By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's 4 x 100-meter relay team earned another strong time, and two members of the relay tied or set personal records in the 100-meter dash, as action concluded on the second day of the OSU High Performance Meet on Saturday, April 30. Willamette also competed well in the women's 400-meter dash, the men's 400-meter dash and the men's discus at the Whyte Track & Field Center.
The Bearcats registered a time of 48.57 seconds in the 4 x 100-meter relay, to take third place. Willamette's time was 0.13 away from the relay's top result this season, set while taking first place at the Northwest Conference Championships last weekend.
Jewell Sparks (So., San Francisco, CA/Lick Wilmerding HS), Teneah Rushen (So., Portland, OR/Franklin HS), Maura Forbush (Jr., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS) and Kylea Johnson (Sr., Onalaska, WA/Onalaska HS) competed on the WU relay team. Eastern Washington won the race in 46.73 seconds, while Portland State University took second place in 47.26 seconds.
Johnson tied her career-best time in the women's 100-meter dash, as she finished in 12.50 seconds. She also recorded a time of 12.50 at the 2016 Willamette Invitational on March 26. Rushen set a new personal record in the 100 on Saturday, as she was timed at 12.72 seconds, breaking her previous top time of 12.89 at the NWC Championships.
Forbush placed seventh in the women's 400-meter dash with a time of 57.86 seconds. She was 0.39 from her career-best of 57.47 seconds, set at the NWC Championships. In the men's 400-meter dash, Jack Wellman (So., Alameda, CA/Alameda HS) was timed at 50.70 seconds, just 0.09 from his personal record of 50.61 at the NWC Meet last weekend.
Also for Willamette, Hans Lehndorff (Sr., Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) competed in the men's discus. He registered top distance of 147' 6.25" on his third throw of the day. He placed eighth in the event.
The Bearcats will be in action again on Friday, May 6 at the Oregon Twilight, hosted by the University of Oregon at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The first events are set for 3 p.m. (PDT).
