Freeby in Steeple, Rebol in 800-meter Run, Improve Times at Oregon Twilight

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

EUGENE, ORE. -- Willamette University track and field runners Michaela Freeby (So., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) and Erynn Rebol (Sr., Cottonwood, CA/Red Bluff Union HS) each moved up on the NCAA Division III performance list in their respective events by achieving career-best times at the Oregon Twilight on Friday, May 3 at Hayward Field.

Freeby earned a personal record time of 10:55.43 in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, while placing eighth in the race. She lowered her best time by nearly two seconds from 10:57.24 in the prelims of the 2012 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships.

In addition, Freeby advanced her national standing this year up seven positions from 15th up to 8th in Division III. She remained third on Willamette's top 10 list.

Bridget Franek of the Oregon Track Club won the steeplechase at the Oregon Twilight in 9:46.99.

Freeby placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Championships last season. She won the Northwest Conference title in the steeplechase in 2012 and 2013.

Rebol took sixth place in the women's 800-meter run "A" section on Friday night, as she registered a personal record time of 2:13.63. She broke her previous career-best of 2:15.31, set this past weekend while winning her second Northwest Conference championship in the event.

Her time at the Oregon Twilight moved her up from 28th in the nation to 15th. She also improved from eighth to sixth on Willamette's all-time list in the women's 800-meter run.

Laura Carlyle of Bowerman Athletic Club won the women's 800-meter run at the Oregon Twilight with a time of 2:07.26.

When national bids are determined later this month, the top 20 men on the performance list in each event, as well as the top 22 women in each event, will qualify for the 2013 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, set for May 23-25 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Several other Willamette athletes registered solid marks at the Oregon Twilight. Willamette's additional results were:

The men's 4 x 100-meter relay team of Tom Fiechtner (Jr., Poway, CA/Cathedral HS), Chris Luetjen (Jr., Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Oswego HS), Matt Paparella (Fr., Glendale, AZ/Ironwood HS) and Dylan Jones (Fr., Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS) earned a time of 42.31 and took third place.

Kit Kingstad (Jr., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) placed fifth in the men's 1,500-meter run "B" section in 3:53.69, just missing his season-best time of 3:53.64.

Jones took fifth place in the first heat of the men's 200-meter run with a time of 22.45 seconds, improving on his previous top time of 22.55 seconds at the NWC Championships this past weekend.

Fiechtner earned sixth place in the second heat of the men's 200-meter run in 22.46 seconds. He set his personal record one week ago in the prelims of the NWC Championships at 22.00 seconds.

The overall top time in the men's 200-meter dash at the Oregon Twilight was recorded by Kurt Mulcahy, who ran unattached, in 21.20 seconds.

Bekah Daniel (So., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap HS) placed third in the women's triple jump with a top distance of 37' 6.50". She set a personal record, improving by one-half inch over her throw of 37' 6" at the Willamette Invitational earlier this year. She won the NWC title last weekend at 37' 4".

First place in the triple jump went to Maggie Pietka from the University of Oregon. Her top throw covered 38' 2.25". Alexis Anderson of Western Oregon University placed second at 38' 1.25".

Meka Townsend (Fr., Okanogan, WA/Okanogan HS) was fourth in the women's javelin throw. Her best toss covered 131' 3".

Stevie Gildehaus (Sr., Spokane Valley, WA/University HS) finished seventh in the women's 1,500-meter run "B" section in 4:47.15.

Willamette's next competition is set for May 9-11, when the Bearcats will host the West Coast Invitational at the Charles Bowles Track. The decathlon and heptathlon will be held on Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, with the remaining events scheduled for Saturday, May 11.