By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University track and field teams will begin the 2022 season by hosting the Willamette Opener on Saturday, March 5. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. with field events and the running events will begin at 11 a.m. All of the events will be at the Charles Bowles Track except for the hammer throw, which will be held at Corban University.

Willamette, Corban, Mount Hood Community College, Oregon State University, and Western Oregon University will be competing at the WU Opener. It will be a great opportunity for fans to see several area teams in action at the same time. In addition, the meet will feature five college track and field divisions -- Mount Hood from the NJCAA, Corban from the NAIA, Willamette from NCAA Division III, Western Oregon from NCAA Division II, Oregon State from NCAA Division I.

Top returning competitors for Willamette are Oliver Anderson (Jr., Salem, OR/Home Schooled), Alex Matteson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS), Katherine Thornton (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS), Audrey Piacsek (Sr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg HS), and Sami Riggs (Jr., La Verne, CA/Bonita HS).

Anderson was fourth in the Northwest Conference last season in the men's 200-meter dash. He earned a time of 22.61 seconds in the 200 final at the NWC Championships. In addition, Anderson placed eighth in the men's triple jump with a top combined distance of 42' 10.25".

Matteson took seventh place in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NWC Meet in 9:56.50. He added an 11th place finish in the men's 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:21.89. This past fall, Matteson received Second Team All-NWC honors by placing 13th in the men's 8-kilometer race at the NWC Cross Country Championships. 

Thornton attained third place in the NWC with a time of 1:07.17 in the women's 400-meter hurdle final last spring. She placed fifth in the NWC in the women's long jump with a leap of 16' 3.75".

Piacsek claimed fourth place last year in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NWC Championships by registering a time of 11:58.17. Piacsek was 11th in the women's 1,500-meter run with a time of 5:07.39.

Riggs took sixth place in two events at the 2021 NWC Championships. She was sixth in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 26.63 in the final and a time of 26.34 in the prelims. She added a sixth-place finish in the women's 400-meter dash at 1:00.37.

Willamette Head Track and Field Coach Matt McGuirk is in his 20th year leading the track and field teams and is in his 24th year on the WU coaching staff.