Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The outdoors were traversed by several Wolf athletes on March 3 in the Willamette Opener at Willamette University. The first of many outdoor track and field meets to come in the spring season, Western jumped ahead in the action by finishing first six times.
Runners got out quick in the women’s 400-meter, but it was sophomore Grayson Burke who got to the line first with a time of 59.25. The day also provided another first, as first-year Booy Rogers ran in her first collegiate meet for Western in the women’s 1500-meter, and earned herself a personal record of 5:14.93.
Another athlete who has joined the team this year is first-year Darian Wilson, who measured at 16-5 (5.00m) in the long jump, finishing second. Multiple athletes finished just shy of first place, as sophomores Moana Gianotti and Mariah Gronbach went second and third, respectively, in the women’s shot put.
The Wolves ran in packs in the cold sunshine, and were noteworthy in the short to middle distance races. Sophomore Devon Fortier and junior Codi Blodgett went one and two in the men’s 100 dash — both posting a time of 11:20 — and six teammates crossed the men’s 800 finish, in 1-5, and 7, with sophomore Curt Knott atop the list with a time of 1:55.80.
Moving up to the men’s 1500-meter, senior Josh Dempsey reached the line first in 3:50.81.
The men’s shot put also saw a pack of several Wolves together, going 1-4 in the event, with junior Brandon Bowen who bested the field after throwing for a measurement of 48-4 3/4.
Several Western Oregon track and field athletes will run in the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships from March 9-10, in Pittsburg, Kansas in an attempt to earn more top finishes and records.
Western returns to the outdoors at the Lewis & Clark College Spring Break Opener on March. 17 in Portland.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com