The Vikings track and field teams kept charging at full speed last weekend at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., and featured three Viking runners with first-place finishes.
Sophomore Tony Crisofulli led the pack in the men’s 800m and junior shot putter Adrienne Davis finished first in her event. Senior Amirah Karim, meanwhile, placed first in the 200m and was also among the top five in two other events.
Karim took first in the 200m with a time of 25.86 seconds, over half a second faster than the second place runner. She also clocked a time of 12.51 seconds in the 100m to cross the finish line second, and in the long jump she ranked fifth with a leap of 16 feet, 7.25 inches. Karim has already qualified for the Big Sky Outdoor Championship in the long jump for her performance at last month’s Oregon Preview.
After throwing the shot put 43 feet, 11.25 inches in the past two meets, Davis broke her personal best and took first place with a throw of 44–2. The mark places the Portland native just three feet short of the Big Sky Conference leader, Northern Arizona’s Arshiya Hoseyni.
Crisofulli finished the 800m with a time of 1:54.32 to take first place. He had already qualified for the Outdoor Championship in the event at last weekend’s Stanford Invitational, and going into the Willamette Invitational he held the third-fastest time in the Big Sky for the 800m.
Junior captain John Lawrence clocked in at 9:23.35 to place second in the 3000m steeplechase, and senior Nathan Endicott finished third with a time of 9:32.21. Lawrence qualified for the conference championship in the first meet of the season, the Mt. Hood Community College-hosted Saints Open, and Endicott, whose time in Salem qualifies him, will now join Lawrence.
Making his first appearance since the Indoor Championship in February, freshman Jeff Borgerson cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump to place second. Unfortunately he was one inch short of the qualification standard.
Freshman Nate Lightner finished the 200m with a time of 22.14 seconds, falling short of qualification by .14 seconds but faster than his indoor best by .27 seconds.
Next up for the Viking women is the Arizona State-hosted Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz., on April 9–10. The men’s team will compete next at the Mt. SAC Relays at the Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., on April 14–15.
Triple threat
Senior Amirah Karim
First place, 200m, 25.86 seconds
Second place, 100m, 12.51 seconds
Fifth place, Long jump, 16 feet, 7.25 inches