School records were broken by senior Katie Mahoney in the 800 meters and sophomore Jeremy VanAssche in the 100 to highlight Eastern Washington University's performances at the Oregon State University High Performance Meet Saturday (April 30) in Corvallis, Ore.
 
Mahoney broke a 16-year-old record in the 800 with a winning time of 2:11.13, edging Junia Limage of the ATS Track Club by less than a second (2:11.86). Mahoney broke the previous EWU record of 2:11.41 set by Katie Ellison in 2000, and now owns four individual school records (three outdoors and one indoors) and one in relays. She is a 2011 graduate of Richland (Wash.) High School and will be among the favorites in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter steeplechase at the upcoming Big Sky Conference Championships.
 
"Katie does it again with her third school record of the year," said Eastern head women's coach Marcia Mecklenburg. "I have said it before and I will say it again, she is having the senior year of a lifetime."
 
Finishing as the top collegian in the 100, VanAssche was third overall with a time of 10.31 to break his own record of 10.36 set last year as a freshman. The 2014 graduate of Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee, Wash., finished behind Ultimate Speed Athletics performers Arthur Delaney (10.11) and Joe Morris (10.14), but was two places ahead of Ryan Bailey (10.48), who competed in that event for the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.
 
"We learned a few days before the meet that Jeremy would be in the same heat as Olympian Ryan Bailey," said head men's coach Stan Kerr. "With that knowledge, Jeremy knew he'd be in a special race that would allow him to move closer to his sprint potential.  His 10.31 was one of the strongest individual performances in Eagle track & field history."
 
Eastern had one new qualifier for the Big Sky Championships – Samantha Lester in the discus. She gives Eastern a total of 32 marks that have met the league's qualifying standards – 21 for the women and 11 for the men.
 
The OSU meet concludes regular season competition for the Eagles, who next compete at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships that will be held in Greeley, Colo., May 11-14. The NCAA Championships Preliminary Round for EWU is May 26-28 in Lawrence, Kan., and the NCAA Championships are June 8-11 in Eugene, Ore.
 
 
 
Other Top Performances from the OSU High Performance Meet . . .
 
* Sophomore Samantha Lester qualified for the Big Sky Conference Championships with a personal best of 148-3 in the discus.
 
* Senior Kaytlyn Coleman won the hammer throw with a toss of 196-4 1/4, after having entered the competition ranked 18th in NCAA Division I with a school-record effort of 200-7 earlier this season. She also finished third in the shot put at OSU with a mark of 46-3 1/4. Last week, she won a league-record fifth Big Sky Conference Athlete of the Week honor during the outdoor season to go along with three won indoors.
 
* The women's 4x100 relay team had a time of 46.73 in the 4x100 to rank as the eighth-fastest in school history. That squad consisted of Paige Hammock, Erika Lombardo, Kendra Hamm and Rebecca Tarbert. Tarbert also finished fifth in the 200 with a time of 24.77, just missing the Big Sky qualifying standard by .17 of a second.
 
* Eastern's two men's relay teams were also both victorious, with the 4x400 team of Austin Upmeyer, Nick Anthony, Chez Jackson and Logan Stahl recording a time of 3:18.94. The 4x100 squad of Jonah Mathews, Jose Garcia, Chez Jackson and Jeremy VanAssche had a time of 41.43.
 
* Falling just shy of the Big Sky qualifying standard of 14:30.00, senior Aaron Brenton and junior Isaac Kitzan turned in impressive personal-best times in the 5,000. Brenton had a clocking of 14:55.71 to finish seventh in his heat of the 5,000, and Kitzan had a 14:59.85 time to place third in his heat.
 
* On Friday (April 22), freshman Larry Still won the pole vault with a mark of 16-3 1/2. He had a vault of 16-6 3/4 one week earlier to rank fifth all-time at EWU.
 
* Also on Friday, Eastern's women's pole vaulters took five of the top eight positions, including runner-up finishes by Erin Clark and Macey Weitz. They cleared 12 3 1/2 for personal records that rank eighth in EWU history.
 
* On the track, Paula Gil-Echevarria had a personal best of 4:33.88 in the 1,500 on Friday to place 11th and rank eighth all-time in school history.
 
 
 
More Comments from Head Men's Coach Stan Kerr . . .
 
"It was a treat to watch Aaron Brenton and Issac Kitzan shine in their races by showing that they're mentally and physically ready to compete in the upcoming conference championships."
 
"Showing great character was the 4x4 of Upmeyer, Anthony, Jackson and Stahl.  As the only team competing in the race, they posted a time that will get them into the fast heat at the conference championships."
 
 
More Comments from Head Women's Coach Marcia Mecklenburg . . .
 
"I was very pleased with Paula's PR in the 1500. Our distance crew is getting the job done.

"Erin Clark continues to clear her PR height in the vault. When you are consistent with your performances that means you are getting ready for a big improvement.  It will come at the right time for Erin."
 
"Rebecca also continues to improve in the 200. It will be exciting to watch her at Big Sky's in the 100 and 200."
 
"Samantha had a nice improvement in the discus. She has been getting in some good throws at workout so it is great to see it paying off."
 
"I couldn't be happier with the improvements we are getting from our women in all the event areas. The coaching staff has done a great job keeping the crew focused as we get nearer to the Big Sky Championships."
 
 
Men's Qualifiers/Records . . . 
 
