By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- Five Willamette University runners are ready to compete for Willamette University at the 2016 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, starting with preliminary heats on Thursday, May 26. Four of Willamette's five athletes participating in the meet will be in action on the first day.
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Hannah Swanson (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) will get things started for the Bearcats in the preliminary heats of the women's 1,500-meter run at 1:45 p.m. CDT/11:45 a.m. PDT. Swanson qualified for the NCAA Championships with a personal record time of 4:33.03 at the Portland Twilight on May 15.
Emily Gapinski from University of St. Thomas (Minn.) owns the best time in the women's 1,500 this season at 4:23.25. Gapinski took second place in NCAA Division III last season. Tricia Serres of Luther College (Iowa) is the defending national champion. She won the NCAA title in the 1,500 last year with a time of 4:26.30.
Swanson will compete in the second of two preliminary heats. The top four finishers in each heat, plus athletes with the next four fastest times, will advance to the final.
Patrick Loftus (So., Santa Rosa, CA/Sonoma Academy) will race at 3 p.m. CDT/1 p.m. PDT in the prelims of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Loftus earned his career-best time of 9:02.23 at the West Coast Invitational on May 12.
The fastest time this year in the men's steeplechase is held by Jordna Carpenter from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 8:56.23. Adam Togami from Wabash College (Ind.) ranks second with a time of 8:58.29. Togami is the top returner from the 2015 championship race. He placed sixth a year ago in 9:04.47.
Loftus is slated to run in the first of two heats. The steeplechase final will feature the top five runners from each heat, along with those earning the next four fastest times.
Taylor Ostrander (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) and Hannah Bressler (Sr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) are scheduled to run in the prelims of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 3:30 p.m. CDT/1:30 p.m. PDT. Ostrander registered a season-best time of 10:47.17 at the OSU High Performance Meet on April 29. Bressler established a personal record in 10:52.58 at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on April 1.
Sarah Fowler of Ohio Wesleyan University, who finished ninth at the 2015 NCAA Championships, holds the best time in the women's steeplechase this year at 10:27.30. Sanjuanita Martinez from Cornell College (Iowa) is the top runner making a repeat appearance. She was third in last year's title race in 10:39.82.
Ostrander and Bressler are both in the first of two heats. The top five finishers in each heat will advance to the final. Runners with the next four fastest times also will earn positions in the title race.
Willamette's fifth competitor, Olivia Mancl (Jr./So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) will wait until Saturday, May 28 to race in the final of the women's 5,000-meter run. The 5,000 is set to start at 4:25 p.m. CDT/2:25 p.m. PDT. Mancl earned a personal record of 16:46.99 at the Willamette Invitational on March 26. There are no preliminary heats in the 5,000.
The top time this spring in the women's 5,000 was achieved by Maya Weigel from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) at 16:20.19. Weigel placed 18th at the NCAA Championships a year ago. The top returner from last year's title race is Maryann Gong from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who took third place in 17:11.90.
