The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Track and Field Women’s Outdoor Championship has been gripped by the Falcons’ mighty talons.
Seattle Pacific University flew into the championship, on May 11 and 12, with several top competitors in the GNAC.
The Falcons’ substantial first place finishes during the two-day GNAC championship allowed them to nest with the top score.
The Falcons finished the two-day event at Western Oregon University’s McArthur field with 154.5 points. Central, which kept it close for most of the day, tied for second place with Concordia-Portland, both teams scoring 121 points.
“The women’s track and field and cross-country program has had a very long tradition of being successful in the post season,” said Audra Smith, assistant head coach of the track and field team. This win just solidifies that we are continuing that long-standing tradition by having great women who are great athletes and leaders.”
The lady Falcons put together five No. 1 victories throughout the entire span of the championship.
Three of the five wins were accounted for by first-year GNAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year Renick Meyer. She placed first in the 100m dash with a time of 12.16 seconds, long jump with a length of 5.91m and the 100m dash in the preliminaries with a time of 11.89.
The other two victories came from Grace Bley in the 200m with a time of 24.70 and 4x100m relay team put up a time of 46.61. The relay team consists of Bley, Meyer, Becca Houk and Julia Stepper.
Meyer said she loves her teammates and loves the talent of the 4x100m team.
The women have progressed each week. However, when it comes to championship season, you definitely see a different level of performance and intention,” Smith said.
Smith also mentioned that the entire team had grown immensely and that the talent will shine throughout the postseason.
“We will send a few athletes to NCAA’s however we are more of a conference championship team and at the national meet we look to be a top ten team which would be really awesome,” she said.
The Falcons are approaching the National Colligate Athletic Association Division II Championship and SPU is ranked No. 10 in the nation.
Four of SPU’s players were selected on Tuesday, May 15. Senior Mary Charleson, sophomores Scout Cai and Kate Lilly, and first-year Meyer all were selected for the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships.
Charleson and Lilly will both run in the 1,500 meters when competition begins next week at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cai and Meyer will compete in the heptathlon, and Meyer will also compete in the long jump.
The championship will take place on May 24 through the 26 in Charlotte. On the men’s side of the track for Seattle Pacific, no athlete was able to come up with a top four victory in any event or race.
However, Peyton Harris was able to snag the No. 5 spot in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.23. No male Falcon was selected for the NCAA DII Championship.
