Kingstad Surges to #2 in Nation with 3:48.53 in 1,500 at West Coast Invitational

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University junior Kit Kingstad (Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) registered a personal record time of 3:48.53 in the men's 1,500-meter run at the West Coast Invitational on Saturday, May 11 to improve from #31 to #2 on the NCAA Division III performance list. Michaela Freeby (So. Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) of WU improved to #4 on the national list in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal record time of 10:37.91.

When the performance list closes next week, the top 20 athletes in each men's event and the top 22 athletes in each women's event will qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, set for May 23-25 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis.

Kingstad took off five seconds from his previous season best of 3:53.64 and lowered his personal record by 1.7 seconds. His previous top time was 3:50.23 at last year's West Coast Invitational on May 12, 2012. He moved from third into second on Willamette's all-time list, and now trails only two-time Olympian Nick Symmonds '06, who registered a time of 3:40.91 in 2004.

Freeby reduced her personal record by 17.52 seconds from her time of 10:55.43 at the Oregon Twilight just eight days ago. In the process, Freeby advanced from #11 to #4 on the national performance list, while improving from third to second on the all-time list at Willamette.

The WU record in the women's steeplechase is held by Kimber Mattox '11 at 10:23.34. Mattox, who now competes for the Bowerman Athletic Club, placed second the women's 1,500-meter run at the West Coast Invitational on Saturday with a time of 4:24.72.

Julia Webb from Bowerman Athletic Club won the women's steeplechase in 10:27.00. Freeby placed second, as she held off Tansey Lystad from the University of Portland by just under a second. Lystad finished third in 10:38.87.

Taylor Ostrander (Fr., Soldotna, AK/Kenai Central HS) of Willamette was seventh in the steeplechase with in a personal record time of 11:14.30. Also for Willamette, Hannah Bressler (Fr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) was ninth, as she set a personal record by .24 at 11:27.59.

Deriba Degefa from Ethiopia won the men's 1,500-meter run in 3:42.49. He finished 2.25 seconds away from the Charles Bowles Track record of 3:40.24, set by Dyrol Burleson in 1966. University of Portland runner Jared Bassett took second in the 1,500 at 3:43.51. Chris Brewer from the University of Oregon was third in 3:44.18.

Kingstad placed eighth in the 1,500. WU teammate Daniel Swanson (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) set a personal record of 3:56.42 during the 1,500, breaking his previous top time by 3.75 seconds.

Additional Personal Records for the Bearcats

The Bearcats set numerous personal records at the West Coast Invitational

During the multi-events on Thursday and Friday, Carson Kennedy (So., Forest Grove, OR/Forest Grove HS) set a career best with 6,283 points in the decathlon and Bekah Daniel (So., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap HS) achieved a personal best of 4,364 points in the heptathlon.

WU athletes also set seven top personal marks in the individual events of the decathlon and heptathlon. On Saturday, the Bearcats added 13 personal records set by 11 athletes.

In addition to the new top times recorded by Freeby, Ostrander, Bressler, Kingstad and Swanson, other personal records for Willamette were:

Yonny Castillo (Fr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley) recorded his best time in the 5,000-meter run, as he completed the race in 15:38.96.

Tyler Higley (So., Aloha, OR/Aloha HS) attained a distance of 142' 7.75" for a new top mark in the hammer throw.

Taylor Ottomano (Jr., Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap HS) went 34' 5" in the triple jump.

Five of the personal records were set by Willamette throwers in the women's shot put, discus and hammer throw.

Kelsey Engstrom (So., Clinton, WA/South Whidbey HS) won the shot put with a top distance of 37' 6.75" for an increase of 11.25". She also took first place in the hammer with a toss of 141' 8.25", adding 10.25" to her record.

Jossalyn Wright (So., Aumsville, OR/Cascade HS) won the discus with a career-best throw of 124' 5.50". She added a personal record in the hammer, earning a top distance of 126' 10", as she improved by nearly five feet.

Kaeleigh Thorp (So., Sam Leandro, CA/Encinal HS) achieved a personal-best of 115' 8.50" in the discus to take third place.

Other Key Results for the Bearcats

Willamette finished 1-2-3 in the men's 100-meter dash. Dylan Jones (Fr., Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS) took first in 11.06 seconds. Chris Luetjen (Jr., Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Oswego HS) was second at 11.12 and Matt Paparella (Fr., Glendale, AZ/Ironwood HS) took third at 11:50.

Tom Fiechtner (Jr., Poway, CA/Cathedral HS) was second in the men's 200-meter dash with a time of 22.37 seconds. Chris Stubbs from the University of Oregon was first in 21.96 seconds.

Wyatt Briggs (Sr., Scio, OR/Scio HS) placed second in the men's hammer at 175' 3.50" and Max Faulhaber (Jr., Eugene, OR/Sheldon HS) was third at 164' 4.75". Tanner Harris from U of O won with a toss of 185' 5.75".

Erynn Rebol (Sr., Cottonwood, CA/Red Bluff Union HS) finished fifth in the women's 800-meter run. She was timed at 2:16.02.

Ottomano cleared 5' 2.25" and tied for third place in the high jump.

Elisa Ahern (So., Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) placed second in the women's triple jump at 35' 1.75". Katherine Maus from Portland won with a distance of 37' 5.25".

Meka Townsend (Fr., Okanogan, WA/Okanogan HS) was first in the women's javelin at 123' 5.75".