The Western Oregon track & field team continued their outdoor season with two in-state meets at the Oregon Twilight on Friday and Linfield Open on Saturday. The Wolves notched five provisional marks in Eugune and the runners in Linfield took six event wins while setting two personal bests over the weekend.
 
At Hayward Field for the men, Aaron Whitaker won a close race in the 400 meters with a time of 48.52. Against tough Division I and club competition, three other claimed NCAA provisional mark. Cody Warner ran a time of 21.09 to finish fourth in the 200 meters. In the fastest heat of the 800 meters, Josh Dempsey and Badane Sultessa each earned provisionals with times of 1:51.06 and 1:51.49 respectively.
 
In javelin, Justin Larson continues to extend his provisional mark to 62.72 meters, a five-foot season best 205-9.
 
For the women, Emmi Collier placed fourth in the shot put at 13.83m (45-4 ½).
 
WOU also competed in McMinnville at the Linfield Open on Saturday. While the Wolves didn't hit any NCAA qualifying marks, several individuals and two relay teams showed very well in competition with event wins.
 
Whitaker and Warner continued solid weekends as part of the victorious 4 x 100 relay team with Wesley Gray and Devonte Woods. The quarter posted the 10^th best time in WOU history at 41.53. Kaleb Dobson won the 110 meter hurdles in a time of 15.27 to march toward the upcoming GNAC Championships. Kody Kantola took the top spot in the long jump with an effort of 6.49m (21-3 ½). Jeremy Moore finished fourth in the hammer event while Kenny Klippel had a pair of sixth place finishes in shot and discus while taking seventh in hammer.
 
Grace Knapp ran a personal best time of 11:33.08 in winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase event by 27 seconds. WOU took first and fourth places in the 4 x 400 relay. The winning mark of 3:54.44 was set by Bailey Beeson, Suzanne Van De Grift, Megan Rose and Olivia Woods.
 
Rachael Huffman surpassed the 40-meter mark for the fifth time this season to take first place in the discus (40.15m).
 
Western Oregon returns to action in the 2016 GNAC Championships on Friday-Saturday, May 13-14. The meet will be hosted by the Wolves at McArthur Field.