By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Bearcats on the Willamette University track and field teams will host the 2024 Willamette Invitational on Saturday, March 23 at Charles Bowles Track. A total of 13 men's teams and 10 women's teams will compete. The Bearcats also will host Willamette's Alumni Mile, featuring former WU track and field standouts.
College teams entered in the meet are Willamette, Cal Poly Humboldt, Clackamas Community College, Clark College, Corban University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield University, Mount Hood Community College, Pacific University, College of the Siskiyous, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Umpqua Community College, and Western Oregon University. All of the colleges will compete in men's and women's events, except for Corban and College of the Siskiyous, which will compete in men's events.
Field events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. PDT, with track events starting at 12 p.m. The 15th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance will start at 2:30 p.m. with the Alumni Mile, followed by the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase and 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 men's 5,000-meter run.
A few of the athletes who will be competing for the Willamette men's team are Jay Chew (So., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek HS) in the 5,000-meter run, Jonas Cherry (So., Browns Valley, CA/Marysville HS) in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, Simon Kidder (Sr., 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 (So., Salem, OR/Central HS) in the pole vault, Kaleb Mcarthur (So., Independence, OR/Central HS) in the long jump and the triple jump. Kidder also will compete in the 4 x 100-meter relay.
Several of the athletes entered in events for the Willamette women's team are Mashani Coleman Toliver (So., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) in the 100-meter dash, Kenzie Lee (So., Kaneohe, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash, Anna Bikle (So., Woodside, CA/Half Moon Bay HS) in the 1,500-meter run, Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Whitley Stepp (So., Silverton, OR/Regis HS) in the high jump, Tenley Grant (Jr, Longview, WA/Kelso HS) and Abigail House (Sr., Oakland, OR/Oakland HS) in the shot put and the hammer throw, and Kaiona Apio (Sr., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS) in the javelin 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. Many of the track events will have one heat, but there will be two heats in the men's 100-meter dash, women's 200-meter dash, men's 400-meter dash, women's 100-meter hurdles, and men's 400-meter hurdles. There will be three heats in the women's 100-meter dash, men's 200-meter dash, and men's 800-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. Fans should check the parking areas on both sides of the park, as well as 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.
2024 Willamette Invitational
Saturday, March 23
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
12:15 p.m. - Women's 100m hurdles (2 Heats)
12:30 p.m. - Men's 110m hurdles (1 Heat)
12:40 p.m. - Women's 400m (1 Heat)
12:45 p.m. - Men's 400m (2 Heats)
12:55 p.m. - Women's 100m (3 Heats)
1:05 p.m. - Men's 100m (2 Heats)
1:15 p.m. - Women's 800m (1 Heat)
1:20 p.m. - Men's 800m (3 Heats)
1:35 p.m. - Women's 400m hurdles (1 Heats)
1:40 p.m. - Men's 400m hurdles (2 Heats)
1:50 p.m. - Women's 200m (2 heats)
2:00 p.m. - Men's 200m (3 heats)
2:10 p.m. - Women's 4 x 400m relay
2:15 p.m. - Men's 4 x 400m relay
15th Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance
2:30 p.m. - Alumni Mile
2:45 p.m. - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
3:05 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
3:20 p.m. - Women's 1,500m
3:30 p.m. - Men's 1,500m
3:40 p.m. - Men's 5,000m
