By: Burke De Boer sports editor
As they prepared for the GNAC championships, the Western Oregon track and field team traveled to Corvallis to compete in the Oregon State High Performance, a two-day meet on April 28 and 29.
Senior Aaron Whitaker set a new school record in the men’s 400-meter dash. His time of 47.96 was enough for a second place finish at the meet, and places him third in the GNAC this year. He was named the GNAC player of the week for his accomplishment.
Junior David Ribich took first place in the men’s 1500-meter. His time of 3:41.45 was the quickest in a field that featured runners from Division I schools, such as Colorado and Washington. It was also a new personal record for Ribich.
Sophomore Dustin Nading took the 11th spot in the race, with a time of 3:47.17, which was a lifetime personal best for him. Junior Thomas Normandeau took 30th place and first-year student Justin Crosswhite took 36th. Normandeau’s time of 3:56.15 was also a personal best.
Junior Alan Ekanger ran the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase for an 11th place finish. His time of 9:30.90 set his new personal record, improving by 20 seconds.
Another personal best was set by sophomore Tyler Jones in the men’s 5000-meter. His time of 14:54.95 took him to a 24th place finish.
In the women’s 800-meter, sophomore Olivia Woods became the first Division II runner across the finish line, for a 14th place finish overall. She finished the race in 2:08.65. Juniors Megan Rose and Suzanne Van De Grift were close behind, finishing in 2:09.05 for 16th place and 2:09.47 for 18th place, respectively.
The men’s 800-meter saw another Division II-leading finish, as senior Michael Chin came in 12th place with a time of 1:52.76. First-year student Curt Knott won his heat of the 800-meter. His time of 1:56.28 was a personal best, and earned him a 25th place finish overall.
Sara Madden set a lifetime best in the 400-meter hurdles, with an eighth-place time of 1:03.84.
Wolves continued to excel in throwing competitions. Junior Sheila Limas De La Cruz improved on her earlier NCAA provisional distance in the javelin contest. With her throw of 44.14 meters, De La Cruz is now ranked number 11 in the nation.
Junior Kegan Allen set a new personal record in the hammer throw, adding two meters to his previous distance with a throw of 51.30. The throw earned him a third place finish, and saw him finish top among Division II throwers.
Wolves also had strong finishes in jumps. Senior Wesley Gray took second in the men’s triple jump contest, with a distance of 14.69 meters. First-year student Alani Troutman came in fourth among the men’s long jump, with a distance of 7.03 meters.
The Wolves continue to prepare for the GNAC outdoor championships, which will be hosted in Monmouth on May 12 and 13.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
