Track & Field | 12/12/2008 7:58:36 PM
What's Happening - The Western Oregon University men's and women's track and field team will open the 2008-09 indoor season at the UW Preview Saturday, Dec. 6.
About the course - The meet will take place in the Dempsey Indoor Facility. The track is 307-meters with six lanes on the straightaway and five on the curves. This will be the first of four meet the Wolves will participate in at the Dempsey Indoor Facility during the 2008-09 season.
The Men - The Western Oregon men's track and field team will return three 2008 Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions and two others which finished second.
Zeb Udell was the GNAC Male Athlete of the Year and the Male Athlete of the GNAC Championship after winning the long jump with a meet-record of 23-0 (7.01m), finishing second in the pole vault with a 15-6.25 (4.73m) and third in the 60 meter dash (7.21 seconds).
Ashtin Mott was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year after winning the 60 meter (7.02) and 200 meter (22.16) dashes last season at the 2008 GNAC Championships. He set the meet-record in the 60 meter eclipsing the previous mark of 7.06 set in 2007. He also earned USTFCCCA West region Athlete of the Year and finished 12th in the pole vault at the national meet.
Anthony Marin won the weight throw at the GNAC Championships with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 58-2 (17.73m). He went on to finish 164th at the national tournament.
Blake Estep finished second in the 400 meter dash at the meet with a time of 49.84.
The Women - The women's track and field team returns Jacque Helbling who won the long jump at the GNAC Championships with a leap of 18-0.50 (5.50m). She also placed second in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.33.
Lauren Duckett returns this season after placing second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.05.
Coach Johnson - "For many student-athletes this will be our first look at them in competition," said Johnson. "It gives us and them something to work for in the fall."
"We hope to get some student-athletes qualified for the conference indoor meet and even get a school-record in a couple of races," continued Johnson. "We think Zoe (Skordahl) has a very good chance to break the school-record in the 500-meter."
"For our returners this is an opportunity to get competition but there will not be lots of emphasis placed on their performance," explained Johnson. "But for the other student-athletes this is their first chance to put on a Western Oregon uniform and step up for us to see what they can do."
The Indoor Season - The Wolves will compete in four races in preparation for the GNAC Championships which will be held Feb. 21, at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.
