Meet Information & Schedule
 
The Eastern Washington University outdoor track and field team opens up the 2021 outdoor season at Oregon State University (OSU) with the PNW Team Clash meet in Corvallis, Ore., this Saturday (March 13).

The single-day meet hosted by OSU will begin at 11 a.m., Pacific time with the field events, and the running events will follow at noon.

"I am probably just echoing what all our coaches have said at the start of their seasons this year, but it is a relief to finally be able to get to compete," said women's head coach Marcia Mecklenburg. "Our athletes have been looking forward to this since last spring. The OSU PNW Challenge will be a good opportunity for our athletes to get started."
                                      
"Since I've been here, the OSU meet has probably been the most highly-anticipated meet for our team," said men's head coach Stan Kerr. "Due to COVID knocking us out of competition for the last 12 months, I feel our crew's level of excitement to finally compete is redlining the ready-to-go meter."
 
The last time Eastern competed at OSU was in 2019 for the Oregon State High Performance Meet, where the Eagles took home four first-place finishes.
 

More on the 2020-21 EWU Track & Field Teams
 
As the Eagles embark on the 2021 outdoor campaign, they will be competing for the first time in over a year. The Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 outdoor season, as well as the 2021 indoor season. Since the suspension of sports in March of 2020, only the cross country team has been able to compete – and that was limited to one regular season meet and the Big Sky Conference championships in the winter of 2021.
 
With the suspension of the 2020 outdoor season, eligibility of the student-athletes was unaffected. Thus, several who would have concluded their careers last spring are back for another season. Student-athletes across all sports teams, who were scheduled for competitions in the fall and winter of this 2020-21 season, will get an additional year of eligibility. However, this will not apply to outdoor track and field because the student-athletes already received their additional year last spring in 2020.
 
Before the suspension, Eastern was able to compete at the 2020 Big Sky Indoor Championships in Pocatello, Idaho. The men's and women's teams combined won a total of 10 All-Big Sky Conference honors (top 3 finish in individual events). The men won six honors – including two titles – and finished sixth as team, scoring with 58 points. The women had 39 points and placed ninth.
 
In 2019, the Eastern track and field teams competed in the Big Sky Outdoor Championships at Missoula, Mont., where the women's pole vault swept the event going 1-2-3. At the conclusion of the meet, the women finished seventh overall, while the men finished sixth.
 

Current EWU Athletes
 
Four men return in 2021 who have previously earned All-Big Sky Conference honors with top-three finishes at conference championship meets. Among them, Joe Gauthier was third in the 60 meters at the 2019 indoor championships, and was also third in the 100 meters for the outdoor championships. Parker Bowden was second in the 60-meter hurdles in 2018 and third in 2020. In 2019, Bobby Say was third outdoors in the triple jump, and Killion McGinnis was third in the high jump.
 
Also, Jonah Mathews, Dawson Lack, and Joe Gauthier are returning members who were a part of the men's 4x100-meter relay team that earned a first-place victory in the 2018 Big Sky Outdoor Championships. This team also holds the school record with a time of 40.39.
 
For the women, the returning All-Big Sky performers include a pair of pole-vaulters and one thrower. Savannah Schultz placed second in the pole vault as a freshman at the 2020 indoor championships, and Katrina Terry was third in the 2019 outdoor championships. Vernice Keyes is the returning thrower with honors and she placed third in the weight throw at indoors in 2020.
 
On its current roster, Eastern has 29 athletes on its all-time lists. Of the all-time athletes, 16 men and 13 women are ranked on the lists.
 
EWU Top-10 Lists
 

More Comments from Women's Head Coach Marcia Mecklenburg
 
On Goals for the 2021 Season: "It is going to be a watch-and-see-where-we-stack-up year as we compete through our first outdoor meets this season. At this point we don't know what athletes will be opting out for spring quarter on the other Big Sky Teams."
 
"As always, our goal is to try and finish in the top three at the Big Sky Conference Championships. With our returning All-Big Sky Conference athletes, other EWU athletes who are ready to step up to that level, and a team full of youngsters that haven't gotten to compete in two years, I think we have a shot of doing pretty good."
 
On Newcomers: "Our top new athletes this spring would have to be senior transfer Emmanuella Engle (Emmy) in the javelin throw and freshman Samiah Kuntz in the Sprints."
 
