Shipley's Impressive 5,000 Meters Earns NWC Weekly Honors
FOREST GROVE – An effort that ranked among the best in Pacific history and among the best in NCAA Division III this season in the 5,000 meters has earned
Tyler Shipley (Fr., Forest Grove, Ore.) selection as the Northwest Conference Men's Track Student-Athlete of the Week. The award, as selected by the conference's sports information directors, was announced on Tuesday.
Shipley was honored for a blistering win in the 5,000 meters at Saturday's Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open where he beat the field of 25 entrants by nearly nine seconds, crossing the line in 15:00.47. The mark is the second best in Pacific history, bettered only by the school record of 14:36.8 set by Roger Hansen in 1976. The time is the best in the NWC this season by 14 seconds and also ranks as the 16th best effort this season among NCAA Division III runners.
“Tyler ran an excellent race in his track 5,000 meters debut,” said Pacific Head Track and Field Coach Tim Boyce. “His training continues to go well and we look forward to continued improvement in the weeks to come.”
In the first month of the Pacific outdoor track season, Shipley has made an impression for the Boxers and stands to be a contender for a NWC championship. In addition to his NWC best mark in the 5,000, Shipley owns the second best mark in the 10,000 meters at 32:25.22.
Shipley opened his collegiate running career by earning Second Team All-NWC honors with his ninth place finish at the NWC Cross Country Championships. He also earned All-West Region honors with his 15th place finish at the NCAA West Region Championships and earned an invitation to the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships. His season best of 24:58.30 over 8,000 meters at the regional meet made him just third runner in Pacific history to break the 25-minute barrier.
Following the season, Shipley was also selected to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III All-Academic Cross Country Team.
Shipley and the rest of his Pacific teammates return to the track on Saturday, competing at the Peyton Scoring Meet at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.
