April 18, 2008

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Western Washington University had another NCAA Division II national provisional qualifying performance and seven season bests Friday as Viking athletes competed at both the 50th annual Mt. SAC Relays Collegiate Invitational and the Azusa Pacific University Invitational.

At the APU meet, Western's Keith Lemay (Sr., Lynden/Lynden Christian) ran a provisional qualifying and Great Northwest Athletic Conference-best time of 3:52.35 as he placed second in the men's 1,500 meters.

Defending national champion Monika Gruszecki (So., Lynnwood/Meadowdale) finished second in the women's javelin with a throw of 143-4, her fourth straight meet with a mark of 140 or more, and Kevin Myhre (Jr., Edmonds/Meadowdale) placed 10th in the men's 400 hurdles with a season-best time of 54.89.

At the Mt. SAC Relays, the Vikings' Heidi Dimmitt (Jr., Wenatchee) placed sixth in the women's 400 hurdles, improving her provisional and GNAC-best time with a 1:02.34 clocking.

Ryan Brown (Fr., Bellingham/Squalicum) cleared a season-best 15-7 to finish third in the men's pole vault, tying him for the GNAC lead.

Three more season-best efforts, all in women's events, were turned in by Clara Cook (Jr., Wenatchee) in the high jump (5-4 1/4), Michelle Howe (Fr., Lakewood) in the 100 hurdles (14.70) and the 4x100 relay (48.60) composed of Dimmitt, Sarah Brownell (Fr., Yelm), Joana Houplin (Fr., Olympia) and Megan Zukowski (Fr., Maple Valley/Tahoma). The relay time is tops in the GNAC.

Also for Western, Keefe Brockman (Fr., Richland/Hanford) cleared 6-4 in the men's high jump, Brownell placed 25th in the women's 400 (59.52), Kevin Myhre (Jr., Edmonds/Meadowdale) 23rd in the men's 400 hurdles (58.94), Megan O'Connell (Fr., Sammamish/Skyline) 21st in the women's 400 (58.21), Megan Zukowski (Fr., Maple Valley/Tahoma) fifth in her section of the women's 100 (12.62) and finishing fourth in its section was the 4x400 relay (4:00.72). That quartet included Dimmitt, Zukowski, Megan O'Connell (Fr., Sammamish/Skyline) and Brownell.

On Thursday at the Mt. SAC Relays, Sarah Porter (Fr., Hockinson) was one of three Western distance runners to post NCAA II provisional times as she ran a school record 36:45.24 in the women's 10,000 meters, placing 18th among 36 runners.

The Vikings also had two 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.

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.