How have coaches hired under Chris Del Conte fared?
Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman | Hearst – Austin Transition Last Friday, the Texas softball team announced that it had added Arizona transfer Kaiah Altmeyer to its roster. Altmeyer, a utility player, spent her first three years of college at Arizona. During the 2025 season, she hit .365 with 55 RBIs and 50 runs while earning all-conference […]
Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman | Hearst – Austin Transition
Last Friday, the Texas softball team announced that it had added Arizona transfer Kaiah Altmeyer to its roster.
Altmeyer, a utility player, spent her first three years of college at Arizona. During the 2025 season, she hit .365 with 55 RBIs and 50 runs while earning all-conference honors in the Big 12.
This is not the first time that Texas has turned to someone with Arizona ties to help out its softball program. Bella Dayton, a star outfielder on UT’s 2022 and 2024 Women’s College World Series teams, was once an Arizona transfer.
Then there’s the story of the Longhorns’ coaching search in 2018.
As Texas celebrated its national championship during a June 7 ceremony at McCombs Field, athletic director Chris Del Conte shared a story about how Mike White became the Longhorns’ head coach. Back in the summer of 2018, Connie Clark — the only person to lead the Texas softball program — revealed she would not be returning for a 24th season.
Because he once worked as an associate athletics director at Arizona, Del Conte reached out to then-Wildcat coach Mike Candrea for advice. Who was the best softball coach in the country, Del Conte asked. Candera retorted that aside from him, the answer was White. White was coaching Oregon at the time, and his nine-year run with the Ducks included a 435-111-1 record and five College World Series appearances.
“If you can get Mike White to come to Texas, you’ll win a national championship,” Del Conte recalled Candera telling him.
So, Del Conte got White to come to Texas and White eventually made Candera’s prediction come to fruition. On June 6, Texas bested Texas Tech in the decisive game at the Women’s College World Series to secure the 30-year-old program’s first national championship.
That title wasn’t just significant for the softball program. It also spoke to Del Conte’s ability to hire. White was the second coaching hire made by Del Conte, who took over the UT athletic department in December 2017. Track and field coach Edrick Floréal and White, who were hired within two weeks of each other during June 2018, have since combined to win three NCAA championships.
How have Chris Del Conte’s coaching hires fared at Texas?
During Del Conte’s Texas tenure, the athletic department has hired 12 head coaches. Just two of those coaches — men’s basketball coaches Chris Beard and Rodney Terry — have been dismissed. (These numbers do not reflect Erik Sullivan, the volleyball assistant who directed the startup beach volleyball team in 2023 during its first year of existence.)
Those hires have won four national championships. In addition to Floreal’s two titles and White’s softball crown, Bob Bowman secured a national championship this past March during his first year with the men’s swimming and diving program. A fourth coach, Bruce Berque, led Texas men’s tennis to NCAA supremacy in 2019 as an interim coach.
Edrick Floréal (track and field, hired June 2018): Won a national championship with the Texas men’s indoor team in 2022 before he led the UT women to an outdoor title at Myers Stadium in 2023.
Mike White (softball, hired June 2018): Under White, Texas has compiled a 316-93-2 record with a national title and three appearances in the Women’s College World Series.
Bruce Berque (men’s tennis, hired May 2019): In the wake of Michael Center’s involvement in the Varsity Blues scandal, UT won a national championship with Berque serving as an interim coach. Five years later, Texas was the NCAA runner-up.
Vic Schaefer (women’s basketball, hired April 2020): Since Schaefer’s hire, Texas has won conference titles in the Big 12 and SEC. This past season, UT reached the Final Four for the first time since 2003.
Steve Sarkisian (football, hired January 2021): The Sarkisian era has featured 38 wins, a Big 12 championship and two appearances in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Chris Beard (men’s basketball, hired April 2021): Went 29-13 but Beard was fired in January 2023 following his arrest on a third-degree felony domestic violence charge.
Rodney Terry (men’s basketball, hired March 2023): Terry went 40-29 in two full seasons after leading Texas to the Elite Eight as an interim coach. He was fired following the 2024-25 season.
Stein Metzger (beach volleyball, hired May 2023): Hired to build a beach volleyball program at Texas, Metzger led the Longhorns to a conference title and a NCAA Tournament win this season.
