SPOKANE, Wash. - The Whitworth University men head to the 2009 Northwest Conference Track and Field Championship meet hoping to defend their title, while the Pirates women aim to make some noise of their own on Friday and Saturday at Lincoln Park Stadium in Forest Grove, Oregon. Whitworth will take 34 men and 25 women to compete at the meet this weekend, more than 80% of the total team. The Pirate men will take several defending champions and NCAA All-Americans into the meet. Cody Stelzer is the defending NCAA Division III champion in the high jump, while Emmanuel Bofa is the defending national champion in the 800. Both will be favored this weekend. Joey VanHoomissen finished first in the javelin and second in the hammer throw last season, while Kory Kemp followed up a runner-up finish in the javelin at the NWC meet with an NCAA All-American finish in May. Jeff Kintner is the conference's defending champion in both the shot put and the discus and went on to an All-American finish in the shot at nationals. Nick Gallagher, the defending regional champion in cross country, will be a factor in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. Elorm Atisu has emerged as a contender in the 200 and 400 dashes. Ron Whitley has the conference's best mark in the discus this season.
The Pirate women will pull together points from multiple sources as well, beginning with Elizabeth Mattila. Mattila will challenge in the 100 high hurdles and 400 hurdles. She qualified for the NCAA championships last season in the 400 distance. Erica Cox will aim to score highly in both the discus and the hammer, having just broken the school record in the hammer at last week's meet in Ellensburg. Tonya Turner, who scored last season in the pole vault, has thrown away the pole this season and is one of the favorites to win the 10,000 meters. Dana Misterek will be a factor in both the 800 and 1,500 meters. Kayla Hughes and Alyssa Thompson will each compete in several field events with Hughes a favorite in the high jump and Thompson a factor in the triple jump. Events will get underway on Friday afternoon and the meet will be over by 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Results will be available on the website posted at the top of the page. |
