4/18/2008 – NWC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Whitworth’s Stelzer, Willamette’s Winger Set NWC Records on Day One
NWC Championships Day 1 Results
NEWBERG, Ore. – Cody Stelzer of Whitworth University set a new conference record in the high jump, pacing his team to a slim lead over defending men’s champion Linfield College, while Willamette University’s Jena Winger broke her own steeplechase record to lead her team in its bid for a seventh straight women’s title to a sizeable advantage over Whitworth on the first day of action in the Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships Friday here at George Fox University’s Colcord Memorial Field.
With seven events scored (four field events, two distance races, and the heptathlon two weeks ago), Willamette’s women have amassed 76 points to 45 for Whitworth. Host George Fox is third with 35.50 points, followed by the University of Puget Sound with 34, Linfield with 31, Pacific Lutheran University with 20, Lewis & Clark College with 16, and Pacific University with 15.50.
After seven completed events in the men’s division (four field events, two distance races, and the decathlon two weeks ago), Whitworth has 72 points to 61 for Linfield, with Willamette a close third with 58. George Fox holds down fourth place with 34 points, followed by Puget Sound with 26, Pacific with 19, Pacific Lutheran with 2, and Lewis & Clark with 1.
Stelzer cleared 6-10.75 / 2.10m to break the former NWC high jump record of 6-10.25 / 2.09m set by Travis Olson of Linfield on May 2, 1997. Stelzer missed NCAA automatic qualifying status by one-quarter of an inch. Josh Lovell of Linfield and Carson Bartlett of Pacific both cleared 6-7 / 2.01m, hitting NCAA provisional status exactly.
In other men’s field events, Jeff Kintner of Whitworth edged teammate Michael Nahl in the shot put 49-7.75 / 15.08m to 49-5.5 / 15.07m. Bartlett won the long jump comfortably over Pete Van Sant of Puget Sound 22-5.75 / 6.85m to 21-8 / 6.60m. Whitworth took the top two spots in the javelin as Joey VanHoomissen threw 196-2 / 59.80m and Kory Kemp threw 193-6 / 58.97m. Grant Piros of Willamette was third at 188-3 / 57.37m, all three topping the NCAA provisional mark.
In the men’s distance races, Taylor Roholt of Willamette won the 3,000 meter steeplechase over Chris Isaac of Linfield 9:29.9 to 9:32.3. The 10,000 meter run went to Ian Batch of Willamette over Francis Reynolds of Puget Sound 31:18.8 to 31:26.8.
In the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, Winger topped Brittany Hodgson of PLU 10.46.5 to 10:53.8, breaking her old mark of 10:52.71 set last year on April 20. It was also a new Colcord Field record, surpassing the 11:16.64 by Jill Salmon of Portland State University on May 12, 2002. Both Winger and Hodgson bettered NCAA provisional status, Winger missing automatic status by two-and-a-half seconds, while Casey Stepan of Linfield hit the provisional time of 11:13.00 exactly.
Sarah Zerzan of Willamette, the NCAA Division III cross country champion back in the fall, took the 10,000 meter run and made NCAA provisional status over Marci Klimek of Linfield 37:37.5 to 37:44.6.
In the women’s field events, Brooke Carstensen of Linfield and Sarah Curry of George Fox both cleared 11-0.75 / 3.37m in the pole vault, but Carstensen needed fewer attempts and took home the title. Christina Edholm of Willamette won the shot put over Karen Chase of Puget Sound 37-0.25 / 11.46m to 37-3 / 11.35m. Angie Miller of Pacific captured the long jump over Kristen Dormaier of Whitworth 17-7.5 / 5.37m to 17-3.25 / 5.26m, while the javelin was won by Roxanne Gilbride of Lewis & Clark over Brooke Smith of Willamette 132-10 / 40.48m to 129-8 / 39.53m. Both Gilbride and Smith made NCAA provisional qualifying status in the javelin.
Championships in the sprints and hurdles will be held Saturday after Friday’s preliminary heats. Women’s leaders going into the finals include Melissa Leighty of George Fox in the 100 meter dash (12.66) and the 200 meter dash (26.33), in the 400 meter dash, Rachel Giffey-Brohaugh of George Fox in the 800 meter run (2:25.88), Elizabeth Mattila of Whitworth in the 100 meter hurdles (15.42), and Faven Araya of Pacific Lutheran in the 400 meter hurdles (1:04.25).
Men’s leaders after Friday are Scott Vanassche of Linfield in the 100 meter dash (11.15) and the 200 meter dash (22.66), Garrett Blizzard of George Fox in the 400 meter dash (50.30), Brandon Howell of Whitworth in the 800 meter run (1:56.26), Ben Spaun of Whitworth in the 110 meter hurdles (15.18), and Drew Lackman of Willamette in the 400 meter hurdles (56.43).
Saturday’s finals begin at 10:30 a.m. with several field events, including the men’s discus, pole vault and triple jump, and the women’s hammer and high jump. Awards ceremonies are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. If the weather is bad, the awards will be presented inside Miller Gymnasium in the adjacent Wheeler Sports Center.