Ahern, Bowton and Fiechtner Win Events on Second Day of Lane Preview

By John Lind and Robert McKinney

EUGENE, ORE. -- The Willamette University track and field teams competed in the second day of the annual Lane Preview on Saturday, March 9. The meet pitted the Bearcats against teams from Pacific University, Lane Community College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Western Oregon University, Southwestern Oregon Community College and College of the Siskiyous.

Three Willamette athletes won individual titles.

Elisa Ahern (So., Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) took first place in the women's triple jump with a length of 37' 3.75", as she improved from third to second on WU's Top 10 list. Maya Bowton (Fr., Spokane, WA/Ferris HS) won the women's high jump by clearing 5' 3" to move into 10th on the Bearcats' Top 10 list.

Tom Fiechtner (Jr., Poway, CA/Cathedral HS) of Willamette was victorious in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 50.89 seconds. He added a fourth place finish in the 200-meter dash, as he earned a time of 22.78 seconds. Terry Guthrie, running unattached, won the 200 in 22.11 seconds.

In addition to winning the triple jump, Ahern placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 16' 4.50". Kristin Clark of Lane CC won the long jump at 17' 6.25".

Bowton provided the Bearcats with a tie for sixth place in the pole vault after clearing 8' 10.75".

Also for the Willamette women's team on Saturday:

Michaela Freeby (So., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) finished second in the 800-meter run in 2:22.61. Katie Waugh of Oregon Tech won the event in 2:19.71.

Freeby took fourth place and Annette Marinello (So., Corvallis, OR/Philomath HS) was fifth in the 1,500-meter run. Freeby crossed the finish line in 4:54.61. Marinello completed the race in 4:57.69.

Larissa DeHaas (Sr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelley HS) achieved third place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:11.22.

Molly Bond (So., Clarkston, WA/Asotin HS) ran the 100-meter hurdles in 16.79 seconds to take fifth place in a field of 18 runners.

Audrey Taylor (Fr., Sprints, Portland, OR/La Salle HS) claimed fifth place in the 200-meter dash. She was timed at 27.54 seconds.

Taylor Ottomano (Jr., Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap HS) placed sixth in the triple jump at 33' 1".

In other top performances for the Bearcat men's team:

Carson Kennedy (So., Forest Grove, OR/Forest Grove HS) tied for fourth place in the men's long jump. His top distance was 20' 10.50" as he tied with Kelson Kawai from Pacific. Kennedy was fifth in the triple jump at 42' 9.75".

Kit Kingstad (Jr., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) was fourth in the 800-meter run. He registered a time of 1:58.33. He was just 0.37 seconds out of third and 0.71 out of second.

Dylan Jones (Fr., Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS) ran the 100-meter dash in 11.27 seconds for seventh place. He was just in front of Chris Luetjen (Jr., Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Oswego HS) of WU in ninth place at 11.28 seconds and Matt Paparella (Fr., Glendale, AZ/Ironwood HS) of WU in 10th at 11.33.

Willamette will host Corban University in a dual track meet on Thursday, March 14. The Bearcats also will compete at the Oregon Preview in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday, March 16.