Track & Field | 3/8/2018 3:03:00 PM
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INDIANAPOLIS—Closing out the indoor season, the Western Oregon University track & field team will compete in seven different events at the 2018 NCAA DII National Indoor National Championships this week. Action inside Pittsburgh State's Robert J. Plaster Center. will take place March 9-10.
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WOU - NCAA DII Indoor National Championship Schedule |
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Friday, March 9 (all times CST) |
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3:30 pm |
M - Mile (Prelims) |
Dustin Nading |
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3:45 pm |
W - Mile (Prelims |
Suzanne Van De Grift |
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5 pm |
W - 800 (Prelims) |
Olivia Woods |
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6:15 pm |
W - 5,000 (Finals) |
Kennedy Rufener |
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6:40 pm |
M - Distance Medley (Finals) |
Nading, Whitaker, Holmberg, Ribich |
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Saturday, March 10 (all times CST) |
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5:40 pm |
M - Mile (Finals) |
TBD |
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5:50 pm |
W - Mile (Finals) |
TBD |
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6:35 pm |
W - 800 (Finals) |
TBD |
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7:05 pm |
M - 3,000 (Finals) |
David Ribich |
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7:25 pm |
W - 3,000 (Finals) |
Kennedy Rufener |
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A trio of Wolves,
Dustin Nading,
David Ribich and
Kennedy Rufener, will compete in two separate events during the two-day meet.
Nading will open up WOU competition in the prelims of the men's mile on Friday and will be followed by
Suzanne Van De Grift in the women's mile. Nading and Van De Grift will both carry has the seventh fastest marks in their event heading into the championships.
After
Olivia Woods' preliminary round of the 800-meter run, WOU will be entered in two finals on Friday with Rufener battling the field in the 5,000 and the men's distance medley relay team vying for All-American honors. Woods enters the meet ranked No. 7 in the field while Rufener holds the No. 9 time at the meet.
Nading and Ribich will be joined by
Aaron Whitaker and
AJ Holmberg to complete the quartet on the relay. WOU's distance medley relay team is the defending national champions after setting the meet record a year ago. The team ran a 9:40.14 to claim the national crown last year and is ranked No. 4 so far this season with a 9:47.56. Colorado Mines (9:45.81), CSU Pueblo (9:46.78) and Grand Valley State (9:47.07) have posted the fastest times in the distance medley relay in 2018.
In addition to possible advancements to the women's 800 and both competitions of the mile, Ribich and Rufener will close out the WOU action on Saturday in the 3,000-meter run. Ribich is the pre-meet favorite in the event with an NCAA DII-leading 7:50.81 to his credit this season.
On top of the national tile in the relay, Ribich and Nading placed third and fourth in the mile at the 2017 championships to earn All-American accolades on the men's side. Competing in the 800, Van De Grift and Woods placed fifth and sixth overall for All-American status last season. The WOU men tied for sixth place at the championships last year while the women's team placed 29th nationally a year ago.
