Northwest Conference Track & Field Athletes of the Week

Apr. 19

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Leah Moore (Linfield, Jr., Wendell, Idaho) won the NWC Heptathlon title with an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 4,428.
Honorable Mention: Jo Boatright (George Fox) won the long jump (18-9) at Linfield, improving her NCAA provisional and NWC-best mark; Edralyn Harmon (Whitworth) finished third in the pole vault (11-4) at Whitworth, in an NWC-best and NCAA provisional mark; Carrie Larson (PLU) finished fourth in the 100 (12.90), 200 (26.31) and 100 hurdles (15.81) at CWU; Allison Ingram (Pacific) won the hammer (143-9) at Linfield.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Tyler May (Willamette, So., Florence, Ore.) won the NWC Decathlon title with an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 6,231.
Honorable Mention: Dan Haakenson (PLU) finished first in the hammer (174-0 - NCAA provisional) and second in the discus (150-0) at CWU; Andrew Thron (Linfield) won the shot put (48-2.75) at the Linfield Four-Way; Brett Yeager (George Fox) won the high jump (6-4) at Linfield; Lucas Setere (Pacific) won the 400 hurdles (55.60) at Linfield.

Apr. 13

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Kristen Shields (Whitworth, Jr., Grand Coulee, Wash.) won the 100 dash at the EWU Pelluer Invite in an NCAA provisional qualifying and NWC-best time (12.17) and anchored the 4x100 relay (48.50) that also was an NCAA provisional qualifying and NWC-best time.
Honorable Mention: Kelsey Baron (George Fox) won the long jump (17-9.5) and the triple jump (38-11) at the GFU All-Comers meet, the second of which improved her NCAA provisional and NWC-best mark; Joni Claypool (Linfield) won the discus (123-11) and shot put (41-6) at GFU, the second of which is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark; Carrie Larson (PLU) won the 400 hurdles at UPS in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:03.38 and finished second in the 100 hurdles (15.72); Shannon McGrane (Willamette) finished second in both the 100 hurdles (15.24) and the 400 hurdles (1:04.34) at GFU, the second time is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark; DeeDee Arnall (Pacific) finished second in the javelin (123-6) at GFU.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Nick Symmonds (Willamette, Fr., Boise, Idaho) won the 1,500 (3:54.34) at GFU, hitting an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and setting the top time in the conference to date.
Honorable Mention: Chris Boock won the 100 at GFU in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10.81, ran on the winning 4x100 relay (43.32) and finished third in the 200 (22.85); Bryce McDonnell (Whitworth) won the 100 (11.18) and finished second in the 200 (22.30) at EWU; Alex Barron (Pacific) won the 400 hurdles (55.41) at GFU; Jon Payne (PLU) finished second in the 400 hurdles (55.03) at UPS.

Apr. 6

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Natalie Muren (Willamette, Fr., Keizer, Ore.) provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:38.0h (finishing second) at the Willamette Invitational.
Honorable Mention: Tonika Vickers (PLU) won the 100 (12.30) and 200 (25.19) at the Ralph Vernaccia Invitational and also ran on both relays; Kelsey Baron (George Fox) won the long jump (17-8.25) at the Willamette Invitational; Karen Robnett (Whitworth) won the 100 (12.58) and 200 (26.35) and was on the winning 4x100 relay (50.75) at the Buc Scoring Invite.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Ben Salisbury (George Fox, Jr., Bellingham, Wash.) won the 100 dash at the Willamette Invitational with a hand time of 10.5.
Honorable Mention: Joel Werdell (Whitworth) won the Hammer throw at the Buc Scoring Invite with an NCAA provisional mark of 166-0; Michael Johnson (PLU) won the shot put (46’4.5) and finished fourth in the discus (135-3) and hammer (138-4) at the Ralph Vernaccia Invitational; Nate Matlock (Willamette) won the Shot Put (47-9) at the Willamette Invitational; Carl Hoogesteger (Pacific) finished 6th in the 10k (33:13.7h) at the Willamette Invitational.

Mar. 30

Co-NWC Women’s Athletes of the Week: Kristin Shields (Whitworth, Jr., Grand Coulee, Wash.) won the 100 (12.24) and 200 (25.10) at the Whitworth Invitational, hitting NCAA provisional qualifying times and setting the best marks in the NWC so far this season; Kelsey Baron (George Fox, Sr., Nehalem, Ore.) won the triple jump (37-8.5) at the Claremont Challenge and placed 4th in the triple jump (37-5.25) and 5th in the long jump (18-0.5) at the Hornet Invitational, meeting NCAA provisional marks in both events.
Honorable Mention: Leah Moore (Linfield) won the Linfield Heptathlon with a score of 4,162; Jazzmin Reece (Willamette) finished second at the Linfield Heptathlon with a score of 3,920.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Ben Salisbury (George Fox, Jr., Bellingham, Wash.) won both the 100 (10.79) and the 200 (21.68) at the Claremont Challenge and won the 200 (21.69) while finishing 3rd in the 100 (10.92) at the Hornet Invitational, hitting NCAA provisional qualifying marks and setting new NWC bests.
Honorable Mention: Ben Rorem (Whitworth) won the 100 (10.89) and finished second in the 200 (22.08) at the Whitworth Invite; Tyler May (Willamette) finished third at the Linfield Decathlon with a score of 6,088.

