Oregon track and field opened up at the Oregon Team Invitational on Friday with multiple returning athletes back on the track after layoffs. Diana Cherotich closed the night with a second-place finish in the 5000-meter invite, while Silan Ayyildiz headlined the open 800-meter and Dalia Frias returned from injury to win the 1500-meter open. The Ducks continue competion tomorrow.
Cherotich, the Big Ten champion over 10,000-meters on the same track at last year’s championships, is returning for her second full season in green and traded places with Oklahoma State University’s Isca Chelangat before the Cowboys’ runner pulled ahead and finished in a NCAA DI #3 15:16.67. Cherotich finished in a DI #23 15:34.97 despite Achilles tendon pain that she said she’s been working through — ”Let me just finish,” Cherotich said afterward.
“I was like, ‘Here is a home meet, so just let me run and have fun there,’” she said. “I’m not happy with that result, but I was like, ‘Just let me try my best.’”…