Forbush Wins 400-Meter Dash in 57.95 Seconds at Willamette Invitational

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Maura Forbush (So., Hollister, CA/San Benito HS) of Willamette University took first place in the women's 400-meter dash at the Willamette Invitational on Saturday, March 28 at Charles Bowles Track with a time of 57.95 seconds. Forbush advanced from 10th into a tie for eighth on Willamette's all-time list.

Forbush also increased from 10th up to seventh on WU's list in the 200-meter dash, as she took fourth place in 25.64. Her previous top time was 25.80 in the Willamette Opener earlier this season.

Three other Bearcats moved into the top five at Willamette in their respective events.

Kaeleigh Thorp (Sr., Sam Leandro, CA/Encinal HS) took over second place in the women's hammer throw with a top mark of 157' 7.25", while Kelsey Engstrom (Sr., Clinton, WA/South Whidbey HS) moved into fifth place at 150' 9.25". Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) claimed fifth place on WU's list in the women's 1,500-meter run at 4:34.71.

Thorp went past Jossalyn Wright (Sr., Aumsville, OR/Cascade HS) on the Willamette list in the hammer. Wright moved into second place just over a week ago with a throw of 154' 11" at the Willamette vs. Corban Dual.

On Saturday, Thorp's hammer distance earned her second place in the meet, as she trailed only McKenzie Warren from Concordia University (Ore.). Warren won the hammer with a toss of 162' 9.75". Engstrom (Sr., Clinton, WA/South Whidbey HS) placed seventh.

Four Charles Bowles Track records were set during the meet.

Dan Sanders, competing unattached, set the track record in the men's 400-meter hurdles at 52.28 seconds. He broke the record of 52.34 set by Tim Gilbert of Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho) in 1978.

Katherine Maus, competing for University of Portland, also broke her own track record, as she achieved a combined distance of 40' 7.75" in the women's triple jump. She broke the record of 39' 3.75" that she set last year.

Jamie Ashcroft from the University of Alaska-Anchorage set the track record in the women's 200-meter dash. She won the event in 24.50 seconds to take 0.13 off the previous top time of 24.63 seconds by Dominique Maloney of Portland State University in 2013.

Kathryn Walker of Saint Martin's University set the track record in the women's javelin throw. She took first place with a distance of 155' 4.75". She went past the record of 153' 9" established by Lauren Sexton from Concordia (Ore.) in 2006.

In addition, Charles Bowles Track record holder Ryan Brandel won the men's javelin throw at 226' 0". He holds the track record at 239' 11" at the 2013 West Coast Invitational.

Several other Willamette athletes had solid performances for the Bearcats.

Grant Lindley (Fr., Monmouth HS/Central HS) was third in the men's 400-meter dash in 49.71 seconds. It was his best time of the season by 0.44. Parris Joyce (Jr., Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel School) set a personal record in the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.56, breaking his previous best of 1:58.36, earned in the Willamette vs. Corban Dual on March 19.

The winner of the men's 400 was Michael Trofimchik of Corban University. His time was 48.96 seconds.

Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) established a career-best time of 14:56.20 in the "A" section of the men's 5,000-meter run during the Charles Bowles Celebration of Distance. Castillo's previous top tie was 15:10.48 at the West Coast Invitational in 2014.

In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) of WU took fourth place in 9:42.88. Chris Mulverhill, competing unattached, won the steeplechase in 9:13.32.

Tyler Higley (Sr., Aloha, OR/Aloha HS) continued his quality efforts in the throwing events. He was third in the men's hammer at 163' 7.75" and took fifth in the men's shot put with a mark of 47' 0.75".

For the WU women's team, Kylea Johnson (Jr., Onalaska WA/Onalaska HS) placed fourth in the 100-meter dash at 12.58 seconds, narrowly missing her personal record of 12.53 set at last year's Willamette Invitational. Johnson set a new career-best time of 25.68 seconds in the women's 200-meter dash to move into ninth on Willamette's all-time list.

Hannah Swanson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) improved her time in the 1,500-meter run by roughly 13 seconds while recording a time of 4:44.57 in the "B" section.

Elisa Ahern (Sr., Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest HS) placed sixth in the triple jump at 36' 0." She was eighth in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.98 seconds. Molly Bond (Sr., Clarkston, WA/Asotin HS) finished sixth in the long jump while tying a personal record at 17' 2", matching her top distance from earlier this season at the Willamette Opener.

In addition to improving her place on WU's top 10 list in the hammer throw, Engstrom placed ninth in the shot put with a personal record distance of 38' 8.25". Wright took sixth place in the discus at 122' 3.25" and Thorp was seventh at 120' 4".

Meka Townsend (Jr., Okanogan, WA/Okanogan HS) earned seventh place in the javelin throw with a distance of 128' 10.25".

Willamette will compete at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on Friday, April 3 in San Francisco, California. The Bearcats will participate in the Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, on Saturday, April 4.