Bulldogs Impress At Mt. SAC, Whitworth Meets
4/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Walnut, Calif. — The Gonzaga track team, as it is wont to do this season, once again split up to compete in meets in separate locales. While the settings may have been different, the results from both scenes were quite similar, if not equally impressive.
Colin O'Neil set a school record in the men's 10,000 meters, while Amelia Evans won the same event for the GU women at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday night in Walnut, Calif. Back in Spokane, Emily Anderson and Ned Fischer won the 800 and 1,500 meters, respectively, at Whitworth's Twilight Invitational.
A junior from Redmond, Wash., O'Neil competed in his first 10,000 meters of the outdoor season Thursday. He ran 30.09.86, placing him 11th out of 46 entrants in the open section for collegiate runners. His time topped the previous school record of 30:23.77, set by Tate Kelly in 2012.
Evans, meanwhile, had perhaps the toughest logistical challenge of any Zag competing in California. Her 10k, also an open competition featuring college runners, did not even begin until well after 11 p.m. Despite the unusually late start, the sophomore outraced 22 other athletes to win her section with a time of 35:52.78, which was 16 seconds better than the next closest finisher.
Robert Walgren, like O'Neil and Evans, also made his season debut in the 10k, placing 25th in the men's elite invitational portion of the event. The redshirt junior cruised through the first half of the race — he was on pace for 29:40 — before fading a bit and finishing with a time of 30:26.90, the third-best mark in GU history and a personal record by 16 seconds.
Matthew Crichlow also competed in the 10,000 meters at Mt. SAC, placing 31st in the men's collegiate open section at 30:48.95. His time is the fifth fastest in school history.
Much like the majority of her fellow Zags in the 10k, Shelby Mills competed in the collegiate open section of the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase. Despite running in the event for the first time, Mills notched a time of 10:56.10, placing her a surprising third out of 24 competitors. She finished just seven seconds behind the winner and now boasts the second-fastest mark in Gonzaga history.
Meanwhile, back at the Pine Bowl on the campus of Whitworth University, the Bulldogs had to battle the elements as much as the competition. Despite a steady rain, Anderson set the pace in the women's 800. The freshman led from start to finish, claiming the win at 2:20.23. Fellow Zag Jennifer Wheeler wasn't too far behind, finishing second and setting a personal record with a time of 2:22.51.
Gonzaga runners also dominated the men's 1,500 meters, snagging the race's top eight spots. Fischer provided some late drama, overtaking teammate Kyle Branch, who ran unattached, in the final 150 meters for the victory.
The Mt. SAC Relays continue Friday with a full slate of events. The schedule includes Shelly Davis, Zoë Urcadez, Andy Phillips and Ian Goldizen in the 1,500, Jordan McCann and Joe LaMontagne in the 800, Nick Roche and Patrick Richie in the steeplechase and Willie Milam in the 5k.
