SEATTLE, Wash. – One last chance to make a final move before the Indoor National Championship arrives this Saturday for the Western Oregon University track and field teams when they will travel back north to Seattle to compete in the Last Chance Qualifier hosted by Seattle Pacific.
This will be the last opportunity to try and improve numbers before the National Championships will arrive on Mar. 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala.
Maya Hopwood is set to compete once again in the women's 60-meter dash. Having finished second in the GNAC Indoor Championships last week, she currently is tied for the 17th fastest mark in the 60 in Division II which is 7.57 that was converted from her run in the 55-meter at the Candy Cane Open to start the indoor season. Hopwood already holds the school record in the 60 and is second in the 200-meter.
Jillian Greene will compete in the women's 800-meter dash. She is coming off of her best time in the mile at the GNAC Indoor Championships with a time of 5:10.69. Greene also collected a top time this year in the 600-meter at the UW Preview crossing with a time of 1:39.79.
Olivia Jimenez is set to compete in the women's mile. Back at the UW Preview, she set a season-best time of 5:59.65 in the mile. This past week at the GNAC Championships, she set a new best in the 800 with a time of 2:26.46 and also has a top mark of 1:04.92 in the 400 from the first Portland Indoor Meet.
Grace Knapp is entered into the women's 3k. She set a personal best in the 3k during the UW Preview crossing with a time of 10:03.05. She also set a best in the 5k this year with a time of 16:59.24 in the UW Invitational. Knapp's time in the 5k is currently 19th in all of Division II.
Ana Popchock will take a run in the women's 60-meter hurdles. She recently set a pair of season-best this past week at the GNAC Championships when she crossed with a time of 9.23 in the 60-meter hurdles and a time of 26.39 in the 200-meter.
Kalulusno Ngaida and Jenelle Hurley will both compete in the women's high jump. Ngaida will also compete in the triple jump. Ngaida recently set a new best in the triple jump at the GNAC Championships hitting a mark of 38-7.5 and earlier this year had a season-best in the high jump hitting a mark of 5-5.25 during the second Portland Indoor Meet. Ngaida's mark in the triple jump is currently 34th in all of Division II. Hurley put together a performance to remember at the GNAC Championships when she placed third in the pentathlon with 3,334 points, which is currently 30th in all of Division II. Hurley's top mark this year in the high jump was at the UW Preview when she reached 5-3.
Moana Gianotti will throw in the shot-put. She recently set a new best in the weight throw at the GNAC Championships reaching a throw of 50-10.25. During the UW Invitational, Gianotti set a personal-best throw of 44-9 in the shot-put.
In the men's entries, Dominique Loggins will look to continue his success in the 60-meter dash fresh off of winning the GNAC Indoor Championships in the event. His time of 6.86 at the GNAC's is currently tied for 35ht in all of Division II.
Aaron Hanible and Lashaun Emile will compete in the men's 400-meter dash. So far in this indoor season, Hanbile has competed in both the 4x400 and the DMR. Emile has competed in a pair of 4x400 relays so far, this indoor season. He set a personal-best time of 50.63 at last year's GNAC Indoor Championships in the 400-meter.
WOU will then enter 10 in the men's 800-meter led by Derek Holdsworth. After setting the school record and GNAC mark during the UW Invitational when he ran a blistering time of 1:47.74, Holdsworth continues to have the top time in all of Division II by over a full second. He also has one of just three automatic marks in the 800. He recently picked up the GNAC Indoor title this past week in the event as well. Curt Knott will run in the 800 for the first time this indoor season, as his top time in the event came during the 2019 outdoor season when he hit a time of 1:51.45 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Max Carmona has run the 800 several times this indoor season, as his top mark in the event came during last year's outdoor season crossing at 1:53.07. This indoor season, his best time of 1:54.42 came at the UW Invitational. Neal Cranston's top mark in the 800 came during the 2018 outdoor season when he crossed at 1:52.61. This indoor season he has competed in the 800 four different times with his top mark of 1:54.99 coming at the UW Invitational. Adam Alnazer grabbed his best time in the 800 during last year's outdoor season with a time of 1:54.26 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He has run the 800 twice this indoor season with his best time of 1:55.91 coming at the UW Preview. Zach Kanelis had his top time in the 800 occur during last year's outdoor season with a time of 1:54.31. Three times this indoor season he has competed in the 800, with his best time of 1:56.61 coming at the second Portland Indoor Meet. Justin Crosswhite's best time in the 800 came during last year's outdoor season when he posted a time of 1:54.80. This indoor season he has run in the mile four times, along with the DMR once. Trey Reed had his top time in the 800 at last year's outdoor GNAC Championships with a time of 1:54.87. Three times this indoor season he has entered in the event with his best time of 1:56.17 coming at the UW Preview. Hunter Hutton grabbed his top time in the 800 during last year's outdoor season with a time of 1:54.89 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. During three different times competing in the 800 this indoor season, his best mark came at the UW Preview with a time of 1:56.37. Emmett Klus posted his top time in the 800 during the first Portland Indoor Meet with a time of 1:57.64.
Alnazer and Stephen Fey will compete in the mile. Alnazer set his top mile time of 4:25.06 during the first Portland Indoor Meet. Two years ago, Fey set his top time in the mile at the same SPU Final Qualifier with a time of 4:15.44. This indoor season he has competed in the 800 and 4x400 so far.
Devin Hasher will enter in the high jump after he recently posted a season-best mark of 6-7 at the GNAC Indoor Championships.
WOU will also have a 4x400 relay team and two teams entered in the Distance Medley Relay. The DMR of Crosswhite, Gabe Arce-Torres, Carmona and Holdsworth currently have the sixth-best time in Division II set during the UW Invitational with a time of 9:52.02.
Live results will be available for the meet and can be found here
