Ross sets record as Evergreen hits stride

Contact: Erik Snyder (360) 867-6537
snydere@evergreen.edu
Sports Information Director
The Evergreen State College

April 8, 2006

Salem , OREGON -Rachel Ross set a new school record in her first meet throwing the shot put for Evergreen, as the Geoducks set several new marks at the Willamette University Invitational.

Ross's tosses were the first for the Evergreen women's track team since the mid 1980's. The senior, who also plays center for the women's basketball team, made the most of the opportunity. Ross threw 36 feet, seven inches to finish 11th in the event and surpass the old Geoduck mark by nearly seven feet. The previous record was 29 feet nine and one half inches, set by Dawn Rorvick in 1985.

Miles Wenzel threw the shot for Evergreen on the men's side, also making him the first Geoduck to compete in the event for nearly 20 years. Wenzel went 29 feet, 10 and three-quarter inches to finish 26th overall.

Events over 1500 meters were contested on Friday night in ideal conditions with the longest races, held first. Rachel Williams and Cayenne MacKillop both ran their debuts at 10,000 meters finishing in the middle of the pack with times of 42:11 and 42:28 respectively.

James Hudson posted a top-ten finish in the men's 10,000 meters with a time of 33:14 improving his personal best in that event by over a minute. The time puts Hudson second on Evergreen's all-time list for that event behind Bob Reed's 32:17 scored in 1986.

Kelsey Blair, Haley Pecora, and Amanda Kirklin all competed in the 1500 meters with Kelsey Blair leading the three across the line at 5:26 , improving her personal best by three seconds. Pecora and Kirklin finished in 35th and 36th place respectively with times of 5:52 and 5:59 .

Miguel Pineda took a run at the school record in the men's 1500 meters His time of 4:06.97 puts him at number two on Evergreen's all-time list behind Nathan Chambers 4:05.92 recorded two years ago. Pineda's run was a personal best by ten seconds.

Liesl Plomski and Patrick Murphy werethe Geoduck's 5000 meter entrants. Plomski competed at that distance for only the 2nd time in her three years at Evergreen, running a 23:12 . Murphy set a season's best in the event running 18:12 .

Evergreen next head to Central Washington on Saturday, April 15th for the Spike Arlt Invitational.