Pentz and Roberts Look Strong at PLU Open

Tacoma, WA - Trojan Track & Field was back in action this weekend, again in Tacoma but this time at Pacific Lutheran University.  The NCAA DIII school hosted a number of other 4-year schools including four DII's, one DI (Seattle U.) and a pair of NAIA schools.  Everett CC and Olympic College were the only NWAC schools in attendance.  

Everett's women were led by Teagan Pentz who placed 8th overall in the 800m and set a new PR with a time of 2:34.70.  This mark hits the NWAC Championship qualifying standard by 3 seconds and moves her up to 4th on the 800m NWAC performance list this season.  She is just two seconds off of the second best time, and 10 seconds off of the top time.  In the race, Pentz beat out two DII athletes, and DIII competitor, while being just two seconds off of another DIII competitor.  

Madeline Dang topped all three times from a weekend ago in the 100m, 100 hurdles, and 400 hurdles.  She finished 10th overall in both hurdle events, moving up to third in the 100 hurdles NWAC performance list and holding 4th in the 400 hurdles.   Her 100m time is currently 8th in the NWAC.  Lily Rock ran the 1500m for the first time this season and her time of 5:31.11 places her 10th on the performance list, and both Taya Kilgore and Amelia Koon ran in the 5000m.  Kilgore placed 10th overall followed closely by Koon at 11th.  The EvCC women entered a 4x400m relay team that placed 5th.

On the men's side highlight performances came from freshman Charlie Roberts and sophomore Brandon Bruss.  Roberts placed 8th overall in his first 5000m race of the season.  He was 5th among the collegiate competitors and beat out an NWAC opponent by 1:26.  His time of 16:51.04 initially places him 6th on the NWAC performance list.  Bruss competed in both the shot put and the discus, placing 17th overall in the shot and 12th in the discus.  His discus mark of 119' 1" was a new PR by nearly two feet and moves him up to 12th on the NWAC performance list.  Other notable PR performances were Harry Mchugh (100m), Anthoney Ray-Kirk (100m & 200m), Rieal Villamena (200m & 400m), and Jacob Doughty (400m). 

Multi athlete Justice Funston did four events and added season marks in the long jump and discus.  His long jump was 16th overall at 18' 2.25".  Hector Mendoza placed 16th overall in the 800m with a time of 2:10.34 and places him 9th on the NWAC performance list, and the mens 4x400m relay team placed 8th overall, ran by Doughty, McHugh, Ray-Kirk, and Funston.

Most of the squad will get the next two weeks to prepare for the Peyton-Shotwell Invite on March 29th at the university of Puget Sound.  But Justice Funston will get his first look at a collegiate multi event, and will travel to Oregon to compete at the Pacific University Multi's on March 24th and 25th.