April 17, 2008

WALNUT, Calif. - Sarah Porter (Fr., Hockinson) was one of three Western Washington University distance runners to post NCAA Division II national provisional qualifying times Thursday as she ran a school record 36:45.24 in the women's 10,000 meters at the 50th annual Mt. SAC Relays Collegiate Invitational being held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

Porter placed 18th among 36 runners. Two weeks ago, she was a provisional qualifier in the 5,000 (17:38.86) and last month she competed in the 5,000 at the national indoor championships.

Two Vikings had provisional qualifying efforts in the men's 10,000. Jordan Welling (Fr., Burlington/Burlington-Edison) placed 24th among 38 runners in 30:35.82, and Bennett Grimes (So., Pocatello, ID/Century) was 27th in 30:46.15. Earlier this season, they were provisional qualifiers in the 5,000.

Western's Keever Henry (Sr., Kelso) placed 11th in his section of the men's 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 9:38.76, the third best this spring in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

On Friday, 10 more Western athletes compete at the Mt. SAC Relays. They are Keefe Brockman (Fr., Richland/Hanford) in the men's high jump, Ryan Brown (Fr., Bellingham/Squalicum) in the men's pole vault, Sarah Brownell (Fr., Yelm) in the women's 400, Clara Cook (Jr., Wenatchee) in the women's high jump, Heidi Dimmitt (Jr., Wenatchee) in the women's 400 hurdles, Michelle Howe (Fr., Lakewood) in the 100 hurdles, Megan O'Connell (Fr., Sammamish/Skyline) in the women's 400 and Megan Zukowski (Fr., Maple Valley/Tahoma) in the women's 100.

Dimmitt leads the GNAC with a national provisional time of 1:02.78 in the 400 hurdles. Zukowski tops the league with a 12.53 100 as does Brownell in the 400 at 58.55.

Brownell, Dimmitt and Zukowski also are running 4x100 and 4x400 legs. O'Connell completes the 4x400 quartet and Joana Houplin (Fr., Olympia) is the fourth 4x100 runner, Western leading the GNAC with a 48.72 clocking.

Also Friday, three Vikings participate in the Azusa Pacific University Invitational. Making up that trio are Monika Gruszecki (So., Lynnwood/Meadowdale) in the women's javelin, Keith Lemay (Sr., Lynden/Lynden Christian) in the men's 800 and 1500, and Kevin Myhre (Jr., Edmonds/Meadowdale) in the men's 400 hurdles.

Gruszecki, the defending national champion, already has a provisional mark of 144-9 this spring. Lemay has the league's top time in the 800 of 1:53.39.