EUGENE, Ore. — Two years after a breakthrough performance that led to a second-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor championships, Oregon senior Carmela Cardama Baez fulfilled a dream by winning a national title at Hayward Field.
Cardama Baez, a senior from Spain, began dreaming of competing at Hayward Field as a high school sophomore. Multiple attempts to compete at the hallowed venue with a championship on the line fell short in the ensuing years, and her second-place finish in the 10k in 2019 took place in Austin, Texas, while Oregon's facility was being remodeled.