Including women's 4x100 relay victory, Eastern wins four titles at Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday

Eastern Washington University's Aaron Mettler, Stephen Praast, Nicole Luckenbach and the women's 4x100 relay team all won titles Saturday (May 16) as the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded in Missoula, Mont.

In team scoring, Eastern's men finished fifth with 82 points while the women were eighth with 55. Northern Arizona won the men's team competition with 169, while Sacramento State won for the women with 161.

Luckenbach broke her own school record in the hammer with a career-best throw of 191-11 to better the previous record of 185-7. The junior from Mill Creek Wash. (Snohomish HS '05) now ranks eighth all-time in league history. She qualified earlier this season for the upcoming NCAA West Regionals.

"It feels wonderful -- I am really excited," said Luckenbach after winning the title. "It is the first meet I felt good about how I did."

Mettler had a career-best throw in the javelin with a mark of 219-8 after entering the competition ranked fifth in conference. The sophomore from Walla Walla, Wash. (Walla Walla HS '07), successfully defended his title with a mark that now ranks fourth in school history.

"It feels pretty good," said Mettler, who will be gunning for a four-peat in 2010 and 2011. "It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I feel like I deserve it."

Praast won the high jump with an effort of 6-8 3/4, improving his best effort of the season by two inches. He is from Ravensdale, Wash., and graduated from Tahoma High School in 2006. Helping Eastern to a 1-5-8 finish in that event was Kersee Lind with a fifth-place finish and Big Sky indoor champion Adam Stewart in eighth as both cleared 6-4 3/4.

Eastern's Shannon Long, Shene Davis, Shannon Long and Krystal Deyo combined to win the women's 4x100-meter relay with a time of 46.27 to rank third in school record. Deyo also finished second in the 100 meters with a time of 11.97. She ranks fourth in school history with a time of 11.90 set earlier this season.

Also on Saturday, Cameron Moore finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 47-5 3/4 to lead a 1-5-6-7 finish by the Eagles.

Sophomore Alex Smyth was the fifth individual Eagle to earn All-Big Sky Conference honors Saturday with a top three finish. He placed third in the 1,500 with a time of 3:51.24.

In the javelin, Cody Irby and John Clevenger qualified for the West Regionals. Irby had a throw of 208-0 to finish fourth and Clevenger had a seventh-place toss of 202-8 as Eastern finished 1-4-7 in that event.

The Eagles will compete next at the NCAA West Regionals May 29-30 in Eugene, Ore. Eastern has nine athletes who have met the standard for that meet. They include Luckenbach (hammer), Amanda Peterson (javelin), Michelle Coombs (javelin), Mettler (javelin), Chelsi Friese (pole vault), Deyo (long jump), Irby (javelin), Clevenger (javelin) and the 4x100 meter team.

Men's Results from Saturday:
Triple Jump -47-5 3/4 (2nd) - Cameron Moore - Spokane, Wash. (Ferris HS '04)
Triple Jump - 44-0 3/4 (9th) - Armand Hopkins - Seattle, Wash. (Renton HS '05)
Triple Jump - 46-2 (6th) - Levi Knudson - Gig Harbor, Wash. (Gig Harbor HS '06)
Triple Jump - 46-3 1/2 (5th) - Kurt Williams - Snohomish, Wash. (Snohomish HS '06 & CC
Triple Jump - 45-1 (7th) - Stephen Praast - Ravensdale, Wash. (Tahoma HS '06)
Pole Vault - 15-7 (5th) - Ben Cogdill - Estacada, Ore. (Estacada HS '06 & Port. St. Univ.)
Pole Vault - 14-7 1/4 (10th) - Gabe Chavez - Hoquiam, Wash. (Hoquiam HS '06)
Pole Vault - 14-7 1/4 (10th) - Efrain Sanchez - Hoquiam, Wash. (Hoquiam HS '06)
Javelin - 208-0 (4th) - Cody Irby - Otis Orchards, Wash. (East Valley HS ‘05)
Javelin - 219-9 (CHAMPION) - Aaron Mettler - Walla Walla, Wash. (Walla Walla HS '07)
Javelin - 202-8 (7th) - John Clevenger - Hoquiam, Wash. (Wishkah HS '06)
Javelin - 184-4 (12th) - David Howard - Spokane, Wash. (East Valley HS '05 & CC of Spokane)
4X100 Relay - 42.36 (7th) - Joshua Jones, Armon Blackwell, Derek Clemmons and Kurt
Williams
1,500m - 3:51.24 (3rd) - Alex Smyth - Kent, Wash. (Sequim HS '06)
Shot Put - 53-2 3/4 (4th) - David Howard - Spokane, Wash. (East Valley HS '05 & CC of Spokane)
110 Hurdles Prelims - 15-16 (7th) - Armon Blackwell - Tacoma, Wash. (Clover Pack HS
400m Prelims - 48.31 (4th) - Brad Wall - Vancouver, Wash. (Evergreen-Vancouver '08)
High Jump - 6-4 3/4 (8th) - Adam Stewart - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS '07)
High Jump - 6-8 3/4 (CHAMPION) - Stephen Praast - Ravensdale, Wash. (Tahoma HS '06)
High Jump - 6-4 3/4 (5th) - Kersee Lind - Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS '07)
5,000m - 15:00.41 (8th) - Paul Limpf - Vancouver, Wash. (Evergreen HS '05)
5,000m - 15:53.00 (14th) - Kyle King - Coupeville, Wash. (Coupeville HS '08)
4x400 Relay - 3:230.31 (8th) - Joshua Jones, Armon Blackwell, Nick Mundell, Brad Wall

Women's Results from Saturday:
Hammer - 191-11 (1st) - Nicole Luckenbach - Mill Creek, Wash. (Snohomish HS '05)
Hammer - 146-3 (10th) - Aimee Carroll - Silverdale, Wash. (Central Kitsap HS '04)
Hammer - 143-4 (13th) - Emily Jacobsen - Bellevue, Wash. (Nevada Reno & Bellevue HS '06)
4X100 Relay - 42.36 (7th) - Shannon Long, Shene Davis, Brianna Okoro and Krystal Deyo
100m - 11.97 (2nd) - Krystal Deyo - Castle Rock, Wash. (Castle Rock HS '06)
100m - 12.49 (8th) - Shene Davis - Yakima, Wash. (Selah HS '07)
400 Hurdles - 1:02.69 (5th)- Ashley Stabl - Farmington, Wash. (Tekoa-Oakesdale HS '08)
Triple Jump - 39-1 1/2 (8th) - Shene Davis - Yakima, Wash. (Selah HS '07)
Triple Jump - 34-9 3/4 (11th) - Christy Borders - Yakima, Wash. (Selah HS '07)
Triple Jump - 32-9 (12th) - Allysen Halsen - Gig Harbor, Wash. (Gig Harbor HS '05)
Discus - 133-4 (10th) Mari Bingham - Priest River, Idaho (Priest River HS '05)
5,000m - 18:25.24 (9th) - Amber Nickelson - Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS '04)
4x400 Relay - 4:03.59 (8th) - Kristin Felderman, Olivia Johnston, Alex McNary, Ashley Stabl