THE SCHEDULE:     Oregon Relays
                                   Friday-Saturday, April 22-23
                                   Historic Hayward Field/Eugene, Ore.
                                   First events 3 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday
                                   Live results        Oregon T&F home page

                                   Western Washington Not-So-Twilite
                                   Saturday, April 23
                                   Civic Stadium/Bellingham, Wash.
                                   Field events 12:45 p.m.; running events 1:25 p.m.
                                   Meet information/schedule        No live results


         Weekly release, with updated performance lists (PDF)

SEATTLE – For the final time this spring, the Seattle Pacific track and field teams will land in two places on one weekend.

One group of SPU athletes will be in Eugene, Ore., for the Oregon Relays at Historic Hayward Field. That meet is expected to include top-caliber performers from all over the country, as Hayward will be the site of both the NCAA Division I championships, and the USATF nationals in the months ahead.

Most of the Falcons will go the opposite direction on Interstate 5, heading north to Civic Stadium in Bellingham for the Western Washington Twilite meet – which unofficially is being dubbed the “Not-So-Twilite” meet because of its earlier start (12:45 p.m.) and projected finish times (6:30 p.m.).

After this weekend, the Falcons will stick together as one squad for the rest of the way, starting with the Saint Martin's Invitational next Saturday, April 30, in Lacey.

TOP 10 TIMES TWO
Prior to last Saturday's Spike Arlt Invitational in Ellensburg, Seattle Pacific freshman Kishia Mitchell was nowhere to be found among the GNAC's all-time top 10 in any event. But after the meet, there she was on not just one top-10 list, but two of them.

Mitchell (Puyallup, Wash./Rogers HS) sprinted all the way to the conference's second-best mark ever in the 100-meter dash, stopping the watch in 12.10 seconds. Later, she moved into the No. 6 spot in the 200 meters with a 25.21 time. Both of them were good for first place.

In the 100, only former Falcon star NyEma Sims now ranks ahead of Mitchell, having posted an 11.90 in 2007. Sims also leads the 200 with a 23.99.





SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
With the calendar now in the second half of April, it's not too early to start looking ahead to postseason meets. And that's what coach Karl Lerum and the Falcons are starting to do heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.

“We still need to get a few kids qualified in the events we want to race them,” Lerum said. “For the most part, they're ready to scale back their training a little bit now and get ready for conference. And the multis (GNAC Multi-Event Championships) are coming up in a hurry (May 2-3 in Nampa, Idaho), and we're going to take a strong crew over there.”

Perhaps by the time postseason gets here, the weather finally will have turned nice. Last weekend at the Spike Arlt Invite in Ellensburg, the winds were constant (though not gusting) all day.

“Mostly, I just feel frustrated for the kids not being able to show (in meets) what their training shows they can do,” Lerum said. “I'm still hopeful that we'll still get a few meets and a few weather breaks to show our talents in a numerical way. They're competing in a strong way. But track is such a numbers game, and it will be nice to see the numbers come around to what we've been hoping for.”





SCOUTING THE WESTERN WASHINGTON “NOT SO TWILITE”
With the possibility of temperatures pushing 60 by the afternoon, the Falcons might finally get the opportunity they've been waiting for in terms of optimum competitive conditions.

Junior Myisha Valentine (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./North Sound Christian HS) has steadily cut her time in the 400 meters, and gets another try at it on Saturday. Her season-opening time was 1:00.70 on March 5; she's all the way down to 58.71 and on the GNAC automatic qualifying list.

Junior Josie Becker (Grapeview, Wash./White River HS) ran the first 1,500 of her life on March 26, logging 5:01.47, and she'll have a chance to break that five-minute barrier, unless she opts for the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She is entered in both, but likely will choose just one.

A key race for the Falcon women could be the 100 hurdles. Juniors Ali Worthen (Coos Bay, Ore., 14.75 seconds) and Terra Schumacher (Sublimity, Ore., 14.80) are within range of the 14.45 NCAA provisional time. Senior Jennifer Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) posted a career-best 15.17 last Saturday in Ellensburg.

Sophomore Katy Gross (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS) gets another shot at the last quarter-inch she needs to make the NCAA provisional standard of 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 meters) in the high jump.

Senior Micah Grounds (San Diego, Calif.) ran the best 100 meters of his life last Saturday with an 11.09 in Ellensburg. Freshman Dustin Bratten (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS) went 11.14 two weeks ago in Tacoma, putting both of them close to the GNAC automatic time of 10.97.

