Results
TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's track & field program won three conference titles on Saturday, making it five overall to finish runner-up as a team at the 2022 Northwest Conference Championships held at the University of Puget Sound.
The Lutes place runner-up after accumulating 153 points over the course of the two-day meet, matching PLU's best finish since placing second at the 2018 NWC Championships. PLU enjoyed a 14-point buffer over third place Whitworth University (139 points). George Fox University claimed the team title with 241 points. Linfield University was fourth (116 points) followed by Pacific University in fifth (59 points) and the host Loggers in sixth (39 points). Willamette University (36 points), Lewis & Clark College (20 points), and Whitman College (two points) rounded out the team standings.
"What an incredible two days for PLU track & field! I'm truly in awe of the way our student-athletes competed and performed," said Head Coach
Adam Frye. "The hard work of our student-athletes and staff throughout the season paid off in a big way this weekend. Earning our best combined team finish since 1999 is really special and I couldn't be more proud."
Hezekiah Goodwin won his second conference title in as many days, winning the 800-meter run in one minute, 55.49 seconds. The win comes after the senior won the NWC title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday afternoon.
Grady Lemma was crowned NWC Champion in the 400-meter hurdles while also earning NWC Freshman of the Year accolades. Owning the top qualifying time on Friday, Lemma lived up the expectations, clocking a winning time of 53.83. Lemma additionally placed third in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing in 15.75.
Darius Chaffin was crowned NWC Champion in the javelin, uncorking a throw of 194 feet, 4 inches, to win the event by nearly five feet.
Ryan Stracke was second in the 1,500-meters, looping the oval in 3:52.20, finishing one-hundredth of a second behind NWC Champion Ben Kerr of Puget Sound.
Logan Werner was sixth overall in the 1,500, crossing the finish in 4:02.24. Stracke was back on the track later in the meet for the 5,000-meters, placing sixth in 15:06.19 with
Owen Ladinig in seventh (15:07.57). It capped off a busy meet for Stracke who placed second in the 10,000-meters on Friday morning.
Masum Real was runner-up in the discus with a toss of 152' 9" with teammates
Larson Fairbairn (140' 9") and
Wyatt Tayon (131' 11") placing fifth and eighth, respectively. Real's performance comes after winning the shot put on Friday afternoon. Real would end the meet by being named the NWC Field Athlete of the Year.
Corey Solomon was runner-up in the pole vault, clearing 14' 10" while
Kellen Meade sprinted to a third place showing in the 100-meters, stopping the clock in 11.06 before placing fourth in the 200-meters in 22.48.
Cooper Claxton was sixth in the triple jump (41' 1 1/2") while
Keola Sanchez was eighth in the 400-meters (51.62).
The Lutes' 4x100-meter relay logged a third place finish, clocking a time of 43.13 while the 4x400-meter relay squad was fourth (3:25.72).
"Finishing second after being more than 100 points back in third last year is really exciting. It was awesome to see Masum win Field Athlete of the Year. Grady had a mind-blowing 400 hurdle race to win the title and earn Freshman of the Year. Heze winning two NWC titles was also incredible. Darius had a clutch performance to win the javelin. Ryan had a big triple for team points and came within .01 of winning the 1500m."
PLU is back in action next Saturday, making the trip north to Bellingham for Western Washington University's Ralph Vernacchia Invitational.
