Snyder Places 3rd in Long Jump and Finishes 8th in NWC Heptathlon

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Erica Snyder (So., Longview, WA/Mark Morris HS) from Willamette University finished in eighth place in the heptathlon as the 2024 Northwest Conference Multi-Event Championships concluded on Tuesday, April 9 at Charles Bowles Track. Competing in only her second heptathlon, Snyder earned an overall score of 3,426 points. She improved by 44 points on her initial heptathlon score of 3,382 at the Pacific Multi on March 24-25.

Snyder took third place in the long jump on a tie-breaker at 16' 3.75" to highlight the second day. Elisabeth Jensen of George Fox University also jumped 16' 3.75" and was listed in second place. Both athletes scored 551 points in the event. Snyder did not receive a mark in the javelin throw. She completed the 800-meter run in 2:48.44 to earn 480 points.

During the heptathlon, Snyder's top event score was 713 points. She earned the score while taking fifth place in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.01 seconds on Monday, April 8. A bit later, she scored 689 points in the high jump after clearing 5' 1.25" and taking second place. Also on Monday, Snyder was fifth in the shot put at 29' 9.50", and was eighth in the 200-meter dash.

Kira Hawaaboo of Linfield University, who was in fourth place after the first day, won the heptathlon with 4,495 points in the final standings. After winning the 200-meter dash in 26.17 seconds (782 points) to end the first day, she won the long jump at 18' 3.25" (720 points) and took first place in the javelin at 110' 11" (549 points) to start the second day. She was third in the final event, the 800-meter run, with a time of 2:36.52.

Breeauna O'Rear of George Fox was second overall with 4,381 points. Breanne Rawls of Whitworth placed third at 4,330 and Jensen was fourth for GFU at 4,257. Emily Brown from Whitworth placed fifth with 3,933 points, Jenna Huntsman of GFU was sixth at 3,704, Courtney Tiernan from Pacific University took seventh at 3,534 points and Snyder was eighth at 3,426. Dylainee Carmony of GFU competed in the 100-meter hurdles to start the meet before withdrawing from the heptathlon.

In addition to the three wins for Hawaaboo on her way to taking first place overall, Rawls won two events by placing first in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.33 seconds (799 points) and in the high jump at 5' 5" (796 points). O'Rear won the shot put at 36' 8.50" (608 points), and Brown won the 800-meter dash in 2:20.89 (811 points).

Blake Smith of George Fox won the decathlon with 6,329 points. Levi Gibson from GFU was second with 5,816 points, and Jale Martin of Whitworth placed third at 5,749. Daniel Watts from Whitworth was fourth at 5,693, and Tom McMillan of GFU was fifth at 5,419 points. Caleb Smith of George Fox placed sixth at 5,414, just five points behind McMillan. The top event score in the decathlon was earned by Blake Smith in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 11.07 seconds for 847 points. Willamette did not have anyone participating in the NWC decathlon.

The 2024 NWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20. Team points earned at the NWC Multi-Event Championships will be included in the scoring at the NWC Meet.