By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
Western Oregon runners took advantage of Seattle Pacific’s final NCAA indoor qualifier by posting six provisional times and recording a new school record.
Three of these were recorded in the women’s 800 meter. Sophomore Olivia Woods crossed the finish line first, at 2:10.14. Her event-winning time set a new school record. She was soon followed by junior Suzanne Van De Grift, with a time of 2:10.57 and junior Megan Rose with a time of 2:13.18.
Junior Kennedy Rufener then ran the women’s mile in 4:57.01 to be the fourth Western Oregon woman with a provisional time. The time places her third in the school’s record books.
Sophomore Dustin Nading won the men’s mile race, recording a provisional time of 4:05.22.
Senior Josh Dempsey, who won the GNAC title for the men’s 800 meter on Feb. 17, shaved two seconds off his time to bring Western Oregon its sixth provisional finish. He ran the 800 in 1:50.94.
The NCAA Division II Track & Field Championship will be in Birmingham, Alabama, March 10 and 11.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