Bob Bowman (men’s swimming and diving, hired April 2024): Lured away from Arizona State to replace the legendary Eddie Reese, Bowman immediately made a splash by winning the program’s 16th national title in his first season.
Laura Ianello (women’s golf, hired June 2024): Texas concluded its first year under Ianello with a quarterfinal loss to Oregon in NCAA match play.
Jim Schlossnagle (baseball, hired June 2024): Texas won 44 games and an SEC title in its first season with Schlossnagle, a Texas A&M defector. The Longhorns, however, were upset in an NCAA regional that they hosted.
Sean Miller (men’s basketball, hired March 2025): Needing to replace Terry, Del Conte turned to Miller. Miller arrives in Austin with a 487-196 career record at Xavier and Arizona.
Chris Del Conte has often chased the top coaches to fill vacancies
Del Conte’s conversation seven years ago with Candera was foreshadowing of how Texas would handle coaching searches. By asking around about the country’s best softball coach, Del Conte signaled that Texas would go big-game hunting with him in charge.
Of the 12 coaches that Texas has hired during Del Conte’s time in Austin, three — Bowman, Ianello and Metzger — won a national championship before they got to Texas. Beard, Floreal, Schaefer and Schlossnagle had each led schools to runner-up finishes. Most of those hires had also just been head coaches at major schools with Berque, a championship-winning interim coach who had previously been the head coach at Michigan, and Sarkisian, a highly-regarded Alabama assistant who had led the programs at Washington and USC, being among the few exceptions.
So, what can a sales pitch from Del Conte sound like?
After replacing Ryan Murphy last summer, Ianello was asked just that. The ex-Arizona coach said that Del Conte randomly called her while she was in her office and told her that he was looking to make a coaching change. He then said, “I want you to go home, talk to your husband, talk to your family and you just let me know probably in 24 hours if it’s a thumbs up or a thumbs down.”
Endowment will fund UC Berkeley men’s aquatic sports programs for years to come
University of California, Berkeley benefactors Ned and Carol Spieker have gifted $26 million to endow the university’s men’s aquatic programs, the largest gift in Cal Athletics history. Ned Spieker, UC Berkeley class of ‘66, played water polo at Cal, so it’s personal. The coach positions will be named the Ned Spieker Men’s Swim Head Coach […]
University of California, Berkeley benefactors Ned and Carol Spieker have gifted $26 million to endow the university’s men’s aquatic programs, the largest gift in Cal Athletics history.
Ned Spieker, UC Berkeley class of ‘66, played water polo at Cal, so it’s personal.
The coach positions will be named the Ned Spieker Men’s Swim Head Coach in perpetuity, and the Ned Spieker Men’s Water Polo Head Coach for 20 years.
“As an alum and coach, it’s hard to put into words what it means to see this kind of commitment,” said men’s water polo head coach Kirk Everist. “It honors our past, supports our present, and guarantees a strong future for the program we all love.”
In 2022, Ned Spieker and his wife Carol made the largest gift in Haas School of Business history with a $30 million commitment that transformed the undergraduate business program from a two-year to a four-year experience, now known as the Spieker Undergraduate Business Program.
Ned Spieker founded Spieker Properties, one of the largest commercial property companies in the United States, and has also been involved in Haas campus planning, serving as a catalyst for the construction of Chou Hall. Carol Spieker is a trustee emeritus of the UC Berkeley Foundation.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons spoke about student athletes in a statement Wednesday.
“From early morning practices to late-night study sessions, they push boundaries daily, driven by passion and commitment that requires steadfast support,” said Rich.
Cal Athletics now has five endowed sports — men’s golf, women’s golf, rugby, men’s water polo and men’s swimming and diving.
Mana Spikers deliver shock win, Bounty Spikers dominate in thrilling volleyball finals
Mana Spikers were the surprise winners in the women’s division. CB SPORTS/25070331 After eight intense weeks of non-stop volleyball action, the 2025 Indoor Volleyball Tournament wrapped up Wednesday night at the National Sports Arena with two electrifying finals that showcased resilience, teamwork and pure athletic excellence. The tournament, which drew widespread community interest and […]
Mana Spikers were the surprise winners in the women’s division. CB SPORTS/25070331
After eight intense weeks of non-stop volleyball action, the 2025 Indoor Volleyball Tournament wrapped up Wednesday night at the National Sports Arena with two electrifying finals that showcased resilience, teamwork and pure athletic excellence.
