The EWU track and field team put up a flurry of top 10 school records and posted a new conference qualifying mark at the Oregon State High Performance Meet in Corvallis on May 1, as the Big Sky Conference Championships begin a week from May 6 at Roos Field.

Freshman Jeremy VanAssche won the 100-meter dash and set a school record in the event with a time of 10.42 seconds. VanAssche’s time edged out the school record of 10.43 seconds that he held with Johnnie Williams, who set the mark in 1999.

“[VanAssche] breaking his own school record exemplifies preparation in spirit and body to do something very special when given the opportunity,” said men’s head coach Stan Kerr. “His 10.42 wowed those at the meet, especially his teammates.”

VanAssche was also on the men’s 4×100 relay team that won the event on May 1 and now sits second all-time in program history. Tyree Fort, Obinna Nnadi and Blair Bomber rounded out the team that, as it stands, has posted the fastest time amongst all Big Sky relay teams this season.

The women’s 4×100 relay team — Paige Hammock, Erika Lombardo, Brooke Monson and Rebecca Tarbert — posted a strong time of 46.81 seconds, which improves their hold on the seventh spot in school history. Portland State University’s relay team currently holds the first spot amongst Big Sky competitors, with a time of 45.54 seconds.

In the second-to-last meet before the championships, Samantha Baker qualified for the conference championships in the javelin with a distance of 149-5 1/4. The toss was a personal best for Baker, who finished third in the event at the meet.

Prior to May 1’s personal best, Baker had leveled off in the javelin, with her season-best of 137-7 coming at the Al Manuel meet on March 27, just shy of the qualifying mark.

“She has been struggling in that event and finally put together a good throw. Not only did it qualify her for conference, but it might be far enough to get her to regionals,” said head women’s coach Marcia Mecklenburg.

In other field events, Katylyn Coleman took first place in the shot put with a throw of 47-9 1/4. The throw was a personal best and ranks fourth all-time in program history. Her prior best before the meet was 46-5 1/2, which had her placed eighth amongst Big Sky competitors. Coleman’s throw now ranks second in the season amongst fellow conference athletes.

Fellow shot putter Cody Humphrey set a personal best and ranks 10th all-time in school history after a throw of 55-6 1/4. Humphrey now ranks third amongst all athletes in the shot put in the conference during the season.

It was business as usual for Jordan Arakawa, winning the hammer throw with a toss of 207-3 3/4. It was the fifth-straight week Arakawa won the event and the fourth time this season he had a throw that eclipsed 200 feet.

Other winners for EWU include Trenton Osborn in the long jump, Phil Puccino in the triple jump and Anandae Clark in the pole vault.

“I truly enjoy the championship run part of the season. The next eight weeks contain the conference, regional and national championships and an opportunity to see our preparation peak,” said Kerr.

The Eagles have one final meet before the Big Sky Championships, the Sasquatch Carnival at Spokane Falls Community College on May 6.