Freeby Named NWC Women's Track Student-Athlete of the Week

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) of Willamette University has been chosen as the Northwest Conference Women's Track Student-Athlete of the Week after earning a personal record time 10:30.09 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on Friday, April 3. Freeby placed third out of 44 runners and was just 3.78 seconds out of first place.

Freeby remained second on Willamette's top 10 list after lowering her career-best time by more than three seconds. Her previous top time of 10:33.34 was set on her way to a fourth place at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on March 23, 2013. Willamette's school record of 10:23.34 was recorded by Kimber Mattox in 2011.

The time registered by Freeby during the Distance Carnival lowered her season best by nearly 25 seconds from 10:54.98 at the Willamette vs. Corban Dual on March 19.

Freeby's new time kept her in the #1 position on the NCAA Division III national performance list for the 2015 season. She holds the top ranking by roughly five seconds over defending national champion Lucy Cheadle from Washington University (Mo.), who owns a season-best time of 10:35.01 recorded at the Stanford Invitational, also held on Friday.

The Bearcat track and field teams will compete at the John Knight Twilight at Western Oregon University on Friday, April 10. Meet time in Monmouth, Oregon, is set for 2:30 p.m. (PDT).