The tournament, which drew widespread community interest and strong fan support, concluded with a surprise win in the women’s division and a much-celebrated triumph for the men’s Bounty Spikers team.
The headline of the night — and of the entire tournament — was the improbable and inspiring victory by the Mana Spikers in the women’s division. Playing both the semifinals and finals with just five players, the Mana Spikers demonstrated unmatched determination, stamina and cohesion.
“No competition is an easy competition, especially when it comes down to the finals. Although we were short of players at this crucial moment, our team showed up for each other and played our hearts out to the fullest,” said Mana Spikers’ Nicolea Mateariki.
“I first began my volleyball journey with Aunty Jackie Rongo and the AKTT Volleyball Team, where I gained confidence, knowledge, and skill. Each week, we make use of the Nikao Hall and TSA Sports Arena to upskill ourselves and take our development to a better level.
“For this eight-week tournament, I’m happy and humbled to take the dub with my Mana Spikers sisters and hope to continue playing this amazing sport in the future.”
Bounty Spikers capitalised on their momentum throughout the tournament to secure a well-deserved championship title. NICOLEA MATEARIKI/25070330
Their semifinal match saw them take on the reigning champions, Bounty Spikers, in what was expected to be a one-sided affair. But the Mana squad flipped the script, pulling off a stunning upset that sent shockwaves through the competition.
With one player down due to injury and no substitutes available, the Mana Spikers relied heavily on sharp communication, strategic court coverage and sheer willpower to carry them through the final stages.
The final was no less dramatic, as the short-handed squad delivered a masterclass in controlled aggression and smart play, sealing their championship win and leaving fans in awe.
Mana Spikers setter Eclipse Tutere said: “The excuse of being at a disadvantage is what losers say. Champions focus on winning no matter the odds.”
In the men’s competition, the Bounty Spikers capitalised on their momentum throughout the tournament to secure a well-deserved championship title.
The team, made up primarily of Cook Islands athletes with a strong complement of talented Fijian players, blended physical power with precision and excellent court dynamics.
Their path to the title was marked by consistently dominant performances, with standout plays at the net and excellent service games.
Volleyball state No. 1 recruit Gentry Barker is leaving Lovejoy to transfer to Lake Travis
Volleyball phenom Gentry Barker, the No. 1 recruit in the state in the Class of 2027, said Saturday night that she is leaving 10-time state champion Lovejoy. She is moving back to Austin, where she grew up, and will be transferring to Lake Travis for her junior year. “I’ve always wanted to move back to […]
Volleyball phenom Gentry Barker, the No. 1 recruit in the state in the Class of 2027, said Saturday night that she is leaving 10-time state champion Lovejoy.
She is moving back to Austin, where she grew up, and will be transferring to Lake Travis for her junior year.
“I’ve always wanted to move back to Austin, and my mom is finally letting me this year,” Barker said.
It’s a huge loss for a Lovejoy program that is tied for the third-most state titles in UIL history. The MaxPreps first-team All-American outside hitter had 484 kills, 483 digs and 42 aces for a 36-9 Class 5A Division II regional finalist as a sophomore, she was named the District 9-5A MVP and she is the No. 1 player in the Prep Dig state recruiting rankings for the Class of 2027.
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“I am definitely going to miss the volleyball a lot,” Barker said of leaving Lovejoy. “It has been really helpful, and I really enjoyed playing with a lot of advanced people, but I think it will be fun at LT too. I get to play with a lot of my old friends.”
Barker was The Dallas Morning News All-Area newcomer of the year as a freshman in 2023. She had a team-high 424 kills as Lovejoy won the Class 5A state title, and she was named the MVP of the state final after recording a match-high 17 kills to go with 11 digs as Lovejoy beat Liberty Hill in three sets to win its fourth state title in five years.
She will join a Lake Travis team that finished fourth in its district and lost in the first round of the 6A Division I playoffs last season. Lake Travis is a two-time state champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.
