Bearcats Earn Quality Times at OSU High Performance

Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Several Willamette University track and field athletes registered quality times during the second day of the OSU High Performance Meet on Saturday, April 29 at the Whyte Track and Field Center. The Bearcats competed in the men's 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and 800-meter run, as well as the women's 400-meter hurdles.

Three of Willamette's athletes participated in the men's 800-meter run.

Jack Kobylka (Jr., Napa, CA/Vintage HS) earned a season-best time of 1:57.19. His previous top time for the year was 1:57.40 during preliminary heats at the NWC Championships on April 21. Kobylka's personal record of 1:56.68 was set at the 2016 NWC Championships.

Ross Enlow (Fr., Unalaska, AK/Unalaska HS), competing in the 800 for the second time at the collegiate level, recorded a time of 1:57.67, as he took six seconds off his pervious effort at the Willamette Opener on March 4. Robbie Melhorn (So., Bangkok,Thailand/International School Bangkok) also competed in the 800 on Saturday and was timed at 2:00.78.

In the women's 400-meter hurdles, Jewell Sparks (Jr., San Francisco, CA/Lick Wilmerding HS) missed her personal record by 0.05, as she completed the race in 1:02.78. She placed sixth out of 16 competitors in the event.

Sparks remains 12th on the NCAA Division III performance list this spring with her career-best time of 1:02.73 at the NWC Championships on April 22. When the regular season ends in approximately three weeks, the top 22 athletes in each women's event will qualify for the 2017 NCAA Division III Championships.

Jack Wellman (Jr., Alameda, CA/Alameda HS) was timed at 50.09 in the men's 400-meter dash. He narrowly missed his personal record of 49.49 seconds, which he achieved a week ago at the NWC Championships.

In the men's 200-meter dash, Connor Giannini (Fr., Veradale, WA/Gonzaga Prep.) crossed the finish line in 22.64 seconds. It was his second-fastest result of the season, trailing only his personal record of 22.33 seconds in the finals of the NWC Championships on April 22.

The Bearcats will be back in action at the Oregon Twilight on Friday, May 5 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The meet is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. (PDT).