Results
FOREST GROVE – It was a record-setting day for the Pacific track and field squads Saturday as Sam Lee (Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Nicole Smith (Sr., Wailuku, Hawaii) set individual marks and the women's 400-meter relay reset their own record at the Pacific Preview, held Saturday at Lincoln Park Stadium.
Lee reset her own mark in the women's steeplechase and did so against just one other competitor from Division I Portland State. Lee cruised to the victory in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase in a school record time of 11:41.72. The time surpassed her own record of 11:46.97, which she set at last year's Pacific Twilight meet. She was the only champion for the Boxers on the day.
Smith, meanwhile, not only qualified herself for her third event for this April's Northwest Conference Championships, but also snuck under the school record for the 100 meters. Smith ran 13.01 seconds in the event, sliding in under the previous mark of 13.08 seconds set by All-American Brooke Barker in 2005. Smith also ran the anchor leg for the record-setting 400-meter relay, which also included Kelli Aken-Pagdilao (Fr., Makakilo, Hawaii), Annie Mutchler (Fr., Sisters, Ore.) and Kori Bellwood (Fr., Yamhill, Ore.). Their time of 51.16 betters the previous mark of 51.79 seconds set last week.
While no records were set on the men's side, the Boxers did pick up a trio of runner-up finishes. Carson Bartlett (Jr., St. Helens, Ore.) made an impressive return in his first track meet in two years, finishing second in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 2.75 inches. Bartlett cleared the same height as George Fox's Kai Ojala, but Ojala won based on fewest misses at the previous height.
John Fredericks (Sr., Forest Grove, Ore.) earned a second place finish in a pole vault competition that saw six other entrants no height thanks in part to the rainy conditions, clearing the bar at 13 feet, 6.25 inches. Murphy Busek (Sr., Mountain View, Hawaii) took second in the home circle in the hammer with his mark of 142 feet, 7 inches. Busek also managed a fourth place finish in the shot put with an effort of 44 feet, 3.25 inches.
In addition to the individual efforts, the men's 400-meter relay team of Craig Bailey (Fr., Fairfield, Calif.), Alex Florence (Sr., Tigard, Ore.), Michael Hunker (So., Cornelius, Ore.) and Vince Mull (So., Beaverton, Ore.) accomplished a second place finish, turning in a time of 43.76 seconds.
Kelson Kawai (Fr., North Kohala, Hawaii) added a third place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 41 feet, 7.75 inches. Hunker also netted a fourth place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 57.19 seconds.
Pacific also saw three of its multi-event competitors perform well on the first day of competition. Aaron Koford (Fr., Wilsonville, Ore.) finished the first day of the decathlon in 6th place with 2,878 points. Koford opened the day finishing third in the 100 meters (22.65 seconds) and also finished third in the shot put (33-9.25). Taylor Hickson (Fr., Red Bluff, Calif.) is in seventh place with a score of 2,828 points. He placed well in both jumps, finishing third in the long jump (20-2.5) and fourth in the high jump (5-10.5).
Kasey Fisher (So., Denair, Calif.) sits in fourth place after day one of the heptathlon with a score of 1,974 points. Her day was topped by a third place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (16.53 seconds).
The meet will conclude on Sunday with the conclusion of the multi-event competitions. Action begins at 10 a.m.
