WOU Friday Results
W-800: (Pre): 8. Olivia Woods, 2:08.73***
M-Distance Medley (Final): 9. Western Oregon, 9:50.77 (Crosswhite, Arce-Torres, Knott, Jones)

WOU Saturday Schedule
4:25 p.m. (PST): W-800 (Final): Olivia Woods

***WOU indoor school record

PITTSBURG, Kan.—Engaged in a multi-team battle to dethrone the two-time national champs, the Western Oregon University men's distance medley relay team placed ninth overall while competing at the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday.

Western Oregon, seeded No. 11 in the country after winning indoor national titles the last two seasons, bettered their pre-meet ranking by two spots and missed out on the scoring positions by a single spot.

CSU Pueblo took the title in the relay with a time of 9:47.91. Simon Fraser used a strong anchor leg to take silver with a 9:48.57 while Colorado Mines was third in 9:48.65. The top nine finishers crossed the line within three second of each other. WOU nearly matched their season-best time in the event with a 9:50.77 as the Wolves qualified for nationals with a 9:50.69.

Justin Crosswhite, the GNAC champion in the mile, opened the quartet with a heady 1,200-meter leg. Crosswhite held the tail-end of the pack through the first half of his distance before passing nine runners on a single straightaway near the 1,000-meter mark. Crosswhite delivered the baton to 400-meter leg Gabe Arce-Torres before Curt Knott took a turn for 800 meters. Arce-Torres and Knott maintained a top-three position for the majority of their legs before turning to anchor leg Tyler Jones.

Jones received the stick about 20 meters behind the co-leaders but found himself leading a tight-knit group that featured all but a single team in the remaining field. Led by Jones, the pack reeled in the co-leaders with 400 meters to go to initiate a final sprint with nearly every position changing hands in the final tour of the oval.

CSU Pueblo's time of 9:47.91 was more than six seconds slower than WOU's previous two meet-winning times. The Wolves captured the 2017 national title with a meet-record 9:40.15 while its 2018 time of 9:41.40 established a new facility record at the Robert W. Plaster Center.

In WOU's lone preliminary race of the day, Olivia Woods advanced to the final in the 800-meter run for the third straight season with a school record 2:08.73.

Anchored behind Embry-Riddle's No. 1 seeded Kristen Metcalfe for the first half of the race, Woods was sandwiched in the middle of a three-woman pack at the half-way point of the second section. With two automatic spots on the line and Metcalfe firmly in control at the front, Western Colorado's Bailey Sharon edged Woods on the line for second place.

Needing one of the two remaining at-large spots to advance to Saturday's finals, Woods was rewarded for her run as the third section turned in a winning time of 2:09.29, well behind the pace of the opening two heats.

Woods entered the meet ranked No. 6 in the NCAA DII and has placed sixth nationally the last two seasons for a pair of All-American honors. Woods will be joined by one other runner from the GNAC as defending national champion Danielle McCormick posted a 2:07.83 in the opening section to gain entry to the finale. Skylen Webb clipped McCormick at the line with a 2:07.76 for the opening day's fastest time.

The finals of the 800 will take place at 4:25 p.m. (PST) on Saturday.