TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's and women's track & field programs resume the indoor season on Saturday, looking to build on the success of a breakout year in 2021.
 
"Last spring was such a special year for our track & field program in many ways. So we're really excited to build off that momentum," said Head Coach Adam Frye who enters his sixth season at the helm. 
 
The 2021 outdoor season saw the Lute women place runner-up at the Northwest Conference Championships, the program's best finish since 2002 before placing ninth at the NCAA Division III Championships behind a pair of national titles from Bailey Forsyth. It was the Lutes' top placing at the national meet since 1999. 
 
For the men, the Lutes finished third at the NWC Championships, marking the third time in the last four seasons the program has notched a top three showing at the conference meet. 
 
"Every season is new and different but we're just going to try and build off that momentum from last year. Seeing our progression over the last five years has been really exciting and fun. We're not entitled to anything. We're going to keep working and doing all the things we've been doing to get to where we are. There's only one place we can go if we want to move up in the team standings in the conference and so that's a goal we have moving forward, to win a Northwest Conference title."
 
For the women, two-time national champion and NWC Athlete of the Year Bailey Forsyth is back for one final season and will lead a loaded sprint group. Forsyth set school records and won NWC titles and NCAA titles in both the 100-meters and 200-meters last spring and has her sights on more, with an opportunity to compete for an indoor championship this winter.
 
"Bailey had blown our minds continuously last season. I feel like it can be hard to look ahead and see what can you do after that kind of season but what we talked about is we don't see any reason she can't build off that success and continue to progress. And I think part of that is compete in an indoor season, which she wasn't able to last year. So we're excited to give her the opportunity to qualify for the indoor national championships and compete there for some national titles and defend her titles in the 100 and 200 outdoors and see if we can't get a relay or two at nationals."
 
In addition to Forsyth, the Lutes are excited to welcome back Tabitha Messineo who has been a versatile athlete for the Lutes. Messineo placed third in the 400-meter hurdles and third in the heptathlon at the NWC Championships in 2019. 
 
"We have some returners and newcomers that can make an impact in the sprints and jumps, including having Tabitha back healthy and returning to the heptathlon as well as hurdles and jumps. We also have a couple of first-years that were state champions in the hurdles and outstanding in the jumps and we know they will contribute in a lot of different ways in Kayden Hulquist and Julia Causbie."
 
In the throws, the Lutes return javelin All-American and two-time NWC Champion Ava Nelson in addition to Peyton Santos and Emily Capps who both scored points for the Lutes in the discus at the NWC Championships. 
 
"Ava returning as an All-American and leads a strong throws group for us. I know she's been putting in the work in the offseason and early this season to build off the success she's had and I think we will be in a great position to continue to grow and improve."
 
First-year vaulter Lily Luksich headlines a strong group of pole vaulters that also includes All-Conference selection Kristine Nguyen. The duo both competed at the Spokane Invitational in December with Luksich's clearance of 11 feet 3 ¼ inches currently sitting as the 11th best vault in D3 this winter. 
 
"I think we see a couple women's pole vaulters as having a chance to qualify for the indoor championships. Obviously Lily had a great start to her PLU career and is someone that can be really competitive at the national level and NCAA Division III. Kristine had a breakout season last year in the vault and was All-Conference, and we're excited to see her continue to build on that."
 
Anchoring the distance crew will be Sulin Degollado who won the NWC title in the 800-meters and was fourth in the 1,500 meters last spring. Also back is Joan Park who was fifth in the 5,000-meters at the NWC Championships and had a strong cross country season, earning All-Conference accolades and placing 23rdat the NCAA West Region Championships. In addition to Degollado and Park, the Lutes are excited about College of Idaho transfer Zoey Diviney who placed 19th at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships this fall for the Coyotes. 
 
For the men, Corey Solomon returns for fifth year after winning the NWC crown last spring in the pole vault. 
 
"We're really excited to have Corey back for an extra season. He was a senior last year but is coming back to compete as a graduate student. Excited for him to defend his NWC title in the pole vault and he's a guy we feel like has the potential to qualify for nationals indoors and outdoors. Getting him in some indoor meets is a high priority."
 
Distance will be a strength for the Lutes this spring, returning Ryan Stracke who was runner-up in the 10,000-meters and third in the 5,000-meters at the 2021 NWC Championships. Stracke had a stellar cross country this fall, winning the NWC title before finishing 18th at the West Region Championships. 
 
In addition to Stracke is Hezekiah Goodwin, Owen Ladinig, and Trey Robak who all secured All-Conference honors this fall in cross country. Goodwin was fourth last spring in the 800-meters while also being a part of a 4x400-meter relay that turned in a third place finish.
 
In the throws, the Lutes return a trio of athletes that scored at the conference championships last spring in Larson Fairbairn, Wyatt Tayon, and Masum Real. Fairbairn was fifth in the discus, seventh in the hammer throw, and eighth in the shot put at the NWC Championships while Real placed sixth in the shot put and Real was seventh in the discus. 
 
Keola Sanchez headlines the sprint group after placing third in the 400-meters and 4x4, and fifth in the 200-meters last spring. 
 
"Keola Sanchez was All-Conference last year as a first-year in the 400. He also helped our 4x4 get on the podium. He'll be a strong leader and we've got some other young guys in that sprint group. Grady Lemma is going to be really competitive in the hurdles and also excited to see him in the decathlon as well."
 
Lemma isn't the only first-year looking to make an impact for the Lutes.
 
"Newcomers Nathan Atkinson and Lebron Smith are a couple first-year sprinters that I think could have a big impact and then we're seeing a couple of guys join us from football that look like they can contribute as sprinters and jumpers. Kellen Meade and Aiden Yost being a couple of those guys." 
 
The Lutes resume the indoor season on Saturday, sending four athletes to Seattle for the UW Preview Meet at Dempsey Indoor. PLU will send select student-athletes to a few more meets in January before sending a majority of the team to Spokane for the Whitworth Invitational on Feb. 12. 
 
"It's exciting to have more indoor competition than we've had in the past but without an indoor conference championship our goal is still really to use that as a preparation for our outdoor season. But we do have some individuals that we feel like have a strong chance to qualify for indoor nationals and we're excited to give them some opportunities to make that happen."
 
The Lutes open the outdoor season on March 4 at the University of Puget Sound and will compete at the NWC Championships on April 22 and 23 at Puget Sound. Other highlights include hosting the PLU Open on March 12 and competing in Santa Barbara, California during spring break at the Westmont Classic.