April 8, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Aiming for an 11th straight men's title and a third consecutive women's crown, Western Washington University plays host to 10 schools at the 27th annual Ralph Vernacchia Invitational Track and Field Team Meet on Friday (2 p.m.) at Civic Stadium.

Besides Western, the field includes British Columbia, Central Washington, Douglas College, Everett CC, Northwest, Puget Sound, Seattle U., Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser and Whatcom CC.

The Viking men and women were both victorious at the J.D. Shotwell Invitational last Saturday. In their only other scored meet of the season, the Joe Peyton Invitational, the Western men placed first and the women were second.

Four Vikings have already met national provisional qualifying standards this spring. They are Jordan Welling (Fr., Burlington/Burlington-Edison) (14:34.09) and Bennett Grimes (So., Pocatello, ID/Century) (14:42.57) in the men's 5,000 meters, Sarah Porter (Fr., Hockinson) (17:38.86) in the women's 5,000 and Monika Gruszecki (So., Lynnwood/Meadowdale) (144-0) in the women's javelin.

Welling is one of Western's five Great Northwest Athletic Conference leaders. The others are Heidi Dimmitt (Jr., Wenatchee) in the women's 400 hurdles (1:03.18), Keefe Brockman (Fr., Richland/Hanford) in the men's high jump (6-5), Sarah Brownell (Fr., Yelm) in the women's 400 (58.55), and the women's 4x100 relay (48.79).

Grimes is second among league leaders in the men's 5000 as are Ryan Brown (Fr., Bellingham/Squalicum) in the men's pole vault (15-5), Clara Cook (Jr., Wenatchee) in the women's high jump (5-3), Michelle Howe (Fr., Lakewood) in the 100 hurdles (14.90), Keith Lemay (Sr., Lynden/Lynden Christian) in the men's 1500 (3:57.70), Megan Paulsen (Fr., Bellevue/Bellevue Christian) in the women's triple jump (35-7 3/4), Megan Zukowski (Fr., Maple Valley/Tahoma) in the women's 100 (12.64) and the women's 4x400 relay (4:00.5).