Track & Field | 5/12/2010 7:57:58 PM

[Meet schedule] [Heat sheets] [2010 Performance list]

What's happening:
The Western Oregon University men's and women's track & field teams will defend their Great Northwest Athletic Conference outdoor titles this weekend at McArthur Field. Admission prices for the event will be $8 for adults and $5 for students.

Wolves host GNAC Track & Field Championships:
Western Oregon will be the host of the 2010 GNAC Outdoor Track & Field championships. The two-day meet will get underway Friday, May 14 at 4:00 p.m., with the men's shot put. The running events will start at 4:45 p.m., with the women's steeplechase and conclude at 9:15 p.m., with the men's 10k. The meet will then continue Saturday, beginning at 10:45 a.m., with the women's hammer, with the running events starting at 12:30 p.m.

Western Oregon grabs points in multis:
The Western Oregon men's track & field team will enter the GNAC Championships with nine team points, as Andy Loscutoff claimed six by finishing third in the decathlon May 11 in Nampa, Idaho. Jake Hyde added three more by placing sixth in the competition.

Head Coach Mike Johnson:
On defending the conference championships: "We have a tradition of good championship level competition. (However) We see every group as a new group. We have a tradition to build on but each group does what it can do, and we like to focus on this year and don't need to beat the drum (of past tradtions), but our student-athletes are smart and they know the tradition Western Oregon has of track & field."

On competing in a scored meet: "I love the scoring meets. Regardless if you come out on top there is more to run, jump and throw for."

On the team's prepartation: "It is a little different this year. We had so many health issues this year that we had to rearrange things (in our training). We may not be 100% healthy but we have 100% (positive) attitude and we will see where we are after the competition."

On approach to the GNAC Championships: "We have the same approach to this meet as any other. All you can do is your best. Our goal is to do our best and evaluate when we are done."

On the team's preparation/training: "We look at the season in three phases: the first part is the training meets, and then we get into the championship training meets before finishing up with the championship meets. We are just beginning the championship training portion of our season but we are already seeing the benefits from trying things out during the training meets."

Wolves leading the GNAC:
Western Oregon had three student-athletes entering the weekend as the top seeded in their event, two on the men's side and one on the women's.

Carolanne Powers holds the top spot in the women's javelin by nine feet with a season-long toss of 154-0 (46.94m), which she earned during the Wolves' only home meet of the season (John Knight Twilight).

Jason Slowey is pacing the GNAC in the shot put with a season-long toss of 52-11.5 (16.14m). He leads the conference by over 10 inches.

Matson Hardie sits atop the conference in the men's triple jump with a leap of 48-1.75 (14.67m). He grabbed the top spot in the GNAC at the Mt. SAC Relays. Hardie also earned the conference's Outstanding Male Performer of the Meet at the indoor championships.

Defending their titles:
Ashtin Mott, Jeff Long and Andy Loscutoff will all be attempting to defend their conference titles from the 2008 season. Ashtin Mott is the current champion in the men's 400m after running a time of 48.11 two seasons ago. Long won the 800m as a sophomore with a time of 1:55.68, while Andy Loscutoff took home first place in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.97.

NCAA Provisional qualifiers:
Ten Western Oregon track & field student-athletes have earned NCAA provisional qualifying standards this season with Carolanne Powers being the only member of the team to earn an automatic standard. The 10 provisional qualifiers double the number from the 2009 season.

Carolanne Powers grabbed her automatic standard in the women's javelin with the third longest throw in the country this season. Powers registered the throw of 154-0 (46.94m) at the John Knight Twilight.

Amanda Schumaker also earned a provisional mark in the event as she registered the 14th best mark in the country this season with a throw of 140-0 (42.68m).

Will Crook grabbed a provisional mark in the javelin on the men's side with a throw of 202-0 (61.57m). That mark stands 11th in the country this season.

Chris Reed is one of two Wolves to earn provisional standards in more than one event. He posted a time of 14:24.24 in the 5k to rank 17th in the NCAA and a time of 29:52.39 in the 10k to rank 12th.

Jason Slowey is the other student-athlete to hold two provisional standards this season. Slowey has a toss of 52-11.5 (16.14m) in the shot put and ranks 32nd in Division II. His other provisional standard came in the discus throw with a toss of 162-2 (49.42m), as he ranks 35th in the country.

The Wolves also have two provisional qualifiers in the triple jump, with one on the men's side and one on the women's. Ashley Potter is tied for ninth in the country with a leap of 39-8.75 (12.11m). Hardie stands 22nd in Division II with a mark of 48-1.75 (14.67m).

Western Oregon also has three student-athletes grab provisional standards in the 800m run. Janelle Everetts represents the women's team, while Carson O'Brien and Mike Schmidt have earned their standards for the men. Everetts is 21st in the NCAA with a time of 2:13.15. Schmidt and O'Brien are tied for second in the league and 25th in the country with a time of 1:52.57.