Top Eight for Bearcats at Multi Championships

NEWBERG, Ore. — The two heptathletes on the Willamette team, Erica Snyder and Ella Thompson, competed against a multitude of competitors in the NWC Multi Championships. Hosted by George Fox University this year, this competition spans two days as athletes compete in seven events: the 100m Hurdles, 200m, 800m, High Jump, Long Jump, Javelin, and Shot Put. Thompson placed fifth overall in the Women's Hepthathlon, while Snyder took seventh.

Thompson put on a strong performance in all events, always placing in the top ten. In the 100m Hurdles and High Jump she placed ninth, but came back in Shot Put and then the 200m. Her throw of 9.08 meters landed her fifth place in Shot Put, while in the 200m Thompson took fourth. In the next day of competition, Thompson made a powerful entrance in Long Jump, in which her third attempt secured her second place with a distance of 5.12 meters. Javelin Throw saw her earn a new personal best (PB) of 28.03 meters for seventh place, and her PB in the 800m of 2:39.68 secured her the same position. Overall, Thompson earned 3966 points, which gave her fifth place this year in the championship.

In the 100m Hurdles, Snyder opened up the contest with a PB of 15.75 seconds, which earned her fifth place. Then, in High Jump, she dominated against the competition and easily cleared 1.63 meters for first. Snyder landed sixteenth in Shot Put and fifteenth in the 200m. In Long Jump she placed eleventh, but in Javelin Throw she took third with a throw of 31.36 meters on her second attempt. She achieved a season best in the 800m, coming in at 2:47.89 and twelfth place. In total, Snyder earned 3903 points, which secured her seventh place overall.

Track and Field competes next at the NWC Championships on April 25-26 in Spokane, Washington.