Junior Ray Zoellick (Bothell, Wash./Cedar Park Christian HS) is coming off a pole vault victory at the Spike Arlt, and will try again to clear the 15-foot bar that so far has barely eluded him.

The javelin once again could be a strong event for the SPU men at next month's conference meet. Sophomore Billy Martin (Edmonds, Wash./King's HS, 189-0) and senior Jace Derwin (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mount Si HS, 187-7 and fast approaching his PR of 190-3) are way up on the GNAC list at third and fourth, respectively. Sophomore Nate Johnson (Boise, Idaho), having thrown a personal-best 168-2 at the Spike Arlt, is within three feet of getting “into the points” (top eight).

SCOUTING THE OREGON RELAYS
SPU is taking a small crew to Eugene. Kishia Mitchell, BryAnne Wochnick, Emily Quatier and Crystal Sims will team up for both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, hoping to close in even further on the NCAA provisional qualifying marks. They've gone 47.69 in the 4x100 (needing a 46.40) and have gone 3:52.67 in the 4x400 (needing 3:50.00).

Brittany Aanstad (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) needs another 6 feet, 5 inches to reach NCAA automatic in the javelin. Freshman Alli Cutting (Sequim, Wash./Sequim HS, 1,500 meters) and junior Natty Plunkett (Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS, 5,000 meters) will be in their distance specialties, and sophomore Nate Seely (Lynden, Wash./Lynden HS) will try to narrow the gap between his season-best 1:54.15 in the 800 meters and the 1:52.90 that he needs for NCAA provisional status.

Junior Carly Andrews (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah HS, javelin) and freshman Evan Bradford (Santa Barbara, Calif.) also are bound for Eugene.

HEY, WAIT A MINUTE: IS COACH RACING TOO?
It won't be just Seattle Pacific athletes competing in Eugene. Assistant coach Letiwe Patton is entered in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Patton, who works with Falcon distance runners, competed in steeple, as well as cross country, during her three years at the University of Idaho. The native of Zimbabwe in Africa has expressed the desire to contend for a spot on that country's 2012 Olympic team.

“I've done just one (steeplechase) since 2007, but I want to put in a competitive race so I can see where I'm at,” Patton said. “I'm just coming back from a back injury a month ago, but sometimes, you don't know where you are until you push yourself.”

Patton's best time in the steeple is 9:52, but she said she is not expecting to be anywhere near that on Saturday. However, she has until July 12, 2012, to make one of Zimbabwe's qualifying standards to earn a trip to London for the 2012 Summer Games.

FALCON REPLAY
Kishia Mitchell ran the second-fastest 100-meter dash time and the sixth-fastest 200-meter time in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history, winning both races last Saturday in the Spike Arlt Invitational at Central Washington University. Mitchell won the 100 In 12.10 – a mere.01 faster than second-place Sabrina Nettey, who was competing unattached. Her winning 200-meter time was 25.21.

Also victorious for the SPU women were sophomore Katy Gross in the high jump, junior Brittany Aanstad in the javelin, and sophomore Trinna Miranda (Tigard, Ore.) in the long jump. The Falcons finished second as a team with 191 points. Central Washington won with 237.5.

In the Spike Arlt men's meet, SPU sophomore Ryan Endresen (Portland, Ore.) won the 400-meter hurdles for the second straight year. The Falcons also had two other winners: junior Ray Zoellick in the pole vault and freshman Evan Bradford (Santa Barbara, Calif.) in the 1,500 meters.

In side-by-side heptathlon competitions in Azusa, Calif., senior Crystal Sims (Portland, Ore.) and junior Ali Worthen (Coos Bay, Ore.) both posted NCAA provisional qualifying totals. Sims totaled 4,933 points to take 12th in the Mt. SAC Relays, and Worthen had 4,922 for a sixth-place finish in the California Invitational.

DOUBLING UP
Ryan Endresen and Evan Bradford found that 2 was a nice, round number last Saturday at the Spike Arlt Inviational.

Falcons sophomore Endresen won the 400-meter hurdles championship for the second straight year in Ellensburg, getting it done this time in 54.82 seconds. It was a fitting victory for Endresen, whose first collegiate outdoor win came in that same event at this same meet exactly 52 weeks earlier on April 18, 2010.

Bradford, an SPU freshman, logged his second college win, taking the 1,500 meters in 4:06.87. He also won the 1,500 on March 19 at the Lewis & Clark Invitational in Portland, Ore.

