Track Splits Squads in Busy Week
4/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Gonzaga women's and men's track and field teams are sending runners to three different meets this week, looking for regional qualifying times against tough competition.
The Zags will have runners at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Thursday, the Bryan Clay Invitational Thursday and Friday, and the Spokane Memorial Open Friday and Saturday.
Against elite competition this week, GU will have excellent opportunities to land qualifying times for the NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento, Calif., on May 24-26. Currently, Kellen Manley has the 13th-best time in the West Region in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:51.26). His time also ranks 14th in the nation. Sammy Truax's time of 8:55.95 ranks 17th in the region and 22nd in the country. Alex Heffelfinger (8:56.97) is 22nd in the region and 31st in the nation.
Jordan Thurston's 35:50.69 10,000-meter finish at the Stanford Invitational ranks 36th in the West Region.
The 60th annual Mt. Sac Relays is the largest track and field competition in the world. This marks the third year the Mt. SAC Relays will not be run at Hilmer Lodge Stadium, due to a 62-million-dollar renovation. It's the second straight season that the meet will be at Murdock Stadium at El Camino College.
Last season, Sumner Goodwin, Troy Fraley and Jake Perrin all ran new top-10 program marks in the 10,000 meters. In the second section of the elite fields in the event, Goodwin ran a 29:54.06. His time moved him from fourth to third in program history.
Six of the men's program's top-seven 10,000-meter times have come at the Mt. SAC Relays, including the top-three. Matthew Critchlow ran a 29:45.54 10k at the 2016 event.
At the Bryan Clay Invitational last year, Zac Garrard was impressive in the 1,500 meters with his time of 3:50.12, which was the seventh-best ever for a Bulldog. On the women's side, the Zags turned in solid performances that nearly cracked the program's all-time top 10 lists. Claren Fraher turned in a time of 4:44.21 in the women's 1,500 meters, just two seconds off the all-time GU lists. In the 5,000 meters, Jordan Thurston and Katy Culver kept up with a strong field. Thurston turned in a time of 17:22.04 and Culver 17:26.88, both coming within 10 seconds of the GU Top-10.
The Spokane Memorial Open is the final of four local meets for Gonzaga this season. The meet returns this season and pays tribute to four local important figures in track and field; Erik Anderson, John Buck, Duane Hartman, and Dusty Lane. The weekend begins Friday with the Erik Anderson Twilight 5K and continues with the Dusty & Duane Memorial Open Saturday. Both days will be on the track at Spokane Falls Community College. GU will be joined by Spokane Falls Community College, Eastern Washington, Idaho, some club runners, and many unattached entries this weekend.
Thursday | ||
2:55 p.m. * | Men's Steeplechase | Ben Hogan |
4:10 p.m. * | Men's Steeplechase | |
6 p.m. * | Women's 5000m | |
6:20 p.m. * | Men's 5,000m | |
7:15 p.m. # | Men's 10,000m | |
9:45 p.m. # | Men's 10,000m | |
10:20 p.m. * | Men's 5,000m | |
11:15 p.m. # | Women's 10,000m | |
Friday | ||
8:25 a.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
7:30 p.m. % | Men's 5,000m | Coby Eastwood, Sumner Goodwin, Hunter Simpson, Kyle Thompson |
7:55 p.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
8:10 p.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
8:15 p.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
8:25 p.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
8:30 p.m. * | Men's 1,500m | |
Saturday | ||
11:40 a.m. % | Women's 1,500m | Jenny Albrecht, Erin Boyle, Michaela Bruns, Alex Cerveny, Emily Cook, Ariel Evans, Kelly Gilbert, Claire Gillett, Megan Glenski, Rachel Hansen, Amanda Kiefer, Ally Legard, Caroline McCarthy, Aimee Piercy, Jenna Rogers, Elena Slavoski |
Men's 1,500m | ||
12:45 p.m. % | Women's 400m | |
1 p.m. % | Women's 100m | Gianna Bacher, Felecia Bazie, Brianna Vasquez, Samantha Vowles |
1:20 p.m. % | Women's 800m | Claren Fraher, Madeline Glancey, Megan Glenski, Rachel Hansen, Sarah Hawley, Ally Legard, Emma Morris, Jenna Rogers, Brazee Smith, Brianna Vasquez |
Men's 800m | ||
1:45 p.m. % | Women's 400m hurdles | |
2:10 p.m. % | Women's 200m |
