MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Track and Field was back in action on Saturday splitting performances between the Linfield Open in McMinnville and the Portland Twilight meet. The Mountaineers added to a great season posting three "A" Standards and three "B" Standards between the two meets.
The strongest performance on the day came from Heppner native,
Hunter Nichols. The senior set a personal record and moved up to third all-time in the program record books in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:50.77.
Today's competition marks the end of regular-season action for the Mounties. Up next on the schedule is the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships next weekend on Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Read below to learn more about all of the day's biggest highlights.
WOMEN
TRACK
- 4x800 METER RELAY: A squad consisting of Karli Bedard, Lauryn Mitchell, Riley Morris, and Madelyn Nichols posted the sixth fastest time in school history while winning the 4 x 800-meter relay. The team ran a time of 9:23.19 seconds earning an "A" Standard and the 15th fastest time in the nation.
FIELD
- HAMMER THROW: Kenna Woodward continued to build on one of the best seasons in the nation in the throws moving into the top-10 in the hammer throw with a hurl of 54.54 meters today. The mark ranks 10th nationally and is a season best. Trinity Hill wasn't far behind with a third-place finish and mark of 48.09 meters.
- LONG JUMP: Two Mounties posted notable performances in the long jump. Elizabeth Grandle led the way with a season best leap of 5.37 meters just shy of a PR. Adrienne Washington wasn't far behind with a sixth-place finish and mark of 5.30 meters. The mark is a new personal record for Washington.
MEN
TRACK
- 400 METER DASH: Osman Osman posted another strong race in the 400 finishing second overall with a time of 48.28 seconds. Good for another "B" Standard mark, just short of the record he set earlier this season at 48.21 seconds.
- 400 METER HURDLES: TJ Davis won the 110-meter hurdles then continued a strong day on the track into the 400-meter hurdles where he ran a season-best time of 54.33 seconds, good for a "B" Standard and top-40 time in the nation.
- 1500 METERS: Hunter Nichols blasted his way into the top-10 in the nation while setting a personal record in the 1500-meter run. His time of 3:50.77 ranks third all-time at Eastern Oregon University and now puts him at No. 9 nationally. Along with those achievements it also secured Nichols a spot in the National Championships as an "A" Standard.
- 5,000 METERS: Justin Ash led the pack and posted a personal record time of 14:40.23 in the 5,000-meter run. The junior's time moves him up to No. 8 all-time in the program record book as well as earning him an NAIA "B" Standard in the event.
FIELD
- HAMMER THROW: Mark Church notched a second-place finish in the hammer throw with a "B" Standard mark of 54.15 meters. A strong throw, Church currently sits at No. 16 in the nation thanks to his 54.62-meter throw at the EOU Open on April 19.
