Eagles Host 39th Annual Pelluer Invitational

Meet will feature EWU’s three defending Big Sky Conference Outdoor Champions

The Eastern Washington University track and field teams will host the 39th Annual Pelluer Invitational Friday (April 9) in Cheney, Wash., and compete at the Washington-Oregon Dual Saturday (April 10) in Spokane, Wash.

Field events at the Pelluer Invitational begin at noon and running events start at 4 p.m.

The Pelluer features NCAA Division I schools Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Seattle University. Other schools represented will include Lewis-Clark State and Community Colleges of Spokane. Nearly 200 athletes are expected to compete.

Last year, 358 athletes took part after meets the previous seven years featured between 325 and 435 competitors. A record 476 took part in 2001 and 435 participated in 2005.

The meet is dedicated to Arnie Pelluer, a former track and cross country coach at Eastern in 1970-71, and also a coach at Whitworth College and Yakima Valley Community College. After starting the twilight meet in 1971, later that year he died in a swimming accident. The event was renamed in his honor the following year.

The meet will feature three defending Big Sky Conference Outdoor Champions Aaron Mettler, Stephen Praast and Nicole Luckenbach.

Mettler, the league’s two-time defending javelin champion, won the javelin last year at the Pelluer. He has already qualified for the Big Sky Conference Championships in Ogden, Utah, on May 12-15 and ranks 27th in the NCAA Division I West bests list. To compete at the NCAA Division I West Regionals in Austin, Texas, on May 27-29, student-athlete’s need to rank in the top 48 in their event.

Praast finished second in the high jump last year at the Pelluer. Luckenbach, who holds the school record in the hammer with a throw of 191-11, ranks ninth on the NCAA Division I West bests list.

At the Al Manuel Invitational on April 2-3, the Eagle men were 3-0 and the women were 2-1 in dual-meet scoring. Eastern beat Gonzaga (165-17), Montana (102-93.5) and Montana State (137-63). The Eagle women beat Gonzaga (144-35) and Montana State (95.5-93.5), and lost to Montana (105.5-93.5).

The women’s 4x100 team had the third-best performance in school history with a time of 46.24. That team consists of Sarah Frey, Brianna Okoro, Shene Davis and Whitney Leavitt. The school-record time of 45.93 was set in 1994.

In the women’s 100 meters, Okoro qualified for the Big Sky Conference Championships with a time of 12.45 to finish third. Mari Bingham qualified for the BSC Championships in the shot put with a mark of 45-3 to finish second.

Emilee Deishl qualified for the league championships in the javelin with a mark of 131-5.  Zach Nielsen qualified for the conference championships in the discus with a throw of 159-11 to finish second.

NOTE: Pelluer Invitational Results will be updated with links provided on the track and field page at: http://WWW.GOEAGS.COM

Upcoming Meet Schedule
April 9 - at 39th Annual Pelluer Invitational – Cheney, Wash.
Meet Information - http://goeags.com/sports/c-track/2009-10/files/10PelluerSchedule.pdf

April 10 - at Washington-Oregon Dual – Spokane, Wash.
Meet Information - http://athletics.spokane.edu/getdoc/d3833260-1ccb-48c9-9bc5-d7a2ce3652d4/WAR3RegionDual.aspx

Previous Meet
April 2-3 - at Al Manuel Invitational – Missoula, Mont.
Results - http://filemanager.montanagrizzlies.com/mtgriz3/schedules_and_stats/files/tf/pdf/2010%20Outdoor/10%20OD%201.pdf

 

Men's Qualifiers/Records
Big Sky Championships – May 12-15 in Ogden, Utah
NCAA West Regionals – May 27-29 in Austin, Texas
NCAA Championships – June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.

School Records Broken: 1 (Kyle King - 10,000m/29:34.21 - old record 29:45.89 by Paul Limpf in 2009)

Total Big Sky Championships Qualifying Marks Attained: 11 (New Qualifiers: Zach Nielsen/discus)
200m – 21.88 – Chad Butorac – Northport, Wash. (Northport HS ’05)
400m – 48.88 – Brad Wall – Vancouver, Wash. (Ft. Vancouver HS ’04 & Clark CC)
10,000m – 29:34.21 – Kyle King – Coupeville, Wash. (Coupeville HS ’08)
High Jump – 6-6 1/4 – Adam Stewart – Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS ’07)
Pole Vault – 16-6 3/4 – Ben Cogdill – (Estacada, Ore. (Estacada HS ’06 & Portland State Univ.)
Discus – 155-8 – David Howard – Spokane, Wash. (East Valley HS ’05 & CC of Spokane)
Discus – 159-11 – Zach Nielsen - Renton, Wash. (Lindbergh HS '09)
Javelin – 195-9 – Brandon Lattin – Kennewick, Wash. (Kamiakin HS ’07)
Javelin – 206-5 – Aaron Mettler – Wall Walla, Wash. (Walla Walla HS ’07)
Shot Put – 52-5 1/2 – David Howard – Spokane, Wash. (East Valley HS ’05 & CC of Spokane)
Shot Put – 50-11 1/2 – Brody Faire – Ellensburg, Wash. (Ellensburg HS ’05)

Women's Qualifiers/Records
Big Sky Championships – May 12-15 in Ogden, Utah
NCAA West Regionals – May 27-29 in Austin, Texas
NCAA Championships – June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.

