Notre Dame wins first DMR crown since 2012, with Duplantis, Grey, McDonald and Otterdahl also securing men’s titles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Notre Dame was excited to put itself back in the national distance medley relay discussion with a second-place finish at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships.

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But the Irish took another significant step forward Friday, entertaining 30-plus teammates who made the trip from South Bend, Ind., to the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., with a thrilling come-from-behind victory and the program’s second DMR national title.

Yared Nuguse, one of two returning members from last year’s lineup, surged past Stanford’s Grant Fisher in the final 50 meters to capture the title in 9 minutes, 31.55 seconds, securing Notre Dame’s first championship since 2012.

Edward Cheatham also returned from last year’s quartet that ran 9:31.22 to take runner-up behind Virginia Tech (9:30.76).

Dylan Jacobs ran the opening 1,200-meter leg for the Irish and Samuel Voelz passed the baton to Nuguse in sixth place, only to watch the sophomore cover the final 1,600 in 3:56.03, which was enough to offset a 3:54.24 anchor from Fisher.

Wisconsin placed seventh in 9:34.74 without the services of Morgan McDonald, who won the 5,000 in 13:41.76 to add an indoor crown to his national cross country title in November.

McDonald covered the final 400 meters in 55.8 seconds to pull away from Colorado’s Joe Klecker (13:42.79).

The only drama in the three men’s field-event finals Friday came in the long jump, with LSU junior Rayvon Grey securing the victory with a fifth-round leap of 26-1.75 (7.97m) to prevail in a competition where the top four athletes were separated by one inch (three centimeters), including a third-place finish by Florida’s Grant Holloway at 26-1 (7.95m).

Holloway was only able to take three attempts, before having to run the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. The junior posted the top qualifying marks in both events, running 7.44 in the 60 hurdles and 6.53 in the 60 dash.

It marked the first national indoor men’s long jump title for LSU since John Moffitt prevailed in 2004.

Grey’s performance was followed by freshman teammate Armand “Mondo” Duplantis winning the pole vault title with a first-attempt clearance at 19-1.50 (5.83m), securing the first national indoor crown in the event for LSU since Russ Buller in 2000.

North Dakota State fifth-year senior Payton Otterdahl captured the first national title for the Bison by winning the shot put with a first-round mark of 71-2.75 (21.71m), the No. 2 performance in championship history.

Otterdahl, the collegiate indoor shot put record holder at 71-6.75 (21.81m), posted four of the top six all-time collegiate indoor marks this season.