The 2025 track and field postseason ends where it began, at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.
After 39 Gophers qualified for the NCAA West Regionals at Texas A&M, 12 moved on to the NCAA Championships — ten from the men’s track and field team and two from the women’s.
The first qualifiers of the meet came from the men’s 4×100 meter relay team, consisting of senior Devin Augustine, graduate student Kion Benjamin, and juniors Aaron Charles and Zion Campbell.
At E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas, the hot and windy atmosphere was much different from Oregon or Minnesota.
To some, like Nigerian native sophomore Charles Godfred, the weather was ideal.
“The weather reminds me of back home,” Godfred said. “Texas, it’s the place I did my PR, and I broke the school record. When I went there, I was like, ‘I know I would do something great.’”
Godfred added that when he saw he hit 8.10 meters on his first long jump attempt, he was shocked. He said his best jumps typically come from the later attempts.
Godfred placed first in the long jump and punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships.
However, the weather was not perfect for senior pole vaulter Jak Urlacher. Urlacher narrowly qualified for his first-ever NCAA Championships, but said he could have done better if not for the wind, which was strong on the easiest bars to pass but died down as he progressed.
“The Texas wind was definitely a big factor,” Urlacher said. “The wind was actually really bad for the first two bars, it was rather frustrating that I already spent so much energy on the previous bars, and then it was kind of more difficult to be able to get over the later ones.”
Sophomore distance runner Ali Weimer also said that the heat was not great, as the distance runners throughout the season often missed the meets that took place in hotter areas. She mentioned that she is excited to go back to the milder climate in Oregon.
“I think one thing is that it was so hot at the regional meet. And in Eugene, it hopefully won’t be, it shouldn’t be,” Weimer said. “I think that that’s one thing that is gonna make our performances even better.”
Senior Dyandra Gray is the only other representative of the Minnesota women’s track and field team to go to the championships.
Since April 30, Gray has consistently beaten her personal record in the 400-meter hurdles, setting a new best almost every week. At the regional meet, she continued her impressive run and set another new lifetime best, earning her first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships.
Junior Hakeem Ford earned his first-ever trip to the Championships as well, in the triple jump. This will be the first time the Gophers send someone to the Championships in triple jump since 1948.
Graduate student Christian Martin earned a ticket to compete in the 110-meter hurdles, a rare occurrence for the Gophers. He is the third Gopher to ever qualify in the 110-meter hurdles.
Finally, the hammer throw duo of senior Kostas Zaltos and sophomore Angelos Matzouranis are going back to Hayward Field after taking first and second place at regionals. Opposite of the Big Ten Championships, Matzouranis placed first and Zaltos second.
The NCAA Championships start Wednesday, June 11 and run through Saturday, June 14.