Lovejoy will have a new head coach next season, as Sean McMurry was hired after leading A&M Consolidated to a 35-11 record and regional final appearance in Class 5A Division I in 2024. McMurry replaces Natalie Bates (Puckett), who announced in January that she was leaving Lovejoy and will be taking a break from coaching.
Barker has not committed to a college but said, “I’m probably going to commit sooner than later.”
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Knoxville Smokies vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park
Knoxville Smokies infielder Reivaj Garcia (22) celebrates after hitting a single during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025. Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel Knoxville Smokies infielder Jaylen Palmer (6) catches the ball during a minor league baseball […]
Knoxville Smokies infielder Reivaj Garcia (22) celebrates after hitting a single during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Jaylen Palmer (6) catches the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Fireworks go off during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies outfielders Parker Chavers (3) misses the home run ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
A Smokies fan plays high or low in-between innings during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies outfielders Jordan Nwogu (8) runs to third base during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies pitcher Chris Clarke (40) pitches during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
The Wyatt Ellis band performs the National Anthem during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Ed Howard (11) pitches during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Reivaj Garcia (22) hits the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies’ fans wave their arms to try and get a free shirt during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies catcher Pablo Aliendo (1) runs to third base during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
A Smokies fan catches a free shirt during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Corey Joyce (39) hits the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Andrew Schneider catches a ball thrown by Knoxville Smokies infielder Pablo Aliendo (1) during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Rocket City infielder David Mershon (10) is disappointed after being called out at second base during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Fireworks go off during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies pitcher Mitchell Tyranksi (29) pitches during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies outfielders Andy Garriola (25) catches the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
A young Smokies fan is raised during the Simba Cam during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies outfielders Andy Garriola (25) hits the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Reivaj Garcia (22) runs through the hype tunnel during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
A Smokies fan sings ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Rocket City infielder Denzer Guzman (11) tags Knoxville Smokies catcher Pablo Aliendo (1) out at third base during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel
Knoxville Smokies infielder Pedro Ramirez (2) throws the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 5, 2025.
Elon University athlete returns to his love of football
It was 6 a.m. in a windowless basement gym tucked beneath a London student residence. While classmates slept upstairs, Tkai Wade lifted, ran and sweated in solitude. A week earlier, he’d made the Elon University football team. Now, across the Atlantic Ocean in the dead of winter, he refused to let the momentum slip. As […]
It was 6 a.m. in a windowless basement gym tucked beneath a London student residence. While classmates slept upstairs, Tkai Wade lifted, ran and sweated in solitude. A week earlier, he’d made the Elon University football team. Now, across the Atlantic Ocean in the dead of winter, he refused to let the momentum slip.
As a multi-sport athlete in high school, Wade eventually had to choose which path to follow at the next level. On the track, he thrived, lettering all four years and even becoming a Junior Olympic champion. While both football and track opened doors, the academic and athletic balance University of Louisville offered through track ultimately outweighed his football options at the time.
Wade runs in the men’s 4×100 meter relay in May 2021 during the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Paul Derr Track at North Carolina State University. Photo courtesy of Tkai Wade.
“My favorite sport to play is football,” Wade said. “But with my stature, my size, and overall exposure, I didn’t have as many opportunities in football as in track.”
After spending two years studying engineering and running track at Louisville, Wade found the experience falling short of what he’d hoped for. His first year in 2021 was defined by the isolation of the pandemic and online classes and he knew he needed a change of scenery by the end of his sophomore year.
Wade found that change of scenery at Elon in 2023 which according to him had everything he valued like smaller class sizes, walkable layout and a more personal academic experience. With no men’s track team, the door also quietly opened for something else. An opportunity to return to the sport he loved most, football.
He arrived on campus with a goal of earning a spot on the football team and was willing to do whatever it took. Wade immediately went to the football offices to introduce himself to the coaching staff and express his interest. That initiative paid off, opening a door to an opportunity sooner than he expected.
While Wade was speaking with the coaches, a member of the team’s video staff overheard the conversation and mentioned the team was looking for help filming practices and games. He asked Wade if he might be interested, a chance that turned out to be the perfect way to stay close to the team and learn its system from the inside.
