By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Willamette University earned top three finishes in seven events, including three first place results, as the Jenn Bowman Memorial Invitational on Saturday, April 2 at Linfield University's Maxwell Field. Simon Kidder (So., M, Bend, OR/Summit HS) won the men's 400-meter hurdles, Audrey Piacsek (Sr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg HS) took first in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, and Oliver Anderson (Jr., Salem, OR/Home Schooled) won the men's triple jump. In addition, the Bearcats placed second in three events and third in one event.
It was the big meet of the day for small colleges and junior colleges in Oregon and Washington. The Bearcats when head-to-head with many Northwest Conference opponents. Many of the events had large fields, including 34 entries in the women's 1,500-meter run, 26 entries in the men's 1,500-meter run, and 46 in the men's 100-meter dash.
Kidder achieved first place against 13 other runners n the men's 400-meter hurdles. Competitors participated in three heats against time. Kidder won in 58.68 seconds and was the only hurdler to end the race in under a minute. Johnathan McGraw of Linfield was second at 1:00.35 and Nicolas Lucas from Mount Hood Community College was third at 1:01.41.
Piacsek won against a smaller field in the challenging women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:16.02. Just four runners entered the event with its barriers and water hazard. Piacsek held off Cris Brethower of Pacific University, with Brethower taking second place in 12:19.40.
Likewise, just six competitors were entered in the men's triple jump. Anderson won the event with a top distance of 43' 5.75". He won by well over a foot, as Drew Quach from George Fox University finished second at 41' 10". Anderson also placed sixth in the men's 200-meter dash in 23.12 seconds. The men's 200 included 38 runners.
Earning second place for the Bearcats were Katherine Thornton (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS) in the women's 100-meter hurdles, Sami Riggs (Jr., La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) in the women's 400-meter dash, and Samantha Waters (Jr., Kalispell, MT/Flathead HS) in the women's hammer throw. Thornton's time in the 100 hurdles was 16.75 seconds. Riggs was clocked at 59.48 seconds in the 400 dash, as she finished 0.35 behind the winner, Jackilyn Lewis from the University of Puget Sound who earned a time of 59.13 seconds. Waters recorded a mark of 153' 06" in the hammer throw, as she set a personal record and moved up from seventh into fourth on WU's all-time list.
Thornton and Riggs each placed in the top eight in a second event. Thornton was fifth in the women's 400-meter hurdles in 1:11.28. Riggs took eighth in the women's 200-meter dash in 27.16 seconds.
Petey Swan (Fy., Crescent City, CA/Del Norte HS) of WU tied for third place in the men's high jump with Ethan Walter-Goodspeed from Green River College. Both cleared 5' 8". Maddax Clark from Clackamas Community College also cleared 5' 8", but took fifth place on jumps.
Other Top Results for Willamette
Eric Kaszycki (Jr., Santee, CA/Santana HS) was fifth in the men's discus throw with a mark of 133' 5". He also placed eighth in the men's shot put at 40' 6.75". He set a personal record in the shot put and finished just four inches short of his career-best in the discus.
Carson Herrick (Sr., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) earned sixth place in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:33.21. He lowered his personal best by 8.46 seconds.
In the men's 1,500-meter run, Alex Matteson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) placed sixth in 4:08.32 and Gabriel Regimbal (Sr., Bellingham, WA/Squalicum HS) was eighth in 4:09.22.
Up Next for the Bearcats
Willamette will compete at the Lane Community College Distance Carnival and at the John Knight Twilight at Western Oregon University, both on Friday, April 8. The Bearcats will also participate in the Lane Titan Invitational on Saturday, April 9. Both of the Lane CC events will be held in Eugene, Oregon, while the John Knight Twilight will be in Monmouth, Oregon.
