ELLENSBURG, Wash. – She has been here for just four weeks. But already, Emily Thomason is making an impact in the pole vault for Seattle Pacific.
 
On Saturday, it was a national-caliber impact.
 
In just her second meet as a Falcon, Thomason cleared 12 feet, 4 inches on her final attempt to win that event in the Wildcat Open track and field meet at the CWU Recreation Sports Complex.
 
Thomason's mark put her onto the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list, and is the second-highest this season in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The only one better is the 12-5 ½ by Northwest Nazarene's Kinsey Yenor.
 




A junior, Thomason competed previously at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. That school's winter term didn't end until a week after SPUs, so Thomason wasn't able to join the Falcons until about four weeks ago.
 
She made her debut on April 8 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, California, and went 11 feet, 11 inches.
 
On Saturday, she came into the competition when the bar reached 11-6 ¼, and cleared it on her second try. She got over 12-0 on her third attempt, and it then moved up to 12-4.
 
It looked as if she was going to clear it on her first two tries, but barely missed. She got over it on the third one and leaped off the mat with her fists clenched and a wide smile.
 
"I was tired, but I really wanted that bar," Thomason said. "When we came over in the van, I felt like today was going to be the day I was going to PR. I didn't PR (her best is 12-6 ¼), but I came pretty close, so I'm still pretty happy."
 
Thomason is quickly feeling at home in Seattle.
 
"I used to visit Seattle when I was a kid. I really love the track over on the riverfront (alongside the Lake Washington Ship Canal). But I think the thing that really got me here was everyone is so nice on the team. I really liked that environment."
 
Thomason got a couple of good looks at 12-8, and wants to reach not only for that bar, but even higher.
 
"My last PR was before Covid, and I was really determined today," she said. "My goal is to get to 13 feet. I've hit one in practice."
 
Thomason and Lizzy Daugherty put together a 1-2 finish. Daugherty was second at 12-0.
 
 
 
 
 
ANIYA'S GREEN LIGHT IN THE 400
The 400-meter dash might never be Aniya Green's favorite race.
 
But at the very least, she's getting to be on friendlier terms with it during the past few weeks.
 
The Seattle Pacific junior won that event for the first time on Saturday, clocking 58.21 seconds to out-lean teammate Marissa Crane at the finish line.
 
"I'm starting to love it a little bit," said a smiling Green, whose previous highest finish in a 400 was third at the 2022 PLU Open. "The love is growing. Having my teammates in front of me helped me, and I think continuing to run it has helped me get better at it.
 
"Today felt really good – I never thought I would win a 400-meter race because it's not my race."
 
Just two weeks ago at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, Green broke the 58-second mark for the first time, coming across the finish line in 57.99.
 
"It shocked me, honestly," she said. "I saw the time and I thought it was going to be a low 58, When I saw the 57, it blew my mind."
 
The 200 will always be Green's favorite, and she came through with a personal-best 25.30 for third place on Saturday. Her previous best was 25.36 on March 18 at the Doris Heritage Track Festival
 
"The 200 has been feeling really good," she said. "I'm proud of myself. I've worked really had to get where I am today."
 
AND THAT'S NOT ALL
-- Isaiah Archer won the men's 400 dash for the third meet in a row, this time in 48.39 seconds. His previous two W's came at the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational on March 25 and at Pomona-Pitzer on April 8.
-- David Njeri posted his third triple jump victory of the year, going 47-1.
 

-- Freshman Matise Mulch logged her first college victory, taking the women's 3000 meters in 10 minutes, 26.92 seconds. That was part of a 1-2 combination, as fellow freshman Maya Ewing was second in 10:38.00
-- Senor Brad Bowman finished second in the men's pole vault, getting over at 14-10.
-- Senior Jon Owen took second in the men's 3000, breaking the 9-minute mark with an 8:59.97. It was his first try at that race in an outdoor meet, as it is not usually offered since it's not part of the NCAA outdoor schedule. Owen ran four indoor 3Ks, with a best time of 9:08.75 at last December's Spokane Invitational.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons head to Bellingham next Saturday for the 41^st annual Ralph Vernacchia Invitational. Field events start at 9:00 a.m., and the first running event is at 10:00 a.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Wildcat Open
Saturday, April 22, 2023
CWU Recreation Sports Complex / Ellensburg, Wash.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
200 – 1, Juliette Williams (CWU) 24.72.  SPU – 3, Aniya Green 25.30; 17, Hannah Chang 26.51; 19, Marissa Crane 26.55; 21, Charisma Smith 26.95; 27, Maliyah Hicks 28.26.
400 – 1, Aniya Green (SPU) 58.21.  Other SPU – 2, Marissa Crane 58.30; 4, Johanna Brown 58.41; 10, Charisma Smith 1:01.62.
3000 – 1, Matise Mulch (SPU) 10:26.92.  Other SPU – 2, Maya Ewing 10:38.00.
100 hurdles – 1, Lauryn Chandler (CWU) 14.28.  SPU – 15, Hannah Chang 17.87.
Pole vault – 1, Emily Thomason (SPU) 12-4 / 3.76.  Other SPU – 2, Lizzy Daugherty 12-0 / 3.66; Charlie Hill no height.  
Long jump – 1, Matty Lagerwey (WWU) 18-4 ¼ / 5.59m.  SPU – 10, Hannah Chang 16-0 ¼ / 4.88m; 16, Maliyah Hicks 14-3 ¾ / 4.36m.
Javelin – 1, Laura Lindquist (WSU) 139-5 / 42.51m.  SPU – 7, Hannah Chang 98-4 / 29.98m.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Wildcat Open
Saturday, April 22, 2023
CWU Recreation Sports Complex / Ellensburg, Wash.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
200 – 1, Cameron Andrews (Unattached) 21.28.  SPU – 5, Isaiah Archer 22.30; 14, Julius Shepherd 22.93; 18, Evan Carpenter 23.12; 25, Solomon Wittrell 24.51; 29, Gabe Woodard 25.25; 30, Brady Boun 26.09;
400 – 1, Isaiah Archer 48.39.  Other SPU – 6, Evan Carpenter 50.24; 7, Julius Shepherd 50.72; 14, Gabe Woodard 54.23; 15, Solomon Wittrell 54.33.
800 – 1, Isaac Cortes (Saint Martin's) 1:54.82.  SPU – 11, Kade Franco 2:04.05.
1500 – 1, Craig Lambert (Northwest U) 4:03.87.  SPU – 14, Ben Sheirbon 4:17.27; 20, Rory McClelland 4:21.61.
3000 – 1, Steiner Christensen (CWU) 8:55.47.  SPU – 2, Jon Owen 8:59.97; 4, Brennan LeBlanc 9:12.64; 5, Isaac Venable 9:18.08; 6, Nathaniel Gale 9:19.36; 9 Gabe Endresen 9:26.42.
Long jump – T1, Christopher Hines and Collin Sample (UAA) 22-11¾ / 7.00.  SPU – 10, David Njeri 20-4 1/2 /6.21m; 15, Nate Thomas 19-0 1/2 / 5.80m.
Pole vault – 1, Gavin Hoskinson (Spokane CC) 15-3 ¾ / 4.67m.  SPU – 2, Brad Bowman 14-10 / 4.52m; 5, Kainoa Lee 14-4 / 4.37m.