Mt. Sac Relays Results
Bryan Clay Invitational Results
Pioneer Invite Results

While classes are finally winding down at the University of Portland this semester, the Pilots’ track season is in full effect and the team competed in various meets this past week.
 
A group Pilot distance runners and sprinters traveled to Walnut, Calif. to chase down fast times, personal bests, and, maybe, a tan. While most of the team competed at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays, a few athletes ran at the Bryan Clay Invitational held at Asuza Pacific University in Asuza, Calif.
 
Some Pilots did not have to travel very far outside of Portland to notch a PR; these athletes competed Saturday at the Pioneer Invite held at Lewis and Clark University.
 
Last Thursday marked the opening day of competition at the Mt. Sac Relays and the Pilots had multiple runners entered in the 1,500-meter run.
 
Freshman Izaic Yorks toed the line in section 1 with some of the best 1,500-meter specialists in the nation and finished with a time of 3:51.85. He ran the same event Friday morning at the Bryan Clay Invitational and clocked a faster time of 3:50.25.
 
Julia Fonk and Melissa Hastings also competed in the 1,500-meter run at the Mt. Sac Relays. Fonk posted a PR of 4:31.60 in section 6, and Hastings ran a 4:44.13 in section 7.
 
They also would run the next day at the Bryan Clay Invitational, competing in the 800-meter run. In section 1, Fonk got another PR with a time of 2:12.18. Hastings ran a time of 2:21.41 in section 4.
 
Thursday at Mt. Sac also played host to multiple heats of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Competing in Open A section of the steeplechase, Stephen Kersh ran a time of 9:31.33. Jared Bassett ran later that night in the Elite Invitational section and enjoyed the fastest opening steeplechase time of his career with an 8:52.66.
 
Kersh would compete again Friday morning in the 1,500-meter at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He worked his way to a PR in the race with a 3:56.95.
 
The real fun started Thursday night at Mt. Sac with everyone’s favorite race: the 10,000-meter run. Kellie Houser snagged a PR and probable regional qualifying time in the Olympic Development section with a mark of 34:56.50.
 
Gina Paletta posted a time of 35:46.39 in the Open A section of the women’s 10,000-meter run.
 
In the Elite Invitational section of the men’s 10,000-meter, All-American Scott Fauble captured a regional qualifying time with his 29:41.54. Aidan Irish ran a PR with a time of 30:05.67 in the Open A section of the 10,000-meter run.
 
Friday morning, over at the Bryan Clay Invitational, sprinters Melissa Baller and Hannah Souders competed in multiple races.
 
Baller set a PR with a time of 58.00 in the 400-meter dash. In the women’s 200-meter dash, Souders won her heat with a PR of 25.78. She also competed in the women’s 100-meter dash and posted a time of 12.68.
 
Later that night, back at the Mt. Sac Relays, the Pilots distance crew geared up for a night of 5,000-meter runs.
 
Woody Kincaid and David Perry started off the action in the Olympic Development section. Kincaid raced his way to a regional qualifying time, and a 20 second PR, of 13:58.89. Perry ran a time of 14:08.59.
 
In the Open A section, Pilot fan’s favorite blogger, Josh Gorecki, posted a PR of 14:10.36.
 
Chris Borg, Alex Bowns, and Cody Wells all competed in the Open B section. Borg and Bows did not want to miss out on the “PR Party” and each posted a personal best in the race with a 14:19.17 and a 14:29.90, respectively. Wells clocked in at 14:44.21.
 
The Pilot women also ran extremely well Friday night in their 5,000-meter runs and they all posted PR’s in their respective races.
 
In the Open A section, Natasha Verma ran a time of 16:44.49.
 
Marit Tegelaar, Laura Hottenrott, and Anna Luijten all competed in the Open B section and ran times of 16:32.02, 16:40.08, and 16:56.81, respectively.
 
At the Pioneer Invite at Lewis and Clark University on Saturday, the Pilot men dominated the 1,500-meter run.
 
Unattached freshman Alex Dillard won the race with a time of 3:59.40 and his teammates were not far behind. Cody Barton finished strong for a second place finish and a PR of 3:59.95. Griffin Hay and Connor Whan filled up the fourth and fifth spots with times of 4:03.08 and 4:04.17, respectively.