his school to win an NCAA title since Michael Lihrman’s successive wins in the indoor weight throw in 2014 and 2015.

    At Texas A&M, Aleksandr Solovev reached new heights in the pole vault, breaking his school record with a clearance of 18 feet, 11 1/2 inches to earn himself the championship title. Meanwhile, Florida senior Malcolm Clemons achieved a remarkable leap of 26 feet, 4 1/2 inches on his first attempt, which was enough to claim his first national title in the long jump.

    The javelin saw Miami’s Devoux Deysel emerge victorious with a throw of 268 feet, 2 inches. The men’s events are set to continue this Friday at Hayward Field, with athletes and teams poised to deliver more thrilling performances as they vie for championship glory.