Track & Field | 3/24/2011 3:35:05 PM

This week:
The Western Oregon track & field team will travel to the Bay Area to compete in the Stanford Invitational and the SFSU Distance Carnival beginning this Friday (Mar. 25).

Stanford Invitational:
The Stanford Invitational begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning with the men's javelin. The running events will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the men's 5,000 meters. The meet will then conclude after a full slate of running and field events on Saturday. The meet will be held at the Cobb Track and Angell Field, and features some of the best competition from around the nation.

SFSU Distance Carnival:
The one-day SFSU Distance Carnival will be held this Friday at Cox Stadium. The women's 10,000m race will start the meet off at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 5:05 p.m. with the men's 4x400m relay.

Potter and Kaino named GNAC players of the week:
Ashley Potter claimed GNAC Female Athlete of the Week after winning the triple jump at the Oregon Preview. The junior from Springfield, Ore. (Thurston High School) leaped 39-1.75 (11.93m) en route to earning an NCAA provisional qualifying standard. That mark is the best in the GNAC this season and is just seven inches shy of her own Western Oregon and GNAC record distance of 39-8.75 (12.11m).

Matt Kaino won the 400 meter dash with a time of 48.44 at Oregon Preview on Saturday then claimed the GNAC Male Athlete of the Week honors on Monday. The sophomore from Ilwaco, Wash. (Ilwaco High School) was the only GNAC male student-athlete to win an event at the meet. This was the first meet of the outdoor season for Kaino, who was coming off All-American honors during the indoor season.

Sitting atop the GNAC:
Just three meets into the outdoor season, Western Oregon student-athletes have already claimed six of the top spot on the GNAC performance list.

That time of 48.44 for Matt Kaino in the 400m, moved him to the top of the 2011 GNAC performance list.

Connor Kasler also owns the top spot on the conference performance list in the 800m run. He registered a time of 1:53.51 at the Oregon Preview to take over first place.

Tim Lundy has cleared two more inches in the pole vault than any other GNAC male this outdoor season. He recorded a season-best height of 14-7.25 (4.45m) at the Oregon Preview.

Jason Slowey's shot put toss of 50-11 (15.52m) prove to be the winning mark at the Pacific Preview and also lifted Slowey to the top of the GNAC performance list.

Along with claiming the GNAC Athlete of the Week honor, Ashley Potter also ascended to the top of the conference performance list the triple jump with her provisional qualifying standard of 39-1.75 (11.93m).

Amanda Schumaker has the top place in the women's javelin with the Wolves' other NCAA provisional qualifying standard. She recorded a throw of 145-10 (44.45m) in the opening meet of the outdoor season, the Willamette Opener.