Wildcats Compete at NWC Championships
April 24 & 25, 2015

Newberg, ORE - The Wildcat distance crew went head to head with the best at the Northwest Conference Championships over the weekend and had some strong showings along the way. Senior Brooke Niemann equalled her PR in the steeple chase, placing 7th for the 'Cats.

Brooke Niemann waits for the gun at the start of the steeple chase.

Freshman Emma Knudson placed 4th in the 10000 meters in only her second attempt at the distance. "That was really fun. I am really excited," stated Knudson. "Greg kept telling me that the girl in 5th was closing on me. I could see the big screen and I kept thinking 'She isn't going to catch me.'" In the end, Knudson was right, beating the 5th place competitor but a solid seven seconds.

Freshman Kaelia Neal had another strong showing for the the Wildcats, placing 4th in the 1500 meters. Along the way, Neal PR'd by 5 seconds and climbed into 8th place on the Linfield all-time list with a clocking of 4:43.69. On the men's side in the 1500 meters, Chad Linnerooth also clawed his way into scoring position with a seventh place finish.

"The meet had it's definitely highlights for the team," stated assistant coach Greg Mitchell. "We still have some work to do, however. We definitely have the tools to mix it up with the best, we just need to be more consistent about bringing our 'A-Game' when it matters most. I think this meet will help light a fire under the team as we begin preparing for cross country."

The men's 10000 meters gets underway at the NWC Championships.