By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore -- The Willamette University women's 4 x 100-meter relay team recorded the second fastest time in school history at 48.98 seconds to start off the Willamette Invitational on Saturday, March 26 at Charles Bowles Track. Near the end of the meet, Olivia Mancl (Jr./So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) moved into second on the Bearcats' all-time list in the women's 5,000-meter run by completing the race in 16:46.99.
Running for Willamette on the 4 x 100 relay team were Carmela Roberts (Sr., Santa Cruz, CA/Santa Cruz HS), Teneah Rushen (So., Portland, OR/Franklin HS), Maura Forbush (Jr., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS) and Kylea Johnson (Sr., Onalaska WA/Onalaska HS). Willamette placed second in the event behind University of Alaska-Anchorage, which achieved a winning time of 48.14 seconds.
Willamette's record in the 4 x 100 relay is 47.78. The record was set in 2007.
Mancl took second in the "A" Section of the women's 5,000 during the 9th Annual Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance. Parkes Kendrick won the race in 16:19.93. The Bearcats' record in the 5,000 is 16:28.54 by Sarah Zerzan '08 in 2007.
Also for Willamette, Patrick Loftus (So., Santa Rosa, CA/Sonoma Academy) won the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase during the Celebration of Distance. He set a personal record and moved into 10th place on Willamette's all-time list. Loftus won in 9:21.56, as he lowered his top time by 34.48 seconds.
Success in the women's 4 x 100-meter relay, the women's 5,000-meter run and the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase highlighted a tremendous day for the Bearcats, who set numerous personal records.
It was also a great day for the Willamette Invitational, as two Charles Bowles Track records were broken and a third track record was tied.
The Oregon State University women's team established a new track record in the 4 x 400-meter relay, winning the race in 3:52.74. Willamette held the previous record of 3:53.99 set in 2005.
Also creating a new record was McKenzie Warren in the women's shot put. Warren, who competed unattached, registered a top distance of 53' 7.75", breaking the old record of 48' 4.75"by Gabriella Dixson from Concordia University (Ore.) in 2013.
Mary Cross from Alaska-Anchorage tied the track record in the women's 200-meter dash. Her winning time of 24.50 seconds matched the time of fellow Alaska-Anchorage runner Jamie Ashcroft in 2015. Ashcroft placed third on Saturday with a time of 24.65 seconds.
Additional Top Results for the Bearcats
After helping Willamette earn the second fastest time in school history in the women's 4 x 100-meter relay, Johnson went on to set personal records in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.
Johnson placed second in the 100 with a time of 12.50 seconds, to earn her best time this season. from 12.56. The 100 was won by Ashcroft from Alaska-Anchorage in 11.94 seconds. In the 200, Johnson took fifth place in 25.60 seconds, while lowering her personal record time from 26.01.
Rushen established a personal record in the women's 100-meter dash. She took eighth place with a time of 12.96 as she went below 13 seconds for the first time. Her previous individual record was 13.15 seconds.
Jeremiah James (So./Fr., WR, Salem, OR/South Salem HS/Chemeketa CC) took second place in the men's triple jump and was third in the men's long jump. In the triple jump, he registered a combined distance of 42' 9.50". In the long jump his top mark was 21' 0.75".
Jacob Shafi (Sr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) finished third in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:32.89. He was just 0.39 away from his personal record of 9:32.50, set at the Willamette Invitational in 2014.
Hans Lehndorff (Sr., Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) set two personal records while placing fourth in the men's discus and sixth in the men's shot put. He produced a top throw of 151' 7.25" in the discus. His best throw in the shot put covered 49' 2".
Hannah Swanson (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) was fourth in the "A" Section of the women's 1,500-meter run during the Celebration of Disrtance with a time of 4:40.36. Hannah Bressler (Sr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) took seventh place in 4:49.65.
Ami Boucher (Jr., Concord, CA/Northgate HS) competed in the "B" Section of the 1,500 and set a personal record of 4:46.88 while taking third place.
In the women's 800-meter run, Maura Forbush (Jr., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS) placed seventh in 2:18.98.
Taylor Ostrander (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) achieved a time of 17:38.07, while placing seventh in the "A" Section of the women's 5,000-meter run during the Celebration of Distance.
Juliet Farnan (Sr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS) placed fourth in the "B" Section of the women's 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:17.61.
Some Notable Personal Records for Willamette
In addition to the personal records already mentioned, the Bearcats established even more. Some of the new personal-best marks are listed here.
Men's Team
Keith Carlson (Fr., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge HS), 5,000-meter run, 15:39.67
D'Angelo Guiton (So., Oakland, CA/Bishop O'Dowd HS), 100-meter dash, 11.44 (tied his PR); 200-meter dash, 23.27
Jack Kobylka (So., Napa, CA/Vintage HS), 800-meter run, 1:57.17
Jack Wellman (So., Alameda, CA/Alameda HS), 200-meter dash, 23.26; 400-meter dash, 50.66
Women's Team
Marisa Hamilton (Jr., Beaverton, OR/Southridge HS), discus throw, 105' 7.25"; hammer throw, 129' 3"
Bridgette Peirce (So., Reno, NV/Earl Wooster HS), 400-meter dash, 1:01.94
Jewell Sparks (So., San Francisco, CA/Lick Wilmerding HS), 400-meter hurdles, 1:07.86
Alex Stacy (Fr., Loomis, CA/Del Oro HS), triple jump, 32' 4.75"
Up Next for the Bearcats
Willamette will compete at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on Friday, April 1 and at the Jenn Boymann Memorial Invitational at Linfield College on Saturday, April 2.
