Track Looks Ahead To Outdoor Season With Ericksen At The Helm

3/5/2015 3:56:00 PM

By Blake Timm '98, Sports Information Director

FOREST GROVE - As he begins his first season in charge of the Pacific track and field program, Head Coach Brent Ericksen sees promise for the Boxers after getting a head start during the indoor season.

"It was especially good for our sprinters and hurdlers," said Ericksen of an indoor run that saw 13 records broken during the team's four-meet schedule. "We're hoping it's a great springboard for them."

Ericksen is hoping the early start and record performances will translate into to standout performances for a number of Pacific returners that were point scorers at last year's Northwest Conference Championships. The men's team returners a number of all-conference athletes in Budweiser Hawkins (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.) in the jumps and Daniel Wagner (Sr., Kailua, Hawaii) in the hurdles, while the women return up-and-coming scorers in pole vaulter Britta LaVoie (Jr., Spokane, Wash.) and hurdler/sprinter Kelsey Lee (Jr., Monroe, Wash.).

"I am happy with the way our athletes are working and the team that they are becoming," Ericksen said, "so I am excited to make that transition to outdoors."

MEN

After a second place finish at the NWC Championships last year, Pacific will be looking to build their success around a number of returners who figured significantly into the Boxers' best finish in 30 years.

Kris Sapp (So., Sacramento, Calif.) will anchor the sprints after showing great promise as a freshman. Sapp placed sixth at the NWC Championships in the 200 meters and seventh in the 100 meters. During the indoor season, Sapp consistently placed in the top-10 in meets that were often dominated by Division I competition.

Ericksen believes that Sapp should be a conference scorer in both events and could play parts on both relays. "Kris had a great indoor season and he has got more serious with his training," Ericksen said. "He has asked to do some of the 400 workouts, which is a hard thing for a sprinter to ask to do. He could be a major player at conference."

Sean Higinbotham (So., Phoenix, Ariz.) and Trey Oshiro-Atabay (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii) also stand a chance to score at conference for the Boxers. Higinbotham placed eighth at the NWC Championships in the 400 meters and put together good performances during the indoor season. Oshiro-Atabay missed the indoor season while recovering from an injury suffered during the fall. His fourth place time of 50.14 seconds at last year's conference meet is the eighth fastest 400-meter time in school history.

Hawkins is showing signs of a breakout season with his performances during the indoor schedule. The two-time conference runner-up in the long jump cleared 22 feet, 4.5 inches during the indoor schedule, which is just two inches off of his personal best. A two-time conference placer in high jump, Hawkins equaled his lifetime best of 6 feet, 6.75 inches during the indoor season. In addition to the jumps, Hawkins will see some action in the sprints.

Ericksen sees potential for Hawkins do great things in his senior, especially with concentration in track with his basketball eligibility expiring after last season. "He was very consistent indoors," Ericksen said. "We are trying to clean up some of his technique. If we do things correctly with his speed, we can take things farther."

Wagner will look to close out his career with a pair of conference titles. An All-NWC selection in both hurdles disciplines last year, Wagner placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.29 seconds (third fastest time in school history) and was edged out for the 400-meter hurdles title with a time of 56.24 seconds (10th fastest in school history).

During the indoor season, Wagner reset his own school record in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.57 seconds. "Daniel had a better indoor season this year and we hope that translates to a better outdoor season," Ericksen said.

Jesse Bethke (Sr., Cave Junction, Ore.) also returns as one of Pacific's top conference scoring threats. The senior set the school record in the discus last year with his mark of 150 feet, 5 inches, and went on to finish eighth in the event at the NWC Championships. During the indoor season, Bethke posted a mark of 44 feet, 3.5 inches in the shot put, a four-foot lifetime best. "We want Jesse to be consistent from start to finish this season," Ericksen said. "We want him to carry that consistency throughout the year."

WOMEN

While Pacific continues to have a small squad on the women's side of the ledger, there is promise from a number of athletes that could be the foundation for a rise in the conference standings.

Much of the Boxers' strength on the women's side will come in the field events. LaVoie is the top returning point-scorer after earning a fifth place NWC Championships finish in the pole vault. She finished the season just short of the school record in the event, clearing 11 feet, 1 inch. LaVoie is already close to that point in 2015, finishing the indoor season with a school record 10 feet, 6.75 inches.

Mackenzie Huddleston (Jr., Milwaukie, Ore.) has shown great improvement in both the javelin and the high jump early in the season. The junior qualified for the conference meet in both events. Huddleston will be pushed by Shannon Hammond (Fr., Forest Grove, Ore.), who is expected to specialize in the heptathlon. Hammond was the top high jumper during the indoor season and set the indoor school record in the long jump.

Dianna Church (Fr., Bothell, Wash.) will provide some additional depth in the throwing events. The freshman hit a school record mark of 35 feet, 2 inches, in the shot put in the indoor season, a mark that is just a foot behind her prep best. Church also has a chance to be an immediate point scorer in the javelin with a prep best of 116 feet, 7 inches.

In the sprints, Mikaela Bernards (Fr., Hillsboro, Ore.) stands to start filling the role left by the departed 100-meter record holder Kelli Aken-Pagdilao. Bernards opened her career by setting the Pacific indoor record in the 60 meters with a time of 8.39 seconds. Dawne Yamamoto (So., Mililani, Hawaii) returns after having qualified for the NWC Championships in both the 100 and 200 as a freshman. Yamamoto's season best of 26.88 seconds in the 200 is fourth fastest in school history.

Lee could develop into a three-event performer for the Boxers. Lee placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles at the NWC Championships in 1:05.87, the third fastest time in school history. She also broke the top-10 in the open 400 meters with a time of 1:02.28. Ericksen said that Lee is also learning to go over the 100-meter hurdles.

In the distances, Stephenie Spencer (Fr., Bothell, Wash.) will be the one to watch. The freshman put together an impressive first season in cross country, earning All-West Region honors and placing 23rd at the NWC Cross Country Championships. She is a potential scorer for the Boxers in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Ericksen said that Spencer may be one of the most talented freshmen he has worked with in all of his years of coaching. "She does things in practice that girls who run 17:20 in race can do, and she hasn't even run that yet," Ericksen said. "So it's transition into developing that race day confidence that will help the most. Her workouts look incredible."

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