FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Track and Field wrapped up competition at the 2024 Pacific Multi meet on Monday afternoon. After getting off to a strong start on Sunday, several Mounties finished strong as Elizabeth Grandle and Israel Miles both earned second place finishes.
Up next for the Mountaineers is the Whitworth Peace Meet on Friday, April 5.
WOMEN
A pair of Mounties finished inside the top three of a competitive heptathlon field. Eastern competed against a strong mix of NCAA Division II, Division III and junior college opponents.
Elizabeth Grandle, after holding a lead on the first day, slid back one spot to finish second with 4,486 points, a personal best. Grandle unleashed a dominant throw of 39.48 meters in the javelin to take the top spot in the event right after a fifth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 4.90 meters. She finished 12th in the 800-meter run to wrap up the day securing a second-place finish. Grandle’s score of 4,486 points now leads the nation at the NAIA level.
Hot on Grandle’s heels was Samantha Conley who finished third with 4,207 points. Conley made the jump from sixth to third place thanks to strong performances in the javelin (2nd place, 38.43 meters) and the 800-meter run (4th place, 2:38.31).
Adrienne Washington also made her splash in the heptathlon finishing 8th overall with 3,782 points, a score good enough for No. 13 all-time in EOU history for the event. Washington posted two fourth place finishes out of three events on the second day with a jump of 4.97 meters in the long jump and a hurl of 31.77 meters in the javelin.
Rounding out competition on the women’s side for Eastern Oregon was Karli Bedard in 11th place with a score of 3,383. Bedard also finished strong with three top-10 finishes highlighted by a second-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.38.
MEN
Israel Miles built on a strong day one with an even better day two to jump from third place to a second-place finish in the decathlon against a strong mix of NCAA Division II and III, and junior college competition. With all said and done, the senior finished with a score of 5,944 points, 515 points off a personal best.
Miles started the day off on the right foot with a second-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.39 seconds. He finished 10th in the discus ring, then closed the day out with strong performances in pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-meter run. Miles took third in both the pole vault (4.24 meters) and the 1,500-meter run (5:00.86). The Oregon City native also earned a sixth-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 37.24 meters.
Amongst a field of 15 competitors, Miles’ second-place finish marks a strong start for the senior in his first decathlon competition of the spring. His score of 5,944 points currently leads the NAIA in the event.