Mar. 24

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Kari Holbert (Willamette, Jr., Gresham, Ore.) finished second in the 3,000 Steeplechase at the Oregon Preview in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 11:24.67.
Honorable Mention: Leslie Nelson (Whitworth) led the Pirates to a win at Linfield by winning the 1,500 (5:01.47) and 5,000 (19:05.23); Joni Claypool (Linfield) won the shot put (42’-4”) and discus (132’-9”) vs. Whitworth.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Nick Symmonds (Willamette, Fr., Boise, Idaho) won the 800 at the Oregon Preview (1:51.17), setting a new school record and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Honorable Mention: Ben Rorem (Whitworth) won the 100 (11.34), 200 (23.06) and ran on the winning 4x100 Relay (44.24) in the dual meet win at Linfield.

Mar. 17

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Shannon McGrane (Willamette, So., Colville, Wash.) led the Bearcats to the team title at the George Fox four-way by winning the 400 hurdles in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:04.31 and anchoring the 4x400 Relay to a win in 4:06.43. She also finished second in the 100 hurdles (15.94).
Honorable Mention: Jo Boatright (George Fox) provisionally qualified for the NCAA’s while winning the 100 hurdles (14.99) and also won the triple jump (35’-10.75”) and finished second in the 100 dash (13.28); Tonika Vickers (PLU) provisionally qualified for nationals while winning the 100 dash (12.33) at the Salzman and also won the 200 (25.59); Kristin Shields (Whitworth) won the 100 (12.64), 200 (26.24) and anchored the winning 4x100 Relay (49.43) at the Dusty Lane Invite; Kelsey Newell (Linfield) won the 200 (26.67) and 400 (59.12) at the George Fox four-way, and anchored the winning 4x100 Relay (51.33); Vanessa Braun (Lewis & Clark) won the Hammer (145’-8”) and finished third in the Discus (117-11) at the Salzman Invite; DeeDee Arnall (Pacific) was third in the Javelin (121-4) and fifth in the Shot Put (35-10.5) at the George Fox four-way meet.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Ray Lions (Linfield, Sr., Portland, Ore.) won the Javelin at the George Fox four-way with an NWC-best and NCAA provisional qualifying throw of 200’-9”.
Honorable Mention: Ben Rorem (Whitworth) won the 100 (11.30), 200 (22.91) and anchored the winning 4x100 Relay (43.11) at the Dusty Lane Invite; Nate Matlock (Willamette) won the Shot Put (48’-6.75” - NWC best) and finished second in the Hammer (153-10) and Discus (135-7); Lucas Setere (Pacific) won the 400 hurdles (56.16) at George Fox; Dan Haakenson (Pacific Lutheran) was second in the Hammer (168-2) and third in the Discus (139-6) at the Salzman Invite.

Mar. 9

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Chelsi Williamson (George Fox, Fr., McMinnville, Ore.) won the high jump at the NWC “South” meet in an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 5’-4.5”.
Honorable Mention: Joni Claypool (Linfield) won the shot put (40’-11.5”) and discus (120’-10”) at the “South” meet.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Dayson Tiogangco (Linfield, So., Papaikou, Hawaii) won the Pole Vault (14’-7.25”), provisionally qualifying for the NCAA championships, and also ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay (43.66) at the GFU “South” meet.
Honorable Mention: Ben Salisbury (George Fox) won the 100 (11.27) and 200 (22.49) and also ran on the winning 4x400 relay (3:26.72).

Mar. 2

NWC Women’s Athlete of the Week: Jessica Austin (Whitworth, Sr., Superior, Mont.) won the 3,000 Steeplechase at the Linfield Icebreaker with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 11:20.28. She also finished fourth in the 400 hurdles.
Honorable Mention: Jo Boatright (George Fox) won the long jump (17’-4.25”) and finished second in the high jump and 100 hurdles at the Linfield Icebreaker.

NWC Men’s Athlete of the Week: Ben Salisbury (George Fox, Jr., Bellingham, Wash.) won both the 100 meters (11.05) and 200 meters (21.95) at the Linfield Icebreaker.