Trojans Gear up for NWAC Championships Down at Linfield

McMinnville, OR - For the second time this season the EvCC track and field team traveled to the campus of Linfield College to compete. This meet served as  a last chance qualifier opportunity for the NWAC Championships.  Three men entered the meet for the Trojans, each fighting to crack the NWAC top 16 times and marks in their respective events. 

Sophomore Aiden Luhr who placed 8th in the 100m and 11th in the 200m a season ago in the NWAC Championships had a late start to the 2023 season and while he did achieve progressively faster times this season it appears as though he will just miss out on the qualifying marks for both events, attributed to an extremely deep sprinting field this outdoor NWAC season.  However, Aiden is on the men's 4x100m relay team which is currently ranked 6th in the NWAC and projected to qualify for the Championships.  

Freshman Kaden Chidester entered the 400m at Linfield and placed 12th overall, setting a new PR of 52.39.  That time will move him up to 16th on the NWAC performance list and will await the final meets next weekend to see if he will make the Championship meet in that event.  Kaden also has the 12th ranked triple jump mark of 40' 3.5" and is a member of the EvCC men's 4x400m relay team which currently has the 3rd fastest time in the NWAC.

Elisha Jackson entered the long jump and hit 20' 11.25" which would have been a season best mark, but a high wind gauge prevented him from achieving an official mark for record purposes.  The mark vaulted him up five places in the NWAC rankings, but not enough to crack the top 16.  He'll need to await the final championship entries to see if he will make the event.  Jackson is on both relay teams and will make the trip as a member of those teams.   

Several of the women for EvCC track and field had PR days.  Freshman Gabbi Capetillo ran her best 200m time of the season at 28.13 and still holds the 16th best 100m time at 13.46.  She also ran on the 4x100m relay team, which placed 5th, beating out three other NWAC schools.  The 4x100m team currently ranks 7th in the NWAC.  

Another freshman, Jayda Pittman also set a PR in the 200m running 27.35s and moving up to 15th on the NWAC performance list.  Jayda also has the 6th fastest 400m time in the NWAC and runs on 100m relay team. 

Camille Clark set a new PR in the 400m as well, and ran on the 4x400m relay team that finished 4th, beating out two other NWAC schools and just a second behind Olympic College.  The 4x400m relay team is ranked 4th in the NWAC, two seconds ahead of Olympic College and 2 seconds behind Clark College. 

Cross Country standout Emma Arceo also competed on the 400 relay team and turned in her best 800m race by two seconds, moving her up to 7th on the NWAC performance list.  

Sophomore Iayanah Brewer ran a lifetime best 400m hurdle at 1:10.66, good enough to finish 8th at the meet and move up to 7th on the performance list.  Iayanah.  Brewer also finished 12th in the 100 hurdles, and competed on both relay teams.  

Another sophomore, Jamira Barnes was a couple inches off of her season best high jump mark, but still holds the 7th highest NWAC mark at 4'7".  She also ran on the 100 relay team.

A trio of freshman throwers had solid days for Everett. Sophia Mackenzie threw the shot, discus, and hammer.  Her discus season best of 113' 7" ranks 12th in the NWAC and Sierra Flores hit a new PR in the discus at 101'8".  The biggest mark came from Denna Gibb who finished 7th in the javelin with a PR of 116' 2" and moving her up to 9th in the NWAC. 

The Trojans will rest up for the NWAC Championships, a two day event taking place May 22nd and 23rd at Mt. Hood CC in Gresham Oregon.  Currently 12 Trojans are projected to participate at the Championship with 19 entries across 18 events.