School Records Broken: None

Total Big Sky Championships Qualifying Marks Attained: 14(New Qualifiers: Brianna Okoro/100m, Mary Bingham/shot put & Emily Deishl/javelin )
100m – 12.28 – Whitney Leavitt - Benton City, Wash. (Kiona Benton HS ’09)
100m – 2.45 – Brianna Okoro - Lakewood, Wash. (Bellermine Prep ’08)
200m – 24.96 – Whitney Leavitt - Benton City, Wash. (Kiona Benton HS ’09)
200m – 25.30 – Brianna Okoro – Lakewood, Wash. (Bellermine Prep ’08)
400m-H – 1:00.45 – Sarah Frey – Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS ’05)
Long Jump – 18-9 1/4 – Shene Davis – Yakima, Wash. (Selah HS ’07)
Pole Vault – 12-3 1/2 – Chelsi Friese – Lebam, Wash. (Willapa Valley HS ’07)
Discus – 147-7 – Erica Chaney – Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep ’06)
Shot Put – 45-3 – Erica Chaney – Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep ’06)
Shot Put – 45-2 1/4 – Mari Bingham - Tacoma, Wash. (Mt. Tahoma HS '07)
Hammer – 163-1 – Emily Jacobsen­­­ – Bellevue, Wash. (Nevada Reno & Bellevue HS ’06)
Hammer – 188-4 – Nicole Luckenbach – Snohomish, Wash. (Snohomish HS ’05)
Javelin – 151-10 – Michelle Coombs – Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS ’08)  
Javelin – 131-5 – Emilee Deishl - Spokane, Wash. (Central Valley HS '09)

All-Conference Performers
The following Eagle athletes have earned All-Big Sky Conference honors (top three finish) in previous Big Sky Conference track and field championships (indoors and outdoors):

Men:
Chad Butorac - (2007 Outdoor: Champion in 400 meters, 2007 Indoor: 2nd in 400 meters, 2006 Outdoor: 3rd in 400 meters, 2006 Indoor: 3rd in 200 meters)
Aaron Mettler - (2009 and 2008 Outdoor: Champion in javelin)
Adam Stewart - (2010 Indoors: 2nd in high jump, 2009 Indoor: Champion in high jump, 2008 Outdoor: 3rd in high jump)
Cody Fishel – (2010 Indoors: 2nd in high jump)
Stephen Praast - (2009 Outdoor: Champion in high jump, 2009 Indoors: 3rd in high jump)
Brody Faire – (2010 Indoors: 3rd in shot put)
David Howard - (2009 Indoor: Champion in shot put)
Armand Hopkins - (2009 Indoor: 3rd in long jump)
Ben Cogdill - (2010 Indoors: 2nd in pole vault, 2009 Indoors: 3rd in pole vault)
Paul Limpf - (2009 Outdoors: 3rd in 10,000 meters)
4x400 Relay - (2007 Outdoor: 3rd)

Women:
Nicole Luckenbach - (2010 Indoors: Champion in weight throw, 2008 Outdoors: Champion in hammer)
Shene Davis – (2010 Indoors: 2nd in long jump)
Sarah Frey – (2010 Indoors: 3rd in 400)
Michelle Coombs - (2009 Outdoors: Champion in javelin)
Chelsi Friese - (2009 Indoors: 2nd in pole vault)
Krystal Deyo - (2009 Outdoors: 2nd in 100 meters, 2009 Indoors: 2nd in 60 meters)
Erica Chaney - (2010 Indoors: 2nd in shot put, 2009 Indoors: 2nd in shot put)
4x100 Relay - (2009 Outdoor: Champion)

Links:
EWU Track and Field - http://goeags.com/sports/c-track/index
Big Sky Conference Men's Track and Field - http://www.bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?tab=outdoortrackandfield&path=motrack
Big Sky Conference Women's Track and Field - http://www.bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?tab=outdoortrackandfield2&path=wotrack
NCAA Track and Field - http://www.ncaa.com/sports/c-itrack/ncaa-c-itrack-body.html
Direct Athletics Performance List - http://www.directathletics.com/lists/track/63_568.html
More Information and Links are Available at - HTTP://WWW.GOEAGS.COM

Recent EWU Track and Field Headlines . . .
April 3, 2010 - Eagle Men 3-0, Women 2-1 in Missoula
March 27, 2010 - King Breaks School Record in 10,000 meters
March 26, 2010 - Freshmen Finish 1-2 in Women’s Heptathlon at Whitworth
March 17, 2010 - Stan Kerr Selected to NCAA Division I Track and Field Committee
March 12, 2010 - Luckenbach Finishes 14th in Fayetteville
March 9, 2010 - Luckenbach Selected to Compete at NCAA Championships
March 5, 2010 - Luckenbach Named the Big Sky Conference Field Athlete of the Meet
February 27, 2010 - Luckenbach Wins Big Sky Weight Throw Title with Meet Record
February 26, 2010 - Chaney, Davis and Cogdill Earn All-BSC Honors
February 24, 2010 - Luckenbach Named Big Sky Conference Field Athlete of the Week
February 20, 2010 - Nicole Luckenbach Breaks School Record in the Weight Throw
February 13, 2010 - Kyle King Qualifies for Big Sky Conference Championships
February 7, 2010 - Luckenbach Misses School Record in the Weight Throw by an Inch
February 5, 2010 - Kersee Lind and Kyla Evans are Scholar-Athletes of the Month
January 30, 2010 - Davis Breaks School Record in the Long Jump
January 24, 2010 - With Performances in Pullman, Smyth and Frey Rank Fourth in School History
January 16, 2010 - Howard Qualifies in Two Events for Conference Championships
January 12, 2010 - SEASON OUTLOOK: Experienced Eagles Return Eight Past Big Sky Conference Champions
January 6, 2010 -  Deyo Named Big Sky Conference Track Athlete of the Week
December 5, 2009 - Lind Breaks School Record in Heptathlon