Bearcats are Ready for Northwest Conference Championships at Pacific Lutheran
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University track and field teams are heading north for the 2019 Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships at Pacific Lutheran University on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. Action gets underway at 2 p.m. (PDT) on Friday and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
On Friday, finals will be held in men's pole vault, men's and women's long jump, men's and women's hammer throw, men's and women's shot put, men's and women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, and men's and women's 10,000-meter run. Preliminary heats will take place on Friday in the dashes and hurdles, as well as the men's 800-meter run. All events on Saturday will be finals.
Four Bearcats are ranked in the top 30 on NCAA Division III performance lists for the season.
Keith Carlson (Sr., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge HS) is ranked 15th in Division III in the men's 5,000-meter run with a top time of 14:33.05. He earned his best time at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, previously known at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.
Brian Peck (Jr., Reno, NV/Reno HS) is listed at #23 in the decathlon. He achieved his top score of 5,884 points during the Pacific Multi-Event on March 25-25. He recently placed fifth in the decathlon at the NWC Multi-Event Championships on April 15-16. This weekend, Peck will compete in the men's 110-meter hurdles, the men's long jump and the men's 4 x 100-meter relay
In the men's long jump, Keaton Beckmann (So., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) is ranked 26th with a top distance of 22' 11.75" at the Willamette Opener on March 2. His jump at the Willamette Opener set his personal record. This weekend, Beckmann also will compete in the men's javelin throw and the men's 4 x 100-meter relay.
For the Willamette women's team, Hope Duenas (Jr., Covina, CA/Covina HS) has the 11th longest throw in the discus by an NCAA Division III athlete this season. Her top mark was 146' 10" at the 2019 Willamette Invitational on March 23. Her personal record of 147' 2" in the discus was set at the 2018 Willamette Invitational. Duenas also has earned a top throw of 142' 8" in the hammer throw this spring, a mark she recorded at the Pacific Luau on March 13.
Other top competitors for the Bearcat men's team include Connor Giannini (Jr., Veradale, WA/Gonzaga Prep), Michael Montague (Jr., San Diego, CA/Canyon Crest Academy), RoShaan Rogers (Gr., Roseville, CA/Woodreek HS) and Saige Swan (Jr., Crescent City, CA/Del Norte HS).
Giannini will run for the Bearcats in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash, as well as the 4 x 100-meter relay an the 4 x 400-meter relay. Montague will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run. Rogers is entered in the 400-meter hurdles, the 4 x 100-meter relay, and the 4 x 400-meter relay. Swan is entered in the shot put and will also throw the hammer.
Additional key athletes for the Willamette women's team include Hazel Carr (Sr., Seattle, WA/The Northwest School), Isabel Duxbury (So., Seattle, WA/University Prep), Emily Evans (Sr., Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage HS) and Adrian Schnee (Fr., Kalispell, MT/Glacier HS).
Carr is set to compete in the 800-meter run, the 1,500-meter run, and the 5,000-meter run. Duxbury will participate in the 1,500-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Evans will enter the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run. Schnee, who placed sixth in the heptathlon at teh NWC Multi-Event Championships on April 15-16, will see action this weekend in the 100-meter hurdles, the 400-meter hurdles, the 4 x 400-meter relay, and the women's long jump.
Bearcats Competing this Weekend
Friday, April 26
2:00 p.m. - Women's Long Jump (One Flight and Final) - Adrian Schnee
2:00 p.m. - Women's Hammer Throw (Flights and Final) - Jeidah DeZurney (Flight 1), Avery Mickelsen (Flight 1), Hope Duenas (Flight 2)
2:00 p.m. - Men's Shot Put (One Flight and Final) - Saige Swan
2:00 p.m - Men's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Final) - Michael Montague
2:20 p.m. - Women's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Final) - Emily Evans, Isabel Duxbury, Maggie Chapin
2:50 p.m. - Men's 110-meter Hurdles (Heats) - Brian Peck (Heat 2)
3:10 p.m. - Women's 100-meter Hurdles (Heats) -Adrian Schnee (Heat 1)
3:30 p.m. - Men's 400-meter Dash (Heats) - Connor Giannini (Heat 1)
4:10 p.m. - Men's 800-meter Run (Heats) - Robbie Melhorn (Heat 1), Alex Matteson (Heat 2)
4:30 p.m. - Men's Long Jump (Flights and Final) - Brian Peck (Flight 1), Keaton Beckmann (Flight 2)
4:30 p.m. - Women's High Jump (One Flight and Final) - Brittany Broughton
4:30 p.m. - Men's Hammer Throw (One Flight and Final) - Saige Swan
4:40 p.m. - Men's 400-meter Hurdles (Heats) - RoShaan Rogers (Heat 2)
4:55 p.m. - Women's 400-meter Hurdles (Heats) - Adrian Schnee (Heat 2)
5:10 p.m. - Men's 200-meter Dash (Heats) - Connor Giannini (Heat 2)
6:30 p.m. - Women's 10,000-meter Run (Final) - Risa Shutz, Dana Hamilton
Saturday, April 27
10:30 a.m. - Women's Triple Jump (Flights and Final) - Alex Stacy (Flight 1)
12:00 p.m. - Men's 4 x 100-meter Relay (Final) - Willamette (Brian Peck, RoShaan Rogers, Connor Giannini, Orion Ewell)
12:05 p.m. - Women's 4 x 100-meter Relay (Final) - Willamette (Isabel Solano, Jenette Cabrera, Emma Blackburn, Sonja Cox-Raman)
12:10 p.m. - Men's 1,500-meter Run (Final) - Robbie Melhorn, Michael Montague
12:20 p.m. - Women's 1,500-meter Run (Final) - Isabel Duxbury, Hazel Carr, Kyla Shade
12:35 p.m. - Men's 110-meter Hurdles (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
12:40 p.m. - Women's 100-meter Hurdles (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
12:50 p.m. - Men's 400-meter Dash (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
1:00 p.m. - Women's Discus (Flights and Final) - Hope Duenas (Flight 2)
1:00 p.m. - Men's Javelin (One Flight and Final) - Keaton Beckmann
1:10 p.m. - Men's 800-meter Run (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
1:20 p.m. - Women's 800-meter Run (Final) - Hazel Carr, Grace Crookham-Guy
1:30 p.m. - Men's 400-meter Hurdles (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
1:40 p.m. - Women's 400-meter Hurdles (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
1:50 p.m. - Men's 200-meter Dash (Final) - Must Qualify on Friday
2:05 p.m. - Men's 5,000-meter Run (Final) - Michael Montague, Keith Carlson
2:25 p.m. - Women's 5,000-meter Run (Final) - Emily Evans, Kyla Shade, Hazel Carr
2:55 p.m. - Men's 4 x 400-meter Relay (Final) - Willamette (RoShaan Rogers, Matt Ihling, Connor Giannini, Keaton Beckmann)
3:00 p.m. - Women's 4 x 400-meter Relay (Final) - Willamette (Grace Crookham-Guy, Sonja Cox-Raman, Isabel Solano, Adrian Schnee)