By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The 2023 Willamette Invitational in track and field will be hosted by the Bearcats on Saturday, March 25 at Charles Bowles Track. A total of 11 women's teams and 10 men's teams will compete, along with four club teams and a few unattached athletes.
College teams entered in the meet are Willamette, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Northwest Nazarene University, Linfield University, Pacific University, Pacific Lutheran University, Corban University, Bushnell University, Southern Oregon University, and Mount Hood 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.
Field events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (PDT), with track events getting underway at 12 p.m. The 14th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance will start at 2:40 p.m. with the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase followed by the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Celebration of Distance will continue with the women's and men's 1,500-meter events and the women's and men's 5,000-meter run.
Several athletes competing for the Willamette men's team will be Oliver Anderson (Sr., Salem, OR/Home Schooled) in the 100-meter dash and the triple jump, Jay Chew (Fy., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek HS) in the 5,000-meter run, Jonas Cherry (Fy., Browns Valley, CA/Marysville HS) in the 110-meter hurdles, Simon Kidder (Jr., Bend OR/Summit HS) in the 400-meter hurdles, William Hennum (Jr., Henderson, NV/Liberty HS/SW Oregon CC) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Elijah Jones (Fy, Salem, OR/Central HS) in the pole vault, and Kaleb Mcarthur (Fy., Independence, OR/Central HS) in the long jump and the triple jump.
A few of the athletes entered in events for the Willamette women's team are Mashani Coleman Toliver (Fy., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, Sami Riggs (Sr., La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) in the 400-meter dash, Grace Kosmicki (Fy., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS) in the 1,500-meter run, Katherine Thornton (Jr., Reno, NV/Reno HS) in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles, Clara Thomas (Fy., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin HS) in the 400-meter hurdles, Zoe Heino (Fy., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Whitley Stepp (Fy., Silverton, OR/Regis HS) in the high jump and the triple jump, and Tenley Grant (Fy., Longview, WA/Kelso HS) in 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. Each athlete will have three attempts during the prelims. Athletes with the top nine marks will advance to the finals. There will be several track events with one heat, but there will be three heats in the men's and women's 100-meter dash and the men's and women's 200-meter dash. Two heats are scheduled in the men's and women's 400-meter dash and the women's 400-meter hurdles. 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. 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.
NOTE: Parking at Salem Hospital is not available and is only for hospital personnel and related business.
2023 Willamette Invitational
Saturday, March 26
At Charles Bowles Track*
Field Events
11:00 a.m. - Men's Discus
11:00 a.m. - Women's Javelin
11:00 a.m. - Men's Long Jump, followed by Women's Long Jump
11:00 a.m. - Women's High Jump, followed by Men's High Jump
12:30 p.m. - Women's Discus
12:30 p.m. - Men's Shot Put
12:30 p.m. - Men's Javelin
1:00 p.m. - Women's Triple Jump, followed by Men's Triple Jump
2:00 p.m. - Women's Shot Put
3:00 p.m. - Men's Pole Vault, followed by Women's Pole Vault
4:00 p.m. - Men's Hammer, followed by Women's Hammer
* Note: Hammer throw will be held at Corban University
Track Events (Fastest heats run first)
12:00 p.m. - Women's 4 x 100m relay
12:05 p.m. - Men's 4 x 100m relay
12:20 p.m. - Women's 100m hurdles
12:30 p.m. - Men's 110m hurdles
12:40 p.m. - Women's 400m (2 heats)
12:50 p.m. - Men's 400m (2 heats)
1:00 p.m. - Women's 100m (3 heats)
1:10 p.m. - Men's 100m (3 heats)
1:20 p.m. - Women's 800m
1:25 p.m. - Men's 800m
1:40 p.m. - Women's 400m hurdles (2 heats)
1:50 p.m. - Men's 400m hurdles
2:00 p.m. - Women's 200m (3 heats)
2:10 p.m. - Men's 200m (3 heats)
2:20 p.m. - Women's 4 x 400m relay
2:25 p.m. - Men's 4 x 400m relay
14th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance
2:40 p.m. - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
3:00 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
3:15 p.m. - Women's 1,500m
3:25 p.m. - Men's 1,500m
3:35 p.m. - Women's 5,000m
4:00 p.m. - Men's 5,000m
