The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

Friday Night Lights for SPU Track Teams
Pixler Wins NCAA Indoor Mile, Falcons 7th; 7 Make All-America
March 14, 2007

Fractions

Those not making finals in Boston were Larson and Nyema Sims (Fr., Portland, Or./ Jefferson). Larson ran the mile in 5:02.28 for 13th overall. Sims clocked a 7.74 in the 60 for 15th...The relay’s time was some 18 seconds off the qualifying mark of (and school record) of 11:45.92...Pixler is the Falcons’ second NCAA indoor champion in three years and fourth female overall. Danielle Ayers-Stamper won the high jump in 2005 and Karin Grelsson won the triple jump in 1993 and ‘94. Mike Olson was the last All-American for the men, in the shot put...The women’s 21 points was second only to the 25 in 2005 and the placement second only to the sixth place in 1993...Perkins, sixth in last year’s high jump, becomes the first repeat indoor All-American since Grelsson...Pixler’s entered in the 3000 this week. Rohde will run a 2k steeplechase and Marsh the 1500. Perkins and Larson are in the 800 and Sims the 400. Strickler is slated for a 1500 and Cronrath the 3000...Seattle Pacific’s only home meet, the Ken Foreman Invitational, will once again be held at West Seattle Stadium, May 12. The GNAC Championships are May 5 at Bellingham and the NCAA Championships May 24-26 in Charlotte.

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Friday night light. What better way to celebrate the added daylight than to use it. A rare twilight meet greets the Seattle Pacific University track and field athletes as they close the book on final exams. Friday (Mar. 16) they will go across town to Husky Stadium and the Washington Preview. Some of the Falcons will spend the spring break training and competing in southern California, including the Trojan Invitational at USC Mar. 24.

Welcome release. Their brains may be a bit worn from finals, so no matter what the weather, Friday’s meet should provide a forum of relief for the athletes. Coach Karl Lerum has nearly everyone entered, including his indoor national qualifiers, who will be making their outdoor debuts.

There she goes (again). She’s a two-time All-American, and Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) is only two-thirds of the way through her first year with the Falcons. Better yet, she’s a national champion. Pixler won the NCAA indoor championship in the mile by a margin of nearly 5 seconds in Boston last week. Breaking her own school and Great Northwest Athletic Conference records, she went in front after 600 meters, then kicked the last 400 to finish in 4 minutes, 42.42 seconds. Although a member of the soccer team last fall, Pixler also ran cross country, taking 10th at nationals.

Americans all. Paced by Pixler, the SPU women placed seventh at the national meet–the second-highest finish in program history. She got help from high-jumper Teona Perkins (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.), who took fourth (5 feet, 8 inches), and fellow miler Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mount Baker), who lopped nearly 8 seconds off her personal record to run fifth. Rohde’s time of 4:54.38 ranks second only to Pixler on the all-time list. Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.) became the Falcons’ first male indoor All-American since 1994, placing eighth in the 800 meters (1:52.52). The medley relay was timed in 12:04.77. It included Rohde, Jane Larson (Fr., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), Jessica Hinton (Fr., Lake Stevens, Wa.) and Jennifer Marsh (Sr., Kirkland, Wa./Juanita). Each made the All-America team. Pixler is the first SPU freshman, to win a title indoors or outdoors, since Tiffany Colman in the 1992 javelin.

2 meets, 2 qualifiers. Molly Barnes (Sr., Burien, Wa./Highline) became the second national qualifier in the javelin, highlighting the Falcons’ performance at the Joe Peyton Invitational, last week’s outdoor meet. Barnes threw for second place with a mark of 141 feet, 3 inches–more than 8 feet past the provisional standard and a personal record by one foot. Brittany Bekins (So., Everett, Wa./Cascade) qualified a week ago and owns the top qualifying mark in Division II at 150-4. Elsewhere for SPU, Lisa Anderberg (Fr., Edmonds, Wa./Kamiak) won the 800 (2:20.30), just ahead of Suzie Strickler (So., Richland, Wa.), and Monica Anderson (Jr., Bremerton, Wa.) was runner-up in the pole vault (10-11?).

Building steam. Brian Cronrath (Jr., Battle Ground, Wa.) has gotten off to an impressive start outdoors. Cronrath began with a personal record in the 1500 two weeks ago, then trimmed more than 11 seconds off his 5000 PR at the Peyton, running second in 15:09.68. Indoors, he had hit a provisional standard in the 800 and finished third in the GNAC mile. Also placing second for the men was Joshua Jorgensen (Fr., Gladstone, Or./Putnam) in the pole vault (12-5?).

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