On Saturday, May 4, Seattle Pacific University’s track and field team traveled to McMinnville, Oregon, to compete in the Linfield Open at Linfield University. Three Falcon athletes won their events.
Despite suffering an ankle injury at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in February 2024, freshman Mason Hrcek continued to push himself. Hrcek took first in the men’s pole vault with a height of 4.27 meters, setting his outdoor record best (his indoor personal best is 4.75 meters). He has now qualified to compete in the GNAC Outdoor Championships in Ellensburg, Washington.
Senior Emily Thomason took first in the women’s pole vault with a height of 3.58 meters (her personal best is 3.77 meters from the 2023 GNAC Outdoor Championship).
The Falcons dominated the women’s 400-meter dash. Junior Johanna Brown came in first with a time of 57.97 (her personal best is 57.31 from the 2024 Central Washington University Wildcat Invitational), and sophomore Marissa Crane in second with 59.64 (her personal best is 56.95 from the 2024 PLU Invitational).
In the women’s high jump, with a height of 1.52 meters (personal best of 1.58 meters from the 2024 CWU Wildcat Invitational), freshman Paige Kessler took second.
SPU will compete next in Ellensburg, Washington for the GNAC Outdoor Championships on May 10 and 11. Field events begin on the first day, May 10, at 1:15 p.m., and races start at 2:15 p.m.. On Saturday, May 11, field events begin at 11:30 a.m., with track events starting at 1:40 p.m..
On Saturday, May 4, the SPU rowing team had two boats compete in the Windermere Cup Regatta hosted by the University of Washington on the Montlake Cut. Boats lined the course with a large crowd supporting the crews from its banks. Six cast members from the “The Boys In The Boat” film—based on the UW crew that won gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games—joined this crowd.
The Falcons kicked off the day by competing in the Open 8+ against Western Washington University, Gonzaga University and the University of Washington. With a time of 7:12.66, SPU earned fourth place. The Third Varsity 8+ took on a crew from Seattle University and two UW crews. The Falcons placed third in their heat with a time of 7:30.220.
The Open 8+ crew consisted of senior Natalie Korolenko, senior Megan Popielak, sophomore Ixchel Watson, junior Audrey Rekedal, sophomore Anna Boatman, senior Megan Rouse, senior Hannah Miller and sophomore Gem Gatmaytan. Senior Lucy Sandahl served as coxswain.
The Third Varsity 8+ boat seated freshman Emmerson Spencer, freshman Grace Combs, freshman Jayden Hawley, sophomore Bella Lisenby, sophomore Cookie Yitbarek, junior Emma Ely, sophomore Amelia Pape and sophomore Brittan Dalberg. Sophomore Aleskia Haugen served as the crew’s coxswain.
On Saturday, May 18, the Falcons will head down to Lake Natoma, California, for the GNAC Championship
