By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Tenley Grant (Jr, Longview, WA/Kelso HS), Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS), and Lecia Sincere (Jr., G, Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap HS) each won an event for the Willamette University women's track and field team at the Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational, hosted by Linfield University at Maxwell Field. Grant won the hammer throw, while Heino prevailed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and Sincere took first place in the triple jump.
Grant's winning throw in the hammer was the last attempt of the finals and was measured at 158' 8". Grant set a personal record and moved into second place on Willamette's all-time list. Grant also is ranked 26th in the NCAA Division III performance list for 2024. On Saturday, Jaelene Chavez of George Fox University was second with a mark of 149' 11".
The Willamette record in the women's hammer throw is 162' 3". The record was set by Melinda Fahey in 2008.
Heino claimed first place in the steeplechase with a time of 11:45.11. Her time ranks second in the NWC this season. At Linfield, Heino won by 12.25 seconds over Jenesse Teachout of GFU, who placed second in 11:57.36.
In the triple jump, Sincere registered her top distance of 34' 0.75" on the second of four attempts. She won by 1.5 inches over Jonette Singh, who earned a combined distance of 33' 11.25" for second place.
Grant also placed fourth in the shot put with a top mark of 33' 10.0". The event was won by Guinevere Rydberg from Lane Community College with a throw of 38' 2.25". Grant was 11 inches out of second place.
Kaiona Apio (Sr., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS) of the Bearcats was fifth in the javelin throw. Her top distance was 115' 0".
On the track, Lavender Bel (Fy., Puyallup, WA/Graham-Kapowsin HS) was third in the 100-meter hurdles in 17.25 seconds, while Mashani Coleman Toliver (So., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) placed third and Katie Briggs (Fy., Las Vegas, NV/Faith Lutheran HS finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles. Coleman Toliver registered a time of 1:09.94. The time for Briggs was 1:10:18. Sage Miller (So., Valley Springs, CA/Calaveras HS) of WU was sixth in the 400 hurdles at 1:11.48.
Also earning sixth place for Willamette were Bel in the 100-meter dash and Katie Wingo (Fy., White Rock, N.M./Los Alamos HS) in the 800-meter run, and Morgan Shaw (Fy., Redmond, OR/Ridgeview HS) in the 1,500-meter run.
Bel completed the 100-meter dash in 13.50 seconds and was just 0.07 out of third place. Wingo attained a time of 2:30.09 in the 800 and Shaw was timed at 5:05.82 in the 1,500. Wingo was only 1.21 seconds out of third place.
The Bearcats scored 81 points to place fifth out of 13 teams in the overall women's standings. George Fox won the women's team title with 177 points.
Willamette will host the 2024 Northwest Conference Multi-Event Championships at Charles Bowles Track on Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9. Erica Snyder (So., Longview, WA/Mark Morris HS) is scheduled to compete for the Bearcats in the heptathlon.