To start his next year at Elon, Wade arrived on campus early, meeting players before the season began and building connections. Once the season kicked off, he traveled with the team, getting his first real taste of life as a college football player.
Wade said seeing the game from the other side gave him a deeper appreciation for football and only fueled his desire to earn a spot on the team.
“It just made me want to play the game even more,” Wade said.
Wade’s mother, Connie, said Wade’s knowledge of football grew while being in the role.
“He has a very detailed knowledge of the game,” Connie said. “He usually can tell the play before it’s happening.”
After the 2024 season ended, Wade finally got his shot to try out for the team. Wade said he was nervous because he hadn’t played organized football in years but determined to prove he still had it. He returned home to Texas to train, sharpen his speed and reconnect with the game he loved.
Tryout day didn’t come without its setbacks. During the 5-10-5 drill, an agility test used to assess an athlete’s ability to change direction quickly, Wade slipped on the grass, a surface he wasn’t accustomed to after years of playing on turf in Texas. But he bounced back, nailed his second attempt, and showed the coaches exactly what they needed to see.
Wade was granted a spot on the team after a successful tryout and made sure his mother was the first person to know.
Just after earning his spot in the fall, Wade left for a monthlong study abroad class in London, an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, but one that set him slightly behind as teammates began picking jersey numbers and starting offseason workouts.
Diving into practice just three days after returning from London was no easy task.
“It was definitely tiring the first few practices, confusing because I didn’t know the protocol,” Wade said. “But everybody was welcoming and they were genuine and they kind of gave me some time to acclimate.”
During the spring Wade was also pledging Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., a demanding process on its own adding to his already stretched out schedule. Now with spring ball behind him and his fraternity membership official, he turns his focus to his final year at Elon.
Wade is listed as a cornerback on the roster, a position he’s still learning after playing mostly wide receiver in high school. It’s yet another challenge, but one he’s eager to tackle. He knows what it takes to succeed and is determined to make an impact this coming season.
“Dedication and intensity have always been there,” Connie said.
While Wade is committed to getting the most out of his football journey, he doesn’t let the sport define who he is.
“I want to be remembered as a person, student and then athlete,” Wade said.
For Wade, football is just one part of the story, a way to grow, compete, and connect, but it’s not the whole picture.
Watch: Bowerman Mile runners talk race at 50th Prefontaine Classic Yared Nuguse, Cole Hocker and Grant Fisher discuss their return to the Prefontaine Classic for the Bowerman Mile. Beatrice Chebet did it again. For the second straight year, the star distance runner from Kenya set a world record at Hayward Field during the Prefontaine Classic […]
Watch: Bowerman Mile runners talk race at 50th Prefontaine Classic
Yared Nuguse, Cole Hocker and Grant Fisher discuss their return to the Prefontaine Classic for the Bowerman Mile.
Beatrice Chebet did it again.
For the second straight year, the star distance runner from Kenya set a world record at Hayward Field during the Prefontaine Classic track and field meet.
Chebet won the women’s 5,000 meters on Saturday in 13 minutes, 58.06 seconds to become the first women to ever run under 14:00.
“I am so happy,” Chebet said. “Today I can say it’s a great day for me. Being the first woman to run sub-14 is amazing. … I’m so happy for myself.”
The previous record of 14:00.21 was set by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay at the Pre Classic in 2023. Tsegay was third on Saturday in 14:04.41.
Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich was second in a personal-best 14:01.29.
Sensing a world record was within reach, Chebet turned on the jets as she reached the final 200 meters and was in a full sprint when she crossed the finish line.
“After 200 I run and push to my level best,” Chebet said. “I say I have to go because I want to run a world record so I have to push for myself and go for it.”
Chebet also owns the world record in the 10,000, which she set at the 2024 Pre Classic when she finished in 28:54.14 to become the first woman to run under 29:00.
Women’s 3,000 steeple meet record falls
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Winfred Yavi set the Pre Classic meet record in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase with her finish in 8:45.25.
Kenya’s Faith Cherotich was second in a personal-record 8:48.71 and Uganda’s Peruth Cherotich was third in 8:51.77. Those two won bronze and silver, respectively, in Paris last summer.
Former Oregon State standout Kaylee Mitchell of the U.S. was eighth in a PR 9:08.66.
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG