Gonzaga Men Send Trio to Oregon Twilight
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Oregon Twilight
Where: Eugene, Ore.
Site: Hayward Field
Meet schedule: Click here (PDF).
Meet Entries: Click here (PDF).
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Scott Kopczynski, Brandon Pollard and Mason Villarma will represent the Gonzaga Men's Track and Field team at the Oregon Twilight Friday. The trio will look for NCAA West Preliminary qualifying times in the 1,500 meters at Hayward Field.
Some of the nation's finest professional and collegiate athletes will be assembled at the annual meet. The last time the Zags were in the meet, Villarma ran the third-fastest 1,500-meter time in program history. In his freshman season, he crossed the line in fourth at 3:46.26. Later that season, he improved his personal record to 3:46.05 at the West Coast Invitational.
Villarma's top 1,500-meter time this season is 3:48.84 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 19. Pollard has the fastest time this season at 3:46.34, while Kopczynski's 3:47.91 is the second-fastest time. Both of those times came at the Bryan Clay Invitational as well, and rank fourth and seventh on the GU all-time list.
There are currently 34 entries in the men's 1,500 meters at the Oregon Twilight. Kopczynski and Villarma are scheduled in the first heat at 7:57 p.m., and Pollard will follow in the second heat at 8:03.
The Top-48 marks in the region qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, Calif., from May 24-26. Currently, Kellen Manley has the 17th-best time in the West Region in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:51.26). His time also ranks 21st in the nation. Sammy Truax's time of 8:55.95 ranks 30th in the region and 45th in the country. Alex Heffelfinger (8:56.97) is 38th in the region and 56th in the nation. Troy Fraley ran the 40th-fastest time in the region at the Mt. SAC Relays.
Jordan Thurston's 35:11.04 10,000-meter finish at the Mt. SAC Relays ranks 55th in the West Region.
Live video and results from the Oregon Twilight will be available on GoZags.com.
7:57 p.m. | Men's 1,500m | (Heat 1) Scott Kopczynski and Mason Villarma |
8:03 p.m. | (Heat 2) Brandon Pollard |
