Freeby and Ostrander Finish First and Second in Women's Steeplechase

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

NEWBERG, ORE. -- Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) and Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) of Willamette University led a 1-2-4-6 finish by the Bearcats in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase on the first day of the 2015 Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships on Friday, April 24 at George Fox University.

Freeby won the steeplechase title in 10:51.74, while Ostrander took second place in 10:59.76. Kellyn Roiko from Whitworth University was third at 11:08.03 and Hannah Bressler (Jr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS) of Willamette was fourth at 11:10.62. Ami Boucher (So., Concord, CA/Northgate HS) from Willamette was sixth in a personal record time of 11:18.98.

Willamette also placed 1-2 at the top of the results in the women's 10,000-meter run. Juliet Farnan (Jr., Lafayette, CA/Campolindo HS) claimed the championship in 38:15.72. Ostrander -- competing in her second distance event of the afternoon -- was second with a personal record of 38:18.48.

George Fox led the women's team standings after the first day with 70 points. Willamette was second at 67 and Whitworth was third at 60.33. Linfield College held fourth place at 24.33, while Pacific Lutheran University is fifth at 19.33. Lewis & Clark College was sixth with 18 points, University of Puget Sound was seventh at 12 points, and Pacific University was eighth with two points.

For the Willamette men's team, Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) took second place in the 10,000-meter run in 32.18.46, while Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) placed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9:43.75.

Castillo's time was a personal record. Also setting personal records in the 10,000 were Nathan Conrad (Jr., Bothell, WA/Bothell HS), who placed fifth in 32:59.56, and Ben Mow (Sr., Granite Falls, WA/Granite Falls HS), who was seventh in 33:13.64. Tyler Shipley from UPS won the race in 32:08.46.

Shafi trailed only Joshua Seekatz of UPS and Trent Dudley of Whitworth in the steeplechase. Seekatz won with a time of 9:34.34. Dudley was second in 9:42.83 as he held off Shafi by just over one second.

The men's standings were topped by Whitworth at 68 points, followed by Puget Sound in second at 58. George Fox was third at 47.5 and Willamette was fourth at 35. Pacific Lutheran held fifth place at 29, while Pacific was sixth at 16, Lewis & Clark was seventh at 12 and Linfield was eighth at 7.5.

Friday's schedule on the track featured finals in only the 10,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. All other races were preliminary heats. Finals also were held in several field events. The remaning finals will be on Saturday, April 25. Action is set to begin with field events at 10:30 a.m. (PDT) and track events at 12 p.m.

Willamette's Top Performances in Field Events:

Tyler Higley (Sr., Aloha, OR/Aloha HS) finished in third place in the men's hammer throw at 157' 10" and was third in the men's shot put at 49' 7". The winner of the hammer throw was Tevon Stephens-Brown of Pacific Lutheran with a distance of 164' 9". Corey Burt of Whitworth claimed first place in the shot put at 54' 6.50".

Also for WU in the men's hammer, Cameron Ciano (Jr., Half Moon Bay, CA/Junipero Serra HS) placed sixth with a toss of 141' 9".

Jossalyn Wright (Sr., Aumsville, OR/Cascade HS) earned third place in the women's hammer. She earned a distance of 150' 0". She led a 3-4-6 finish for the Bearcats. Kaeleigh Thorp (Sr., San Leandro, CA/Encinal HS) was fourth at 148' 3" and Kelsey Engstrom (Sr., Clinton, WA/South Whidbey HS) was sixth at 147' 0". Dakota Kliamovich of Whitworth won the hammer at 168' 11".

Engstrom added a sixth place finish in the shot put. Her top throw covered 36' 11". Danielle Openiano of Whitworth won the shot put with a throw of 42' 3.25".

Molly Bond (Sr., Clarkston, WA/Asotin HS) took sixth and Maya Bowton (Jr., Spokane, WA/Ferris HS) was seventh in the women's high jump, as both cleared 4' 11.50". They were part of a four-way tie for fourth. Jumps broke the tie. Three athletes were successful at 5' 1.25". Maria Green and Charity Arn, both from GFU, tied for first, while Alexi Shean from L&C was third on jumps.

Elisa Ahern (Sr., Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) provided the Bearcats with eighth place in the women's long jump. She attained a top leap of 16' 8.75". Asia Greene of GFU finished first at 19' 0.75".

Advancing to Finals for the WU Women's Team:

Elisa Ahern (Sr., Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS), 100-meter hurdles, 15.88 seconds.

Kylea Johnson (Jr., Onalaska WA/Onalaska HS), 100-meter dash, 12.88 seconds; 200-meter dash, 25.68 seconds.

Maura Forbush (So., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS), 200-meter dash, 25.64 seconds; 400-meter dash, 59.20 seconds.

Olivia Mancl (So./Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), 800-meter run, 2:15.75.

Hannah Swanson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), 800-meter run, 2:16.94.

Advancing to Finals for the Bearcat Men's Team:

RoShaan Rogers (Fr., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS), 110-meter hurdles, 15.91 seconds; men's 400-meter hurdles, 58.10 seconds.

Erik Spangberg (Fr., San Francisco, CA/Bay School of San Francisco), 200-meter dash, 22.68 (PR).

Parris Joyce (Jr., Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel School), 800-meter run, 1:56.06 (PR).

Daniel Swanson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), 800-meter run, 1:56.79.