SALEM, Ore. – A school-record toss in the hammer from Anna LaBeaume (Jr., Sequim, Wash.) and two additional double-event finalists on the women’s side lifted Linfield to a fifth-place finish as action concluded Saturday at the Northwest Conference Track & Field Championships at Charles Bowles Track.

Led by a third-place effort in the 800 meters by Lester Maxwell (Sr., Corvallis, Ore.), the Wildcat men took eighth at the league meet, held on one of the sunniest and warmest weekends of spring yet this year. 

LaBeaume successfully defended her conference championship in the hammer and bettered her own school record with a winning toss of 171 feet, 10 inches (52.39 meters). The mark was nearly a two-foot improvement from her previous best, and was more than six feet farther than the runner-up’s top effort. The Linfield junior also claimed runner-up status in the discus with a maximum toss and two-foot PR of 137 feet, 2¾ inches (41.82m).

Melany Crocker (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) and Halsie Peek (Soph., Corbett, Ore.) each recorded a pair of top-four performances in the sprints. Crocker took third in the 100 (12.72) while Peek was just behind in fourth (12.78). In the 200, the results were flipped, with the sophomore Peek (26.26) edging her senior teammate (26.42) for second place. All four times were season bests.

The Linfield men produced three top-eight individual finishes, including Maxwell’s third-place showing in the 800 meters. The senior completed two laps in 1:57.55, on a day when the winning time was about two seconds slower than Friday’s fastest preliminary time.

Charlie Poppen (Soph., Oregon City, Ore.) placed sixth in the high jump after clearing the bar at 6-0.50 (1.84m) on his second attempt. Drew Wert (Sr., Grants Pass, Ore.) was eighth in the shot put. His best throw (46-9.50/14.26) came on his first of the final round, fourth overall.

In other field event action, Meghan Lockwood (Jr., Carmichael, Calif.) and Rachael Gernhart (Fr., Portland, Ore.) finished sixth and eighth, respectively, in the triple jump. Lockwood’s best leap was 34 feet, 4¾ inches (10.48m), a season best effort that was just one-quarter of an inch from tying her personal record. Gernhart was not far behind at 34 feet, 1½ inches (10.40).

Amy Bumatai (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) recorded a significant PR to take eighth in the pole vault. She cleared the bar at 9 feet 8½ inches (2.96m), a six-inch improvement from her previous best. 

In the relays, Ellie Schmidt (Soph., Dundee, Ore.), Peek, Gernhart and Crocker combined for a third-place finish in the 4x100 (49.99) and Crocker, Brenna Stinson (Fr., Roseburg, Ore.), Schmidt and Peek took sixth in the meet-ending 4x400 (4:08.69). Taking the baton in seventh place, Peek ran down Lewis & Clark’s anchor leg down the final stretch to gain an extra point for Linfield.

Poppen, Michael Swain (Jr., Clackamas, Ore.), Zach Kawamoto (Jr., Waipahu, Hawaii) and Andrew Gonzales (Fr., Highland, Calif.) teamed for the men’s 4x100 (eighth, 44.91) while Gonzeles, Manuel Finley (Fr., Port Orford, Ore.), Poppen and Maxwell ran the 4x400 (eighth, 3:27.80).

George Fox won the women’s team championship for the third straight year, totaling 188.5 points. The Bruins just beat out Willamette, which compiled 180.5 points. Other team scores included Whitworth (150, Lewis & Clark (80), Pacific Lutheran (74), Linfield (72), Puget Sound (41) and Pacific (33).

The Whitworth men crushed the field, more than doubling up runner-up Willamette’s total with 287 points to the Bearcats’ 132. Pacific (122) was third, followed by PLU (95), UPS (64), Lewis & Clark (55), George Fox (47) and Linfield (16).

AWARDS: George Fox’s Beth Stam, the heptathlon champion, was honored as the NWC Women's Field Athlete of the Meet…Emily Thomas of Lewis & Clark, who won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, was selected as the NWC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet…Whitworth’s Carter Comito was recognized as the NWC Men's Field Athlete of the Meet after setting meet records to win the shot put and discus…Pacific’s Tyler Shipley, who also pulled off the distance double, was tabbed as the NWC Men's Field Athlete of the Meet….George Fox’s John Smith and Whitworth’s Toby Schwarz were chosen by their peers as the NWC Women’s and Men’s Coaches of the Year, respectively.

‘CAT SCRATCH: LaBeaume placed in the top three in all three of her events, including a third-place effort in the shot put on Friday…she was Linfield’s highest individual point contributor with 24 points…Peek’s finishes in both the 100 (fourth) and 200 (second) were both career bests at the championship meet…Maxwell recorded a top-three finish in the 800 for the third consecutive year, and including a second-place effort in the 400 as a freshman, has competed in an individual finals race every year of his Linfield career.

AHEAD: The Oregon Twilight and Mt. Hood Invitational are scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, respectively.