By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Bearcats will host the 2022 Willamette Invitational in track and field on Saturday, March 26 at Charles Bowles Track. A total of eight women's teams and seven men's teams will compete, along with the University of Oregon Running Club.
College teams participating in the meet are Willamette, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Bushnell University, Lane Community College, Mount Hood Community College, Southwestern Oregon Community College, and Umpqua Community College. All of the colleges will compete in men's and women's events, except for Oregon State, which will compete in women's events.
Action in the field events is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. (PDT). Track events will get underway at 1 p.m. The 13th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance will start at 3:30 p.m. with the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, and will continue with the men's and women's 1,500-meter events and the men's 5,000-meter run.
Several athletes competing for the Willamette men's team will be Alex Matteson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Oliver Anderson (Jr., Salem, OR/Home Schooled) in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, Eric Kaszycki (Jr., Santee, CA/Santana HS) in the hammer throw.
A few of the athletes entered in events for the Willamette women's team are Sami Riggs (Jr., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) in the women's 400-meter dash, Audrey Piacsek (Sr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg HS) and Leila Fischer (So., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) in the 1,500-meter dash, Katherine Thornton (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS) in the 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles, and Samantha Waters (Jr., Kalispell, MT/Flathead HS) in the discus throw and the hammer throw.
Charles Bowles Track is located at McCulloch Stadium in Bush's Pasture Park, near the intersection of Mission Street and Winter Street. All events will be held at the track with the exception of the men's and women's hammer throw, which will be held at Corban University.
Field events will have one flight with the exception of the women's hammer throw, which will feature two flights. Each athlete will have three attempts during the prelims. Athletes with the top nine marks will advance to the finals. There will be one heat in most track events, but there will be two heats in the men's and women's 200-meter dash, and there will be three heats in the men's and women's 100-meter dash. Participants will be competing against time in track events with more than one heat.
Parking near Bush's Pasture Park will be in high demand due to the Willamette Invitational and with good weather in the forecast. Fans should check the parking areas on both sides of the park, as well as in the nearby areas in Salem. The Willamette University parking lot near the Sparks Center is open to the public on Saturday. The Sparks Center lot is located at the intersection of Bellevue and 12th Street, two to three blocks from Bush's Pasture Park.
Please note that parking at Salem Hospital is not available and is only for hospital personnel and related business.
2022 Willamette Invitational
Saturday, March 26
At Charles Bowles Track*
Field Events
9:30 a.m. - Women's Discus (1 flight)
9:30 a.m. - Men's Javelin (1 flight), followed by Women's Javelin (1 flight)
9:30 a.m. - Women's Long Jump (1 flight), followed by Men's Long Jump (1 flight)
11:00 a.m. - Women's Shot Put (1 flight), followed by Men's Shot Put (1 flight)
11:30 a.m. - Women's Triple Jump (1 flight), followed by Men's Triple Jump (1 flight)
1:00 p.m. - Women's High Jump, followed by Men's High Jump
1:30 p.m. - Women's Hammer (2 flights), followed by Men's Hammer (1 flight)
1:00 p.m. - Women's Pole Vault, followed by Men's Pole Vault
* Note: Hammer throw will be held at Corban University
Track Events (Fastest heats run first)
1:00 p.m. - Women's 100m hurdles (1 heat)
1:10 p.m. - Men's 110m hurdles (1 heat)
1:25 p.m. - Women's 400m (1 heat)
1:30 p.m. - Men's 400m (1 heat)
1:40 p.m. - Women's 100m (3 heats)
1:50 p.m. - Men's 100m (3 heats)
2:05 p.m. - Women's 800m (1 heat)
2:10 p.m. - Men's 800m (1 heat)
2:30 p.m. - Women's 400m hurdles (1 heat)
2:35 p.m. - Men's 400m hurdles (1 heat)
2:45 p.m. - Women's 200m (2 heats)
2:55 p.m. - Men's 200m (2 heats)
3:05 p.m. - Women's 4 x 400m relay (1 heat)
3:15 p.m. - Men's 4 x 400m relay (1 heat)
13th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance
3:30 p.m. - Men's 3000m Steeplechase (1 heat)
3:45 p.m. - Women's 1500m (1 heat)
3:55 p.m. - Men's 1500m (1 heat)
4:05 p.m. - Men's 5000m (1 heat)