Big Sky Championships – May 11-14 – Greeley, Colo.
NCAA Championships – June 8-11 – Eugene, Ore.
School Records Broken: None
Total Big Sky Championship Qualifying Marks Attained: 11 (new qualifiers: none)
100 meters – 10.31 – Jeremy VanAssche
100 meters – 10.74 – Jonah Mathews
200 meters – 21.21 – Jeremy VanAssche
200 meters – 21.67 – Austin Upmeyer
400 meters – 48.87 – Austin Upmeyer
800 meters – 1:52.94 – Logan Stahl
Javelin – 219-3 – Joey Payne
Javelin – 194-0 – Joey Day
Shot Put – 56-8 1/2 – Aaron Cunningham
Discus – 161-8 – Aaron Cunningham
Pole Vault – 16-6 3/4 – Larry Still

 
Women's Qualifiers/Records . . . 
 
Big Sky Championships – May 11-14 – Greeley, Colo.
NCAA Championships – June 8-11 – Eugene, Ore.
School Records Broken: 5 (Katie Mahoney – 800 – 2:11.13  - previous record 2:11.41 set by Katie Ellison in 2014; Katie Mahoney – Steeplechase – 10:10.33  - previous record 10:14.99 set by Catie Arrigoni in 2014; Katie Mahoney – 1,500 meters – 4:22.92 – previous record 4:24.05 set by Mahoney in 2014; Kaytlyn Coleman -- Hammer – 200-7 – previous record 199-8 set by Nicole Luckenbach in 2010; Sarah Reiter – 5,000 meters – 16:27.33 – previous record 16:33.6 set by Mattie Bridgmon in 2008).
Total Big Sky Championship Qualifying Marks Attained: 21 (new qualifiers: Samantha Lester, Discus, 148-8 3/4)
100 meters – 11.97 – Rebecca Tarbert
800 meters – 2:11.13 – Katie Mahoney
1500 meters – 4:22.92 – Katie Mahoney
1500 meters - 4:28.93 – Sarah Reiter
3,000 Steeplechase – 10:10.33 – Katie Mahoney
3,000 Steeplechase – 10:25.82 – Paula Gil-Echevarria
10,000 meters – 35:38.54 – Berenice Penaloza
10,000 meters – 33:46.71 – Sarah Reiter 
5,000 meters – 16:27.33 – Sarah Reiter
5,000 meters – 17:12.49 – Berenice Penaloza
Hammer Throw – 200-7 – Kaytlyn Coleman
Shot Put – 47-7 1/4 - Kaytlyn Coleman
Triple Jump – 38-4 – Dominique Butler
Pole Vault – 12-3 1/2 - Erin Clark
Pole Vault - 12-3 1/2 - Macey Weitz
Pole Vault - 12-1 1/2 - Elizabeth Prouty
Pole Vault - 12-1 1/2 - Anandae Clark
Javelin – 144-8 - Samantha Baker
Javelin – 143-8 – Bridgette Underwood 
Discus -- 148-3 -- Samantha Lester
Heptathlon – 4,545 points – Kendra Hamm

 
Returning Men's All-Big Sky Athletes . . .
 
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):
 
Aaron Cunningham – (2015 Indoors: 3rd in shot put)
Joey Payne - (2013 Outdoors: 2nd in javelin)
Nick Stearns - (2016 Indoors: 3rd in pole vault; 2014 Outdoors: 2nd in pole vault; 2013 Outdoors: 2nd in pole vault; 2012 Indoors: 3rd in pole vault)
Larry Still – (2016 Indoors: Champion in pole vault)
Jeremy VanAssche – (2016 Indoors: Champion in 60 meters)
 
 
Returning Women's All-Big Sky Athletes . . .
 
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):
 
Catie Arrigoni - (2014 Outdoors: Champion in steeplechase, 2nd in 5,000; 2015 Cross Country: 9th)
Courtney Bray - (2015 Indoors: 3rd in pole vault; 2014 Outdoors: Champion in pole vault)
Dominique Butler – (2016 Indoors: 2nd in triple jump)
Anandae Clark - (2015 Indoors: 2nd in pole vault)
Kaytlyn Coleman - (2016 Indoors: 2nd in weight throw; 2015 Indoors: 3rd in weight throw)
Paula Gil-Echevarria - (2015 Outdoors: 3rd in 3,000 steeplechase)
Katie Mahoney - (2016 Indoors: 3rd in mile; 2014 Outdoors: 3rd in steeplechase; 2013 Outdoors: 2nd in 3,000 steeplechase)
Sarah Reiter - (2016 Indoors: 3rd in 5,000 meters, 2nd in 3,000 meters; 2015 Outdoors: 2nd in 10,000; 2014 Outdoors: 3rd in 10,000; 2015 Cross Country: 8^th at Big Sky Championships & 46th at NCAA Championships; 2014 Cross Country: Champion)
Rebecca Tarbert – (2016 Indoors: Champion in 60 meters)
Tierra White - (2015 Indoors: Champion in high jump)
4x100 Relay - (2015 Outdoors: 3rd/Paige Hammock, Erika Lombardo, Brooke Monson, Rebecca Tarbert)
Distance Medley Relay - (2016 Indoors: Champion/Paula Gil-Echevarria, Brooke Monson, Leanne Asper, Katie Mahoney; 2015 Indoors: 3rd/Paula Gil-Echevarria, Janessa Day, Katie Mahoney, Katie Lynch)