By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Willamette University athlete Zoe Heino (Fy., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) took sixth place out of 28 runners in the women's open 5,000-meter run to lead the Bearcats on the first day of the Oregon State High Performance Meet on Friday, April 28 at the Whyte Track and Field Center. The meet will conclude on Saturday, April 29.

Heino completed the 5,000 in a personal record time of 18:05.19. She cut roughly 49 seconds off her previous top time of 18:54.21, set at the Willamette Opener on March 4, 2023.

In addition to Heino's sixth place finish, three other Bearcats earned 10th place in their respective events. Katherine Thornton (Jr., Reno, NV/Reno HS) placed 10th in the women's 400-meter hurdles, Simon Kidder (Jr., Bend, OR/Summit HS) was 10th in the men's 400-meter hurdles, and William Hennum (Jr., Henderson, NV/Liberty HS/SW Oregon CC) finished 10th in the men's open 5,000-meter run.

Thornton earned her 10th place result in the women's 400 hurdles with a time of 1:05.67. Thornton set a personal record, breaking her previous top time of 1:06.75 set at the John Knight Twilight at Western Oregon University on April 7, 2023. Mashani Coleman Toliver (Fy., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) of Willamette took 15th place in 1:07.02.

Kidder was 10th in the men's 400 hurdles in 57.07 seconds. He established a new personal record by 0.90, lowering his fastest time from 57.97, set just days ago at the 2023 NWC Track and Field Championships on April 22. Mason Williams (Fy., Happy Valley, OR/ Clackamas HS) ran the 400 hurdles in 1:00.04 at OSU on Friday.

Hennum registered a time of 15:36.47 in the men's open 5,000 to grab his 10th place result. He set a personal record, reducing his time from 16:14.45 at the WU Opener.

Also on Friday for the Bearcats, Kaleb Mcarthur (Fy., Independence, OR/Central HS) was 13th in the men's long jump and Anabelle Smith (Fy., Blissfield, MI/Blissfield HS) placed 20th in the women's long jump. Mcarthur's top mark was 21' 0". Smith registered a top distance of 16' 5".