[Results]
SALEM, Ore. - When the two-day Willamette Invitational was all said and done three members of the Western Oregon track and field team earned NCAA provisional qualifying standards and eight moved into or improved their top three ranking in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Annan Applebee posted a time of 4:37.33 in the women's 1500m to earn an NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the event. Her time also moved her into second place on the GNAC list and to fifth in Western Oregon school-history.
Anthony Marin tossed the hammer 180-1 (54.90m) to pass the provisional qualifying mark of 177-2. This throw topped his previous season-best of 175-9 (53.58m) as he secured his top mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference by over 10 feet (10-4).
Jeff Long ran a 3:51.33 in the men's 1500m to move to third on the GNAC list, which already has eight provisional qualifiers in the event. The provisional standard is 3:53.50. Long's mark of 3:51.33 also placed him fourth on the Wolves' all-time top 10 list.
Jacque Helbling propelled herself to the top of the GNAC in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 14.99 as she won the event at the Willamette Invite.
Lacey Meusec also won her race at the meet as she posted a time of 25.43 in the 200m as she moved to second on the GNAC list and into seventh place in Western Oregon school-history.
The women's 4x100m relay team won the event in a season-best time of 48.50 to improve on their GNAC-leading mark.
Dylan Wells and Blake Estep both moved into third place in the conference in their respective events as Wells had a time of 10.97 in the 100m and Estep posted a 49.84 in the 400m.
Tyler Reisnaur leaped to second in the GNAC in the triple jump as he notched a distance of 44-10.25 (13.67m).
Carson O'Brien placed himself 10th in school-history in the 800m with a time of 1:54.23.
"We look at the season in three phases," explained Western Oregon head coach Mike Johnson. "The first part is the training meets, and then we get into the championship training meets before finishing up with the championship meets.
"We are just beginning the championship training portion of our season but we are already seeing the benefits from trying things out during the training meets," continued Johnson. "I am pleased with the way this team responded getting to this phase of the season."
The Wolves will be in Westwood, Calif., next Saturday (Apr. 11) for the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invite.