Eleven Bearcats are Ranked in Top 12 on NCAA Division III Performance List
By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- Eleven Willamette University track and field athletes are ranked in the top 12 on the NCAA Division III performance list after the first two weekends of the season. Three of the athletes are ranked in two events.
Hans Lehndorff (Sr., Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) is listed fifth in both the men's shot put and the discus throw. He achieved a personal record distance of 47' 5" in the shot put at the Saints Open, hosted by Mount Hood Community College this past weekend. He tossed the discus 144' 1" at the Willamette Opener on March 5.
Included on the national list in the women's discus throw and the hammer throw is Angie Turpen (Jr., Alsea, OR/Alsea HS). She is ninth in the discus with a top mark of 119' 9". She is ranked 11th in the hammer throw at with a personal record of 136' 6".
Kylea Johnson (Sr., Onalaska WA/Onalaska HS) is ranked ninth in the women's 100-meter dash and is 12th in the 200-meter dash. Her top time of the season in the 100 is 12.66 seconds and her best time in the 200 is 26.18 seconds. Both times were recorded at the Willamette Opener.
The top national ranking for the Bearcats belongs to Olivia Mancl (Jr./So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), who is second in the women's 5,000-meter run. Her time of 17:28.43 allowed her to win the 5,000 at the Willamette Opener and moved her into eighth place on WU's all-time list. Mancl has the top time in the Northwest Conference by nearly a minute.
Also listed in the women's 5,000-meter run is Juliet Farnan (Sr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS). She holds the 10th-best time in the nation at 18:43.67 and is ranked third in the NWC.
Hannah Bressler (Sr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) is ranked fourth in the women's 1,500-meter run. She earned a time of 4:48.32 at the Willamette Opener.
In the women's 400-meter dash, Maura Forbush (Jr., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS) is 11th in NCAA Division III. He top time this spring is 1:00.15.
Jack Kobylka (So., Napa, CA/Vintage HS) is listed in fifth place in the men's 800-meter run. He registered a personal record time of 1:57.22 at the Willamette Opener.
Jeremiah James (So./Fr., Salem, OR/South Salem HS/Chemeketa CC) holds the sixth-best distance in the men's triple jump so far this season. His top mark is 43' 3.75".
Two Bearcats are included among the Division III leaders in the men's 5,000-meter run. Yonny Castillo (Sr., Hood River, OR/Hood River Valley HS) is eighth on the performance list at 15:07.10 and Patrick Loftus (So., Santa Rosa, CA/Sonoma Academy) is 12th with a personal record of 15:10.45.
Willamette track and field athletes will take on Corban University this afternoon (March 17) in a dual meet at Charles Bowles Track. The action is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. (PDT).