NEWBERG, Ore. - Led by a pair of 1-2 finishes in throwing events and Cody Stelzer's record in the high jump, the Whitworth University men stand in first place after the first day of competition at the Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships, being hosted by George Fox University at Colcord Memorial Field. Whitworth's women trail only six-time champion Willamette after the first day.

Click here for Day 1 Results.

Cody Stelzer cleared 6'-10.75" to win the high jump by over three inches, compared to the nearest competitor. His jump broke the old NWC meet record of 6'-10.25", previously set by Travis Olson of Linfield in 1997.

Joey VanHoomissen and Kory Kemp finished first and second, respectively in the javelin. VanHoomissen uncorked a personal record throw of 196'-2" to win the event, while Kemp tossed a season best 193'-6" to finish as runner up.

Similarly, Jeff Kinter won the shot put with a toss of 49'-5.75" and Michael Nahl finished one spot behind with a mark of 49'-5.5".

Other high scorers for the Pirate men include Nick Gallagher, who finished third in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:42.4, and Dusty Caseria and Stefan Robinson, who were fifth and sixth - respectively - in the 3,000 steeplechase.

Whitworth's men are well positioned on Saturday, with three finalists in both the 400 hurdles and the 800 run, along with high seeds in several other events.

Kristen Dormaier took second place in the long jump to help the Pirate women climb into second place in the team standings after the first day. She set a personal record with a distance of 17'-3.25". She also qualified for the finals of the 100 dash.

Jo E Mayer took third in the 10,000 meters with a time of 38:05.9, while Kathryn Williams and Jenna Cunningham finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 3,000 steeplechase.

Tonya Turner and Hannah Kinnier tied for fourth in the pole vault (9'-7"), while Courtney Hutchins added a sixth place finish in the javelin (117'-2").

The team scores, through Friday's finals and including previously completed decathlon and heptathlon are:

Men - Whitworth 72, Linfield 61, Willamette 58, George Fox 34, Puget Sound 26, Pacific 19, Pacific Lutheran 2, Lewis & Clark 1.

Women - Willamette 76, Whitworth 45, George Fox 35.5, Puget Sound 34, Linfield 31, Pacific Lutheran 20, Lewis & Clark 16, Pacific 15.5.

Saturday's competition will begin at 10:30 am.

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