Hurdlers, Jumpers Lead Way On Day 1 Of NWC Championships
Day 1 Results
PARKLAND, Wash. – True to the form sheet, Pacific hurdlers set themselves up for a big day in the finals, the jumpers and throwers contributed significant scoring performances and Kelli Aken-Pagdilao (So., Makakilo, Hawaii) lowered her school record in the 100 meters to lead the Boxers in day one of the Northwest Conference Track & Field Championships, held at the Pacific Lutheran University Track.
Four men and three women all advanced out of the preliminary heats of the hurdles events, where the Boxers are expected to pick up the majority of their points on the track. Both Michael Hunker (Jr., Cornelius, Ore.) and Jenna Matsumoto (Sr., Kailua, Hawaii) qualified for the finals in both hurdles distances, with Hunker running the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles trials.
Pacific's jumpers, meanwhile, provided some needed points in the field events. Nicole Smith (Sr., Wailuku, Hawaii) earned All-NWC honors with her third place finish in the women's long jump, tying her personal best of 17 feet. Smith later added one more team point for the women with her eighth place finish in the javelin, throwing 104 feet, 9 inches. Anna Toyas (So., Seaside, Ore.) scored one place ahead of Smith in the javelin with her mark of 105 feet, 6 inches.
Trent Dixon (Fr., North Powder, Ore.) earned All-NWC laurels in the men's high jump, placing third with a clearance of 6 feet, 2 inches. Kelson Kawai (So., North Kohala, Hawaii) was fifth in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet and Trey Oshiro-Atabay (Fr., Aiea, Hawaii) placed fifth in the men's long jump with his leap of 21 feet.
The Boxer men also picked up three points in the discus. Ryan Culp (Sr., Woodburn, Ore.), qualifying for his first NWC Championships, placed seventh with a throw of 129 feet, 6 inches.
Aaron Koford (So., Wilsonville, Ore.) repeated his eighth place finish of a year ago with a mark of 129 feet, 5 inches.
Kailee Green (Fr., Hillsboro, Ore.) added a point for the Pacific women with her eighth place finish in the steeplechase. Her Time of 12:00.86 was a 28-second personal best and is the fourth fastest performance in school history.
The performances lead the Boxers into good positions entering Saturday's finals. The Pacific men sit in sixth place with 17.5 points, just 4.5 points behind fifth place Pacific Lutheran. Whitworth built themselves a commanding lead on the first day with a score of 121 points. Pacific's women are in eighth with 12 points, but sit just three points behind seventh place Puget Sound. George Fox leads with 61 points, thanks in part to their top-four sweep in the heptathlon.
Hunker knocked two seconds off of his season best to clock the fastest qualifying time in the men's 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 56.63 seconds. Earlier in the day, he secured himself a spot in the 110-meter hurdles with the second fastest time of the preliminaries in 15.62 seconds.
Ted Wogan (Fr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) will join Hunker in the 400-meter hurdles final as he clocked a season best of 57.72 seconds to qualify fifth. Daniel Wagner (Fr., Kailua, Hawaii) snared the last spot in the 110-meter hurdles, qualifying eighth with a time of 16.17 seconds.
Matsumoto was the No. 2 qualifier in the women's 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line in a time of 1:08.03 to lead three Pacific qualifiers for the second straight year. Jessica Head (So., North Bend. Ore.) qualified seventh in a season best time of 1:08.26 while Kori Bellwood (So., Yamhill, Ore.) qualified eighth in 1:08.88. Earlier in the day, Matsumoto qualified eighth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.20 seconds.
Aken-Pagdilao, meanwhile, continued to lower her school record in the women's 100 meters. The sophomore qualified fifth for Saturday's final with a time of 12.67 seconds. Sean Valente (Fr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) qualified sixth in the men's 400 meters, clocking a season best 50.93 seconds.
Competition in the NWC Championships concludes on Saturday. Field events begin at 10:30 a.m. with running events commencing at noon.
