Complete Results

SEATTLE (Mar. 16) ­ Less than a week after capping the indoor season with a national title, Seattle Pacific University freshman Jessica Pixler is asserting herself on the outdoor stage.

Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) ran the fastest 3000 meters by a Falcon in 15 years Friday night, handily winning the Washington Preview and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships in 9 minutes, 37.41 seconds.

It was Pixler's first outdoor race and her broke the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record by more than 15 seconds. She won the NCAA indoor mile last Saturday in Boston.

Making the national provisional standard in the 3000 was Seattle Pacific's Jane Larson (Fr., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian). Timed in 10:07.87, Larson placed sixth. Suzie Strickler (So., Richland, Wa.) just missed the qualifying cutoff of 10:18, taking 13th in 10:18.13.

The Falcons also got a win from Teona Perkins (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) in the 800 (2:17.61) and the 1600 relay (4:00.03).

For the SPU men, Ben Climer (Fr., Woodburn, Or.) ran first in the 400 hurdles (57.07) and the 1600 relay won in 3:31.27. The top mark came from Brian Cronrath (Jr., Battle Ground, Wa.) in the 1500. Cronrath ran a personal record of 3:56.15­2.15 off the provisional standard.

Seattle Pacific will next compete at the Trojan Invitational next Saturday in Los Angeles.