QUIETLY SETTING A GNAC RECORD
When senior Crystal Sims ran a time of 25.16 in the 200 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays heptathlon last Wednesday, April 13, it was a mere three-hundredths of a second shy of her personal record in that event. But in so doing, Sims did set the GNAC record for the 200 in a heptathlon competition. The previous standard was 25.19 by SPU's Leah Wiiest in 2002.

The overall women's 200-meter record is 23.99 by NyEma Sims of Seattle Pacific in 2007.

MEIS STILL HAS WINNING TOUCH
Although Chad Meis is done with the Seattle Pacific portion of his track career, he's still competing – and winning -- on his own. At the Spike Arlt Invite last Saturday in Ellensburg, Meis won the 3,000-meter steeplechase, logging a time of 9:46.8 (hand-held).

POLLING PLACE
The Falcon women jumped five places to No. 19 in this week's NCAA Division II national rankings, released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The USTFCCCA rankings are computer-generated rather than being in the form of a traditional poll.

The Falcons are one of four GNAC teams in the rankings. Western Washington is 16th, Alaska Anchorage is 21st, and Western Oregon is 23rd.

Grand Valley State of Michigan leapfrogged Lincoln of Missouri into the No. 1 spot.

SPU is not ranked on the men's side.

In the West Region rankings, also released on Tuesday, the SPU women climbed to No. 3. The men remained No. 11.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
-- Brittany Aanstad: No. 6 in javelin, 143-5 / 43.71 meters. Last week: No. 5.
-- Carly Andrews: No. 7 in javelin, 141-6 / 43.13 meters. Last week: No. 6.
-- Katy Gross: No. 26 in high jump, 5-5 ¾ / 1.67 meters. Last week: No. 24.
-- Billy Martin: No. 30 in javelin, 189-0 / 57.61 meters. Last week: No. 25.
-- Kishia Mitchell, Emily Quatier, BryAnne Wochnick, Crystal Sims: No. 20 in 4x400 relay, 3:52.67. Last week: No. 16.
-- Melissa Peaslee: Tie No. 20 in pole vault, 11-5 ¾ / 3.50 meters.
-- Terra Schumacher: Tie No. 20 in pole vault, 11-5 ¾ / 3.50 meters. Last week: No. 17.
-- Crystal Sims: No. 2 in heptathlon, 4,933 points. Last week: Not ranked.
-- Ali Worthen: No. 3 in heptathlon, 4,922 points. Last week: Not ranked. Also: No. 14 in high jump, 5-7 / 1.70 meters. Last week: No. 14.

SETTING THE GNAC PACE
-- Freshman Kishia Mitchell took over the GNAC lead in the 100 meters with her time of 12.10 .
-- Ali Worthen is tied for No. 1 in the high jump at 5-7 / 1.70 meters, and Katy Gross (5-5 ¾ / 1.67 meters) is third.
-- Crystal Sims (4,933) and Worthen (4,922) rank 1-2 in the heptathlon.
-- Senior Crystal Sims (25.16) and Mitchell (25.21) are still ranked 1-2 in the 200 meters.
-- Mitchell, Emily Quatier, BryAnne Wochnick and Sims now lead the GNAC in both relays: 47.69 in the 4x100, and 3:52.67 in the 4x400.
-- Worthen (18-0 ½ / 5.50 meters) and Sims (17-10 ¼ / 5.44 meters) are 3-4 in the women's long jump.
-- Melissa Peaslee and Terra Schumacher (both 11-5 ¾ / 3.50 meters) are part of a three-way tie for No. 3 in the pole vault.
-- Sophomore Ryan Endresen (54.21) is third in the 400-meter hurdles.
-- Sophomore Billy Martin (189-0 / 57.61 meters) and senior Jace Derwin (187-7 / 57.19) are 3-4 in the men's javelin.
-- Freshman Dusty Duncan, sophomore Ryan Endresen, senior Micah Grounds, and freshman Dustin Bratten have the second-best time in the men's 4x100 relay at 42.80 seconds. Alaska Anchorage leads at 41.91.

Click on this link for a look at where Falcon athletes rank within the GNAC and nationally.

AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look at news, notes and results from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

UP NEXT

The first time was a great time for Seattle Pacific at last year's Saint Martin's Invitational. The Falcon men and women combined for nine victories in the inaugural edition of that meet at the school's brand-new track and field complex in Lacey. SPU will try for an encore performance on April 30, with field events starting at 10 a.m., and track events beginning at noon, with the final race set for 4:05 p.m.