Kawai Leads Boxers With Three Top-Four Places In Jumps
Meet Results (PDF)
EUGENE, Ore. – It was a trifecta of top-four finishes for Kelson Kawai (Jr., North Kohala, Hawaii) in all three jumps Saturday to lead the Pacific track and field teams' efforts at the Lane Preview, held at Lane Community College.
Kawai opened the day with a second place finish in the high jump. His mark of 6 feet, 4.75 inches tied his Pacific outdoor career best and equaled his best mark from the indoor season. Kawai tied teammate Jeremy Parkinson (Fr., Hubbard, Ore.) for second place in the triple jump, with both Boxers leaping 43 feet, 9 inches. Kawai finished out the day by tying for fourth in the long jump, qualifying for the Northwest Conference Championship with a mark of 20 feet, 1.5 inches.
The performances of the junior led another very strong day for Pacific jumpers. Trey Oshiro-Atabay (So., Aiea, Hawaii) and
Aaron Koford (Jr., Wilsonville, Ore.) tied for sixth place, finishing just behind Kawai with efforts of 20 feet, 0.25 inches. Budwesier Hawkins (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.) opened his season by qualifying for the NWC meet in the high jump, tying for fourth with a leap of 6 feet, 2.75 inches.
In the women's jumps, Mackenzie Huddleston (Fr., Milwaukie, Ore.) tied for fourth in the high jump, clearing 4 feet, 11 inches.
Michael Hunker (Sr., Cornelius, Ore.) earned a NWC qualifying mark in the men's 110-meter hurdles, placing third with a Pacific season best 15.84 seconds. Daniel Wagner (So., Kailua, Hawaii) finished fourth in the event with a season best of 16.07 seconds.
Travis George (Jr., Grants Pass, Ore.) led a trio of top-six men's performances in the throws, placing third in the hammer with a mark of 142 feet, 1 inch. Koford notched a 9-foot season best in the discus with his sixth place throw of 129 feet, 10 inches, while Chris Johnson (Jr., Everett, Wash.) placed sixth in the shot put with a season best of 40 feet, 1.25 inches. Huddleston was the only top-six placer for the women, finishing fifth in the javelin at 99 feet, 7 inches.
Kelli Aken-Pagdilao (Jr., Makakilo, Hawaii) led the way for Pacific in the sprints, placing fourth in both the women's 100 meters and 200 meters, running season best times of 13.04 seconds and 27.08 seconds. Sean Valente (Jr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) was Pacific top men's sprinter, placing second in the 200 meters in 51.80 seconds. Oshiro-Atabay was fourth in 52.36 seconds.
The men's 1,600 meter relay team of Spencer Wilson (So., La Pine, Ore.), Valente, Stefan Lemak (Fr., Los Altos, Calif.) and Oshiro-Atabay placed second in a time of 3:29.41. The women's long relay team of Emily Tuffey (So., Valencia, Calif.), Sarah Tuffey (Jr., Valencia, Calif.), Aken-Pagdilao and Mariah Ariola (So., Honolulu, Hawaii) placed third in 4:17,99.
Pacific now looks ahead to three meets this week. The Boxers will host their own combined event meet on Thursday and Friday at Lincoln Park Stadium. Most of the team will then travel to the Wildcat Open in McMinnville on Saturday while a select number of athletes will go to the Oregon Preview at Eugene's Hayward Field.
