Track & Field | 2/18/2012 3:29:00 PM

[Results]

NAMPA, Idaho - Stunning! That is the word Western Oregon head track & field coach Mike Johnson kept repeating when asked to describe the men's fifth straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championship.

"This is the most competitive team we have ever had," Johnson said. "This might be most inclusive effort I've seen in a long time. We were outmanned, but we wouldn't be outscored."

The men registered 142.5 points to win the meet by 22.5 points after trailing the leader by 18.5 points after day one. The men were able to make up for not getting any points in the throwing events with collective team effort in the running and jumping events. Brett Campbell won men's 60m hurdles and Matson Hardie won the triple jump but it was the points the Wolves got in the 400m and 800m that may have truly won them the men their fifth straight indoor title.

In the 400m the Wolves had four men finish in the top eight to earn 18 team points in the event. Tyler Thomas led the way with a time of 49.36 to place second in the event, move to fourth in Western Oregon school history and collect eight team points for the Wolves. Right behind him was Anthony Yakovich with time of 49.70. That mark placed him third at the meet and secured his sixth place spot on the Wolves' all-time top 10 list. Landon Burningham added a sixth place finish and tied the 10th best time in school history with a time of 50.14. Kody Rhodes then collected an eighth place finish to add another team point.

The Wolves then had another 18 point performance in the 800m led by a second place finish from Ryan Hansen. Hansen, who already has a provisional qualifying standard in the event, registered a time of 1:56.54 to earn eight more points for the Wolves. Chris Olsen was the third place finisher in the event with a time of 1:56.54. Kyle Larson, who has been a part of the past four GNAC Indoor Championship teams, finished fifth in the event with a time of 1:57.04.

Brett Campbell collected 10 points for the Wolves on his own as he tied the second best time in school history with a markof 8.37. This topped his previous career-best time by .24 seconds and moved him from sixth into the tie for second. Rhodes added five more points to the men's total as he secured his ninth place mark in school history by shaving .04 seconds off his personal best time.

Matson Hardie became a two-time conference champion when he posted an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the triple jump with a leap of 47-3.75 (14.42m). With that mark Hardie collected 10 team points and has now won the GNAC Indoor long jump and triple jump. Last season's champion Kyle Lane, who also placed sixth in the heptathlon and third in the long jump, finished fifth in triple jump with a mark of 44-6.75 (13.58m).

Another high scoring event for Western Oregon was the men's 200m. Yakovich led the group by placing second at the meet with a time of 22.24 to claim eight team points. Kendale Hamlett collected four more points for the Wolves with a fifth place finish (22.35) and Ty Phillips placed seventh with a time of 22.56. Bobby Alexander then came through with a fourth place finish (7.08) in the 60m for five more points.

The Wolves also got some strong performances in the distance races. Dan Sprinkle finished third in the men's mile with a time of 4:14.8 to move to sixth place in school history. Connor Kasler then passed Sprinkle for third place in the Western Oregon record books in the men's 5k. He placed fourth in the event with a time of 14:58.35.

Tim Lundy came up big in the pole vault as he cleared 14-7.25 (4.45m) on his first attempt to edge Ray Zoellick of Seattle Pacific for the additional point.

The men's 4x400m relay team would cap off the meet by setting a new standard in the GNAC. The team of Landon Burningham, Anthony Yakovich, Tyler Thomas and Ryan Hansen ran an NCAA provisional qualifying standard time of 3:18.60 and set the GNAC Indoor meet record. That time placed this group third in school history and gave the Wolves an additional 10 points.

"We never take winning for granted," Johnson explained. "It was not just a commitment to winning to meeting but doing the best we can each event we are in."

The women also had an outstanding day to jump into third place with a score of 92, for their best finish since 2007. Today the women set three more school records and tied two others, to finish the meet with eight new places atop the school all-time top 10 list.

Katie Pelchar won the high jump and broke the Western Oregon record by clearing 5-7.25 (1.71m). That mark also earned her an NCAA provisional qualifying standard. She upset meet favorite Ali Worthen of Seattle Pacific by clearing the height on just her second attempt.

Ashley Potter set the GNAC Indoor meet record in the triple jump and tied her own school record with mark of 39-7 (12.06m) to earn 10 team points for the Wolves. She set that mark earlier this season as she earned an NCAA provisional standard.

Madison McClung shattered the school record in en route to earning her NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the 200m with a time of 25.16. That time was .43 seconds better than the previous school record set by Sarah Kathrein in 2010 and placed her second at the meet. It also moved her into a tie for fourth in GNAC history.

Janelle Everetts, who already has an NCAA qualifying standard in the 800m, finished second in the event with a time of 2:15.95 to claim eight team points for the women. Her sister Megan placed eighth in event and grabbed one team point with a time of 2:23.62.

Janelle Everetts then helped the women's 4x400m relay team capture second place at the meet and the top spot in school history with a time of 3:57.97. Everetts teamed up with Audrey Hellesto, Lexi Pola and Meryl Butcher to break the Western Oregon record set in 1998 by .24 seconds.

Western Oregon also received six points out of Janna Vander Meulen in the 60m hurdles (9.22) and four points from Nicole Anderson in the mile (5:21.67).

"This was a nice prelude to the outdoor season," said Johnson. "Some student-athletes that are close to qualifying for Nationals will have the chance to compete at the Seattle Pacific Last Chance Meet and the rest will get ready for the outdoor season."