SPOKANE, Wash. – Having entered with several top marks in the conference, it was no surprise to see the Western Oregon University men's and women's track and field teams near the top after the first day of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships on Monday at The Podium in Spokane.
WOU is currently second in both the men's and women's team standings. On the women's side, WOU has 61 points to sit just nine points back of Western Washington's leading 70 points. On the men's side, WOU has 35 points and are just 14 points back of first-place Western Washington's leading 49 points.
It was another record-setting day for Jenelle Hurley in the women's pentathlon. Not only did she win the event, but her total of 3,457 adds to her already WOU all-time school record. Hurley placed in the top-three in four of the events and won the long jump. She started off the day coming in second in the 60 hurdles and then placed second in the high jump. Following a fifth-place result in the shot put, she came back strong winning the long jump before setting a new season-best in the 800 coming in third. She held off Western Washington's Aliyah Dawkins who came in second with 3,340 points. Amity Deters placed sixth with 3,055 points. She came in third in the high jump, added sixth-place finishes in the shot put, long jump and 800 and also placed eighth in the 60-meter. Macy Clemens was right behind in seventh with 2,905 points. She placed fourth in the long jump and added a top-five finish coming in fifth in the 800. Clemens also placed sixth in the high jump, seventh in the 60-meter and ninth in the shot put.
In the men's heptathlon, JJ Walker and Gabe Burchfield are sitting in third and fourth. Brennen Sorah is sixth and Deshaun Stevens in eighth after the first four events on Monday. Walker placed in the top-five in all four events, coming in second in the long jump, fourth in both the 60-meter and the high jump, while coming in fifth in the shot put for 2,511 points to sit in third. He is just behind Western Washington's Ryan Kenny in first with 2,652 points and Northwest Nazarene's Steven Schmidt in second with 2,647 points. Burchfield is right behind Walker in fourth with 2,507 points. He came in third in both the high jump and long jump and placed seventh in the 60-meter and eighth in the shot put. Sorah is in sixth with 2,473 points. He came in second in the 60-meter and third in the shot put, along with placing fifth in the high jump and ninth in the long jump. Stevens is in eighth with 2,368 points. He came in first in the long jump and sixth in the 60-meter, while placing ninth in both the shot put and the high jump. The heptathlon will conclude on Tuesday with three more events (60 hurdles, pole vault and 1,000).
It was a big-time finish for Caitlin Heldt in the women's 5,000 coming in second with a time of 17:46.69. Kaylin Cantu moved into the top-10 on the WOU all-time list in the event coming in fourth with a time of 18:48.57. Luz Garcia also collected a top-10 program mark in the event when she crossed at 18:55.80 to come in fifth.
Keanu Daos and Bailey Smith ran in the men's 5,000 with Daos landing a top-10 program mark in the event when he crossed at 15:25.50 to come in eighth. Smith just missed adding his time to the top-10 when he came in ninth with a time of 15:34.05.
Kalulusno Ngaida and Hurley tied for sixth in the women's high jump hitting a mark of 5-1.75. Deters was close to that mark as well coming in eighth with a height of 4-11.75.
In the men's long jump, Stevens came in seventh with a distance of 21-5.50. Marlon Harrison came in 12th with a distance of 20-7.00.
In the women's long jump, Hurley broke her own PR in the event and moved into a tie for sixth on the WOU all-time list hitting a mark of 17-11.75 to come in second overall. Deters came in 14th in the long jump and Clemens came in 15th.
Walker posted a big result in the men's pole vault and tied for 10th on the WOU all-time list in the event when he came in second hitting a mark of 14-11.
Moana Gianotti set a new PR in the weight throw and moved up a spot to sixth on the WOU all-time list in the event hitting a distance of 52-3.25 to come in second. Emillia Carpenter hit a distance of 45-9.25 to come in seventh and Liliana Lyness-Morales was right behind coming in ninth with a throw of 44-10.75. Halle Hargett also competed in the event for the Wolves and came in 23rd.
In the men's weight throw, it was a big toss for Sam Cole and helped him place second in the event when he hit a mark of 54-2.00. Owen Collins also had a solid throw hitting a distance of 52-4.75 to come in fourth. Mark Warren was just a few spots back in sixth hitting a distance of 49-7.75.
In the distance medley relays, WOU finished second in the men's race with Keeton Sanchez, Caleb Southworth, Easton Pomrankey and Hunter Hutton crossing at 10:11.85. In the women's relay, the Wolves came in fourth with Lindie Larson, Madeline Lambing, Kaitlyn Kruse and Katie Chapman running to a time of 13:11.20.
In the preliminary races on the day, Maliyah Thompson and Maya Hopwood both advanced in the women's 60-meter. Thompson broke her own PR mark on the season and moved to second on the WOU all-time list with a time of 7.72. Hopwood advanced with a time of 7.80. Ana Popchock just missed qualifying with a time of 7.82.
Dominique Loggins was at it again for the Wolves in the men's 60-meter as he sprinted to a time of 6.99 to qualify for the finals. Gabe Arce-Torres was the next one in for the Wolves and just missed qualifiying with a time of 7.19.
Popchock and Thompson both qualified in the women's 60 hurdles. Popchock wasn't far off her school record time in the event when she crossed at 8.87. Thompson posted a qualifying time of 9.12, which is a new season-best and moves her into a tie for sixth on the WOU all-time list.
Justin Conklin and Aaron Hanible each qualified in the men's 60 hurdles. Conklin posted a time of 8.63 and Hanbile crossed at 8.74. Conklin's time moves him into a tie for 10th on the WOU all-time list in the event.
Hopwood and Jessy Hart were both close to qualifying in the women's 200-meter.
Arce-Torres qualified for the Wolves in the men's 200 with a time of 22.30. Amari Hendrix was the next one in for the Wolves and just missed advancing with a time of 22.97.
Hart qualified in the women's 400-meter with a time of 59.68.
Hanible qualified in the men's 400-meter crossing with a time of 50.87. Southworth just missed qualifying with a time of 51.00.
In the men's 800-meter, Timothy Rambo was close to qualifying with a time of 1:54.58. Sanchez and Pomrankey also just missed for the Wolves with Sanchez crossing at 1:55.90 and Pomrankey at 1:56.94.
Day two of the GNAC Indoor Championships continues on Tuesday starting at 8:30 a.m.
