LACEY, Wash. – Over the past two weeks Evergreen’s young track team has driven itself to new heights, marking 5 new school records, 3 Cascade Conference Championships Qualifiers, and one nail-bitingly close miss at a national qualifier.  The team is made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, though they continue to turn heads and set records.  In this year alone this young and talented team has set 13 new school records, and continues to add to that number with each competition.  “I couldn’t be happier with the team this year.  Every one of them has worked their butts off in practice, and everyone is seeing the rewards of their dedication.  As a coach this is the kind of team you pray you can have, but rarely ever get,” says head coach Jason McConnell.

Below: Jordan Turner in the Long Jump

Brian Rakestraw nearly did it again in the 5000m at the Western Washington Twilight Meet in Bellingham, WA.  The senior standout came within one second of the provisional NAIA national qualification standard for the 5000m in a 15:12.8, the standard being 15:12.0.  However his performance did set a new school record, qualified him for the Cascade Conference Championships, and placed him 8^th overall in the conference performance lists.  Rakestraw ran his last regular season race for the Geoducks this last Friday at the University of Oregon Relays on Historic Hayward Field.

Sophomore Jasmine Horton came out of the blue with a Conference qualifier in the women’s high jump at the Western Washington Twilight Meet in Bellingham.  Her mark of 1.48m (4’10.25″) currently ties her for 7^th overall in the conference.  The 6’1″ jumper is a dual-sport athlete at Evergreen, and is fresh off a basketball season.  Horton also competed in both the long jump and the triple jump these past two weekends, marking 4.25m (13’11.5″) and a 9.67m (31’8.75) respectively.  Both marks are the second best all-time jumps of any Evergreen women’s jumpers, and both qualify her for the Cascade Conference Championships.

Freshman Emma Loftis set a personal best in both the 400m and the 800m.  Her 400m of 1:02.61, run at the Western Washington Twilight Meet in Bellingham, qualified her for the Cascade Conference Championships.  A week later Emma came back to set a personal best in the 800m as well, running a 2:28.40 at the SAints Invite hosted by neighboring Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, WA.  Both times place her amongst the top five on Evergreen’s all-time performance lists.

Freshman Connor Abdelnoor lowered his school records in the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles, marking the fifth time he has set or re-set a school record this season.  In the 110m hurdles, Abdelnoor ran a 16.49 at the Western Washington Twilight Meet in Bellingham.  One week later in the 400m hurdles he marked a 58.73 at the Saint Martin’s University Saints Invitational in Lacey, WA.  His steady progression this season has lowered both records by nearly two seconds in each event.  Connor will compete in both events at the Cascade Conference Championships.

Freshman Jordan Turner eclipsed his own school record in the Long Jump as well, marking a 5.62m (18’5.25″) at the Western Washington Twilight Meet in Bellingham.  Jordan will compete in the Long Jump as well as the Triple Jump at the Cascade Conference Championships.

More results for Evergreen can be found in the following links.

Full Results for Western Washington Twilight Meet

Full Results for Saint Martins University Saints Invite

Look for Evergreen to compete next at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships in Gresham, OR on May 13-15.