Greg Skipper took home first place in the mixed hammer throw in the Oregon Twilight Meet on Friday with a winning throw of 227 feet, 5 inches. The redshirt junior, ranked No. 2 all-time in the University of Oregon hammer throw record book, fought through a sore shoulder to finish 4 feet off his personal best from last year.
“I was hoping to get 227 or higher,” said Skipper. “I knew my first throw felt good, and to get it on the first try gives me a lot of confidence.”
Headlining the Oregon female hammer throwers was redshirt senior Jillian Weir, also ranked No. 2 all time at Oregon. One of 25 seniors who were honored during the meet, Weir finished second overall in with a throw of 211-4.
“I was feeling a little shaky at the beginning of the year, but I’m starting to get it back,” said Weir. “And it was a beautiful day, great to be in the sun.”
The All-American improved by over two feet from her last competition.
“Competing in the mixed field today was like practice,” she said. “We always throw with the boys in practice, and it’s great having that team energy.”
The other half of Weir’s team was also there to support her: Her mother made the trip up from Sunnyvale, California, in honor of senior night.
Finishing fifth overall and third for female competitors was Weir’s protégé, redshirt freshman Madeline Middlebrooks. With a best throw of 163-10, Middlebrooks is building off her personal best performance of 175-2 1/4 from just a few weeks ago.
Weir’s academic career at the UO may have ended in March after earning her social science degree, but her athletic career still has one final competition—the Pac-12 Championships next Saturday in Los Angeles.
“I want to go down there and defend my title,” said Weir. “I know there’s a few girls there that can throw 60, 65 meters, but I know I can only control putting out my best.”
