The men’s and women’s track and field teams have been setting school records all season long and are looking to continue to dominate with the conference championships coming up.
“The season is going great,” said head coach Matt Lydum. “Our women’s team has been unexpectedly awesome.”
On April 2, the Boxers competed at the Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational in McMinnville, Oregon where the women’s team set a new school record in the 4 x 400 relay. Freshmen Megan Eberhardt, sophomore Jess Knoll, freshmen Marissa Smith and junior Breezy Brookbank finished the race with a time of 3:59.99, which was the tenth fastest time in the country at the Division III level.
“The women sprinters are doing great,” coach Lydum said. “As the weather gets warmer, our times continue to get faster.”
The women continue to perform well as the 4 x 100 relay team knocked off another school record with a time of 49.32 at the George Fox Rich Allen Classic on April 9. Brookbank, sophomore Mikaela Bernards, freshmen Ary Burgoyne and Smith topped the previous mark of 49.36 set in 2012.
Along with the relay teams, coach Lydum has been impressed with the women hurdlers and throwers, who have also been performing well so far this season.
“Our hurdlers Mikaela Bernards and [junior] Kelsey Lee have been dominant this year,” coach Lydum said. “The woman’s throwers are led by senior Mackenzie Huddleston who has one of the top 10 throws in the country.”
With the conference championship meets right around the corner, the Boxers are looking for even faster times and a few athletes have their sights set on Nationals.
“We are looking forward to the sun coming out and getting some good workouts in and we’re looking to hit some personal bests once the championship meets come around,” said coach Lydum.
The men’s team is young, but is making great strides toward getting better for next season.
“They are young and about a year away from chasing after regionals,” said coach Lydum.
At the Rich Allen Classic freshmen Josh Huffman was third in the discus with a throw of 135-10.
Sophomore George Twigg-Smith finished fourth in the long jump with a jump of 20-8 and fifth in the high jump with a jump of 6-4.
Wrapping up the men’s field events was freshmen James Willcuts who finished third in the triple jump, recording a jump of 40-3.
For the running events, sophomore Kyle Eisenbeis was third in the steeplechase with a time of 10:06.74.
SophomoreSean Higginbotham finished third in the 400 meters at 51.08 and senior Connor Pappas was fifth at 51.47.
The 4 x 100 relay team of Higginbotham, Garrett Price, Dalton Stanley and Bailey Muller were third in 43.14.
“The 4 x 100 relay team has an outside chance at regionals,” commented Lydum.
The Boxers will compete in the Pacific Open April 16, in Forest Grove. The Boxers head to Portland April 22, for the Conference Championships.
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