Results

SEATTLE, Wash. - Eight Western Washington University track & field student-athletes were in action on Saturday at the Seattle Pacific University Final Qualifier, hosted at the Dempsey Indoor Center.

Junior Anna Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) led a trio of Vikings competing in the pole vault, placing 3rd and clearing 3.62m (11-10 ½). Freshman Rachael Roberts (Woodinville, WA/Bellevue College) followed in a tie for 6th (3.47m 11-4 ½) while freshman Jewels Oliquiano (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) finished tied for 10th (3.32m (10-10 ¾).

Roberts set a personal best and posted the 6th-best indoor pole vault height in WWU program history while Oliquiano tied her personal-best performance. The personal-best height for Paradee of 3.83m (12-6 ¾) set last weekend at the GNAC Indoor Championships ranks 8th nationally and 2nd in WWU indoor history.

Senior Miranda Osadchey (Dupont, WA/Steilacoom) came just shy of her season-best of 1.61m (5-3 ¼) in the high jump with a leap of 1.60m (5-3) to finish 4th on Saturday.

On the men's side, senior Gordie Kordas (Blaine, WA) was the top WWU finisher of three Vikings competing in the pole vault, finishing 3rd with a height of 4.77m (15-7 ¾). He was followed by senior Jacob Hino (Yakima, WA/Eisenhower) at a season-best height of 4.62m (15-1 ¾) in 4th and sophomore Adam Thomas (Washougal, WA) in 5th with a height of 4.47m (14-8).

Junior Rudy Mataya (Burlington, WA/Burlington-Edison) placed 5th in the long jump with a mark of 6.41m (21-0 ½).

Saturday's meet was the last of the indoor season before the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, held March 9-11 in Birmingham, Ala., at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Aside from Roberts, Oliquiano and Hino, no other WWU competitors tied or improved upon season-best or personal-best marks. However, Paradee is in strong position to qualify for the NCAA II National Championships.

A field of 270 women and 270 men will make the NCAA Division II National Championships field. A desired minimum of 16 spots for individual running and field events, as well as 14 spots for pentathlon and heptathlon and 12 spots for each relay race, exist to fill the field. Additional competitors may make the field after the minimums are filled, depending on the size of the field in relation to the 270 competitor total for men's and women's championship fields.

The Vikings will begin the outdoor season prior to the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, competing on March 4 at the Ed Boitano Invitational, hosted by the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.

2017 Indoor Schedule: