Track & Field | 4/13/2012 10:25:00 PM

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MONMOUTH, Ore. - There was a special energy at McArthur Field on Friday night as members of track & field teams from throughout the Northwest gathered for the sixth annual John Knight Invitational. All the teams posted strong efforts at the meet and the fans created a great atmosphere by supporting them late into the night.

This was the first opportunity for Western Oregon student-athletes to compete in front of the hometown fans this year and many took advantage of the chance to compete on familiar grounds and posted season or lifetime best performances.

Dan Sprinkle turned in a career-best mark as he improved his NCAA provisional qualifying standard time in the 3000m steeplechase to 9:07.5 en route to winning the race. With that time Sprinkle vaulted into third place in Western Oregon history and to sixth on the GNAC top 10 list.

"Dan is doing a great job," explained Western Oregon head coach Mike Johnson. "It was a strong provisional mark that may or may not get him into Nationals but we plan on going. Dan's evolutional has been incredible."

Seabre Church moved up the NCAA performance list with a throw of 142-1 (43.31m) in the javelin. That NCAA provisional distance moves her into ninth place in Division II this year and to seventh place in the Western Oregon record books.

Jake Hyde also turned in a career night as the junior from Estacada, Ore. (Estacada HS), leaped 23-4.75 (7.13m) in the long jump for the sixth-best mark in the history of the GNAC. That distance won him the event, places him atop the 2012 GNAC performance list and in ninth place in Western Oregon history.

Western Oregon fans also had the opportunity to see the return of 2012 All-American Will Crook. Having missed much of the earlier part of the competition season due to severe sickness, Crook returned to action on Friday night and posted a throw of 186-8 (56.89m).

Chris Olsen picked up a win in the men's 800m run with a time of 1:54.5, while Katie Pelchar won the women's high jump by clearing 5-5 (1.65m).

After the meet coach Johnson was not only happy with the performances of the Western Oregon student-athletes he was also thrilled about hosting the John Knight Twilight.

"This is not a major invitational but this is a good meet," Johnson explained. "It is a meet that has a lot of value in that it is an enjoyable meet. People do not so much compete against each other as with each other.

"I am thankful we get to have a meet like this that is so well officiate, well timed and run smartly," Johnson continued. "If we are going to be successful as a University we have to be part of this community and what we are real thankful for tonight is that we had members of this community volunteer to help us out. We had members from Central High School and others that gave their time and their effort."

Coach Johnson was also excited about the support members of the Western Oregon team showed for one another and for the chance for the Wolves to compete at home.

"We have the opportunity here to have a very special program," said Johnson. "Our athletes like being here, they like their teammates and they like being with their teammates. It makes it even more enjoyable when you get to be here and cheer for everyone on the team.

"It means a lot because they take pride in their team, in their sport and in their school," said Johnson. "It is a chance for them to come together back on campus for the reasons that brought us here in the first place."

The Western Oregon track & field team will get a chance to be at home again on May 11-12 when they host the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships. The men will be looking to defend their title after winning it last year.

Next week the Wolves will travel down to southern California to compete in the Mt. SAC relays and the Long Beach State Invitational.