"Emmy was a NCAA West Regional qualifier in the javelin throw. With the graduation of three of our top javelin throwers, Emmy will help to fill that void this season. Samiah was one of the top sprinters in the GSL as a junior.  She will be a great addition to our sprints crew and help solidify that 4x100 relay."
 
"In addition, we have a solid crew of new distance runners including Jenni Bissell, Lilly Fetzer, Jalina Lindstrom, and Marie Taylor. On the throws side, the new athletes joining Engle include Hunter Holsten, Vatoria Keyes, Kallie Schaplow, Kahlani Schloss, and Takiyah Ward. In the sprints and hurdles, in addition to Kuntz, new Eagles are Emily Madura, and Haven Nutting."
 
"Given that it has been a long time since they have competed, I am not sure if they are more excited or if I am more excited to see what they can do at the collegiate level."
 
 
More Comments from Head Coach Stan Kerr
 
On Goals for the 2021 Season: "I'm expecting our upperclassmen in all of the event areas to continue to provide their leadership, as they have over the past 12+ months, for our athletes who will be experiencing NCAA D1 competition for the first time." 

"Looking down the road, the season looks bright for us because of the solid blend of talented upperclassmen and the potential shown in practice by the newcomers to our team."
 
 
2020-21 EWU Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
 
Sat - March 13, 2021 - PNW Team Clash - Corvallis, Ore. - 11 am
Friday - March 19, 2021 - Essential Track & Field Meet - Spokane, Wash. (Whitworth) - 2 pm
Th/Fri - March 25-26, 2021 - Whitworth Multi-Events - Spokane, Wash. - 12:00 pm
Fri/Sat - March 26-27, 2021 - Al Manuel Northwest Invitational - Missoula, Mont. - 10 am
Thursday - April 1, 2021 - H.I.R. Invitational - Spokane, Wash. (Whitworth) - 2 pm
Saturday - April 10, 2021 - WAR XIV Meet - Spokane, Wash. (SFCC) - 10 am
Th/Fri - April 15-16 - Bigfoot Multi Events - Spokane, Wash. (SFCC) - 11:00 am
Saturday - April 17, 2021 - Sam Adams Classic - Spokane, Wash. (Whitworth) - 2 pm
Fri/Sat - April 23-24, 2021 - Idaho Invite - Moscow, Idaho - TBA
Fri/Sat - Apr 30-May 1, 2021 - Oregon State High Performance Meet - Corvallis, Ore. - TBA
Thursday - May 6, 2021 - Whitworth Twilight - Spokane, Wash. (Whitworth) - 2 pm
Wed/Th - May 12-13, 2021 - Big Sky Combined Events - Ogden, Utah - TBA
Fri/Sat - May 14-15, 2021 - Big Sky Outdoor Championships - Ogden, Utah - TBA
Th/Fr/Sat - May 27-29, 2021 - NCAA West Regional Championships - College Station, Texas (A&M) - TBA
We/Th/Fr/Sat - June 9-12, 2021 - NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships - Eugene, Ore. - TBA
Fr-Sun - June 18-27, 2021 - U.S. Olympic Trials - Eugene, Ore. - TBA


Returning Men's All-Big Sky Athletes
 
(Top 3 finish at the Big Sky Championships)
 
Parker Bowden – (2020 Indoors: 3rd in 60-meter hurdles/7.94; 2018 Indoors: 2nd in 60-meter hurdles/8.00)

Joe Gauthier – (2019 Outdoors: 3rd in 100/10.54; 2019 Indoors: 3rd in the 60-meters/6.83) 

Killion McGinnis – (2019 Outdoors: 3rd in high jump/6-8 1/4)
 
Bobby Say – (2019 Indoors: 3rd in triple jump/48-3 1/2)
 
* 4x100-meter relay – (2018 Outdoors: 1st place finish/40.39; Jonah Mathews, Dawson Lack, and Joe Gauthier are returning members from that team.)
 
 
Returning Women's All-Big Sky Athletes
 
(Top 3 finish at the Big Sky Championships)
 
Vernice Keyes – (2020 Indoors: 3rd in weight throw/61-8 1/2
 
Savannah Schultz – (2020 Indoors: 2nd in pole vault/12-10 3/4
 
Katrina Terry – (2019 Outdoors: 3rd in pole vault/12-6 3/4)