SPOKANE, Wash. – Eastern Oregon Indoor Track and Field put together another historic day as another Mountie record fell. Three competitors made the trip to the Husky Classic in Seattle and senior Hunter Nichols earned himself a spot on the throne of the EOU Record Books in the 3,000 Meter Run.
The rest of the team returned to The Podium in Spokane, Washington for the Whitworth Invitational. Eastern posted several strong performances on day one of the meet. With all said and done EOU recorded 2 “A” Standards and 2 “B” Standards on the day between the two meets.
The Mountaineers will wrap up the weekend’s competition tomorrow for day two of the Whitworth Invitational.
WOMEN
In the 5,000-meter run, freshman Jaiden Cochran continued her impressive first-year campaign by clocking a time of 18:51.17. Her performance not only marked a personal record but also further secured her hold on the third all-time spot in the EOU record books for the event.
Senior Karli Bedard led the charge in the Pentathlon, delivering a stellar performance to secure third place with a score of 3,131. Bedard’s showing was just three points shy of her personal best. Notable highlights included her impressive performance in the 60-meter hurdles, where she garnered 804 points with a time of 9.52 seconds, and her second-place finish in the 800-meter run, clocking in at 2:28.55.
MEN
Eastern Oregon’s male athletes delivered standout performances at the Husky Classic, rewriting the record books. Hunter Nichols etched his name in EOU history by smashing a program record in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:18.05, also earning an NAIA “A” Standard in the process. Nichols’ feat eclipsed a decade-old record previously held by Isaac Updike (8:23.70). Jonathan Wind also made his mark, securing a personal record and “A” Standard time of 8:29.52 in the event, amidst stiff competition from NCAA Division I athletes.
In the 5,000-meter run, junior standout Justin Ash posted a season-best time of 14:48.51, earning him a “B” Standard. Ash’s impressive performance inches him closer to the all-time record set by DJ Flores in 2014 (14:36.00).
In field events, Mark Church continued to excel in the Weight Throw, notching a mark of 17.24 meters to clinch third place overall. While falling short of his personal best set earlier this season, Church’s performance met another NAIA “B” Standard.
