Link to Results
 
Early performances by Eastern Washington University women's pole vaulters and hammer thrower Vernice Keyes set the stage for a record-breaking performance by Justin Roosma at the OSU High Performance Meet in Corvallis, Ore., on Friday (April 30). The meet concludes on Saturday (May 1).
 
In the evening session of the meet, Roosma finished sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:54.69. The sophomore from Walla Walla, Wash., broke the previous school record set 16 years ago of 8:56.31 by Branden Fuller in 2005.
 
"Justin and distance coach Sam Read pieced together a record-setting race plan tonight that worked perfectly," said Eastern head men's coach Stan Kerr. "I remember watching the previous steeplechase record holder, Branden Fuller, set the record in 2005. Watching Justin prepare and race tonight you could just sense it was one of those athletic moments in which you knew in your heart that something special was happening.  We're all proud of his performance tonight (as I'm sure Mr. Fuller is too) and wouldn't be surprised if he breaks the record again this season."
 
Keyes had the third-best hammer throw in school history by placing second with a mark of 198-2. A sophomore from Lynnwood, Wash., her best previously was 186-6, as Keyes now only trails marks of 199-8 and 203-1 in school history.
 
Eastern finished 1-2-3 in the women's pole vault, with freshman Savannah Schultz and senior Morgan Fossen both clearing 13-4 1/2, and junior Katrina Terry placing third with a vault of 12-6 3/4.
 
The marks by Schultz and Fossen were both Whyte Track and Field Center records, and both had identical makes and misses throughout the competition to finish tied. But then Schultz captured the title over her teammate by clearing 13-6 1/2 in the jump-off.
 
 
Other Men's Top Performances
 
* Sophomore Carter Ledwith recorded the seventh-fastest 10,000-meter time in school history, finishing 13th late Friday night. He had a personal record by nearly a minute, bettering his time of 31:10.87 as a freshman in 2019.
 
* Junior Colton Kautz had a personal-best throw of 193-2 in the hammer to place third, and narrowly miss a spot on EWU's all-time top 10 list. His previous best was 190-10 set earlier this season at Whitworth.
 
* Pole vaulter Zach Klobutcher won the pole vault with a mark of 16-0 1/2. Previously this season the freshman from Covington, Wash., had a mark of 16-9 1/4 to rank second in school history.
 
* Eastern sprinter Joe Gauthier finished second in the 200 (22.03), with two other Eagles finishing in the top six – Daniel Gaik (fifth, 22.11) and Dimeji Adekanbi (sixth, 22.17).
 
* Quintin Porterfield had a third-place finish in the long jump (PR of 23-1 1/4), with Bobby Say right behind in fifth (22-10 1/2).
 
 
Other Women's Top Performances
 
* Freshman Samiah Kuntz out of Spokane's Lewis & Clark High School, was seventh in the 200 with a personal-record time of 25.21.
 
* Sophomore Alyssa Hoffman turned in a time of 1:03.66 in the 400-meter hurdles, good for sixth place and a PR.
 
 
Comments from Head Coach Marcia Mecklenburg
 
"Vernice Keys threw big in the hammer, and I can tell she is getting more comfortable with her turns. Big jumps in distance are common for new hammer throwers but an almost 12-foot improvement for a more experienced thrower doesn't happen all that often. Her second-place finish was one place better than the last meet at OSU, so she is moving up and beating some quality athletes."
 
"The pole vaulters continue to dominate in 2021 in Eagle fashion with a 1-2-3 sweep. We are excited that Savannah and Morgan are consistently vaulting in the mid 13-foot range. When you are consistent it usually means you are ready to make the jump to another PR."
 
"I liked Samiah Kuntz's low 25 second 200 and Alyssa Hoffman's time in the 400 hurdles. I think both of those athletes are ready to run even faster."
 
 
Additional Comments from Head Coach Stan Kerr
 
"Things were rolling well for the guys through the session on the first day. Colton continues to flirt with a 200-foot throw in the hammer. He had a good series of throws and performance of over that mark is coming. Zach's pole vault performance was solid, but left him feeling like a huge jump should have been part of today's meet. The sprinters and hurdlers performed well today.  Joe G and Noah C are consistent in their respective races which is a very positive sign heading into the conference championships in two weeks."
 
 
Comments from Pole Vault Coach Eric Allison
 
"The meet name -- OSU High Performance Meet -- says it all.  Everyone coming to this meet has expectations of themselves in their respective events. Zach won and jumped well, but was hoping to hit 17 feet today. Savannah won in a jump off against her teammate, and also set the facility record which was previously held by (former Eagle) Liz Prouty."
 
 
On the Horizon
 
Next Wednesday (May 5) the track and field team will be in Spokane, Wash., for the final regular-season meet – the Whitworth Twilight. The competition will kick-off at 2 pm Pacific time. This will be a last-chance opportunity for athletes to make the Big Sky Conference team, and earn a regional qualifying mark.
 
 
EWU Top-10 Lists
 
Updates Include:
 
-   Justin Roosma, School Record  – 3,000 Steeplechase | 8:54.69
-      Vernice Keyes, No. 3 – Hammer | 198-2
 
 
2020-21 Remaining EWU Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
 
Wednesday - May 5, 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) 
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