Tacoma, WA – Trojan Track and Field began the 2024 outdoor season on Saturday at the Ed Boitano Invitational, hosted by the University of Puget Sound.  The early March weather presented challenges for all the athletes ranging from the community college level up to, NAIA, and NCAA DIII and DII.  The start of the meet would be the warmest it would get at 43 degrees and plummeting down to 34 degrees by the end of it.  Despite the frigid temperatures, several EvCC athletes competed at a very high level and set some good initial marks and times to get the 2024 season underway.

Two athletes actually got the meet started on Friday, the lone events being the men's and women's 10,000 meter and the men's and women's hammer. Jessica Henry set a new PR in the 10,000 running 43:18.53, placing 16^th overall, and 1^st among the NWAC competitors.  She currently sits at 3^rd on the 2024 NWAC performance list, and just 4 seconds outside of the second fastest time.  Sophia Mackenzie also reached a huge PR in the hammer throw by over 6 feet.  Her mark of 116'10" (35.61m) placed 9^th overall, 4^th among NWAC competition, and currently sits at 7^th on the NWAC performance list.  This mark is also the 5^th furthest mark in the women's hammer at EvCC. 

Other top performances on the women's side include Emma Arceo's (who won the Northwest Region Cross Country Championship) 12th place overall finish in the 800m and currently holds 2^nd in the NWAC, Alexis Buhman took 4^th overall in the 5,000m (1^st among NWAC competition) with a time of 19:32.90 (1^st on the NWAC Performance list), and Denna Gibb who threw 120'11" in the javelin, placing 2^nd at the meet and currently holds the best mark in the NWAC by over 14 feet. 

On the men's side, Blake Wayman competed in both the 1,500 and the 800.  He finished 22^nd overall among one of the largest fields at the entire meet with 41 competitors with a time of 4:18.55.  He was 2^nd among NWAC competition, and 4^th overall on the NWAC performance list, just 8 seconds out of auto qualifying.  In the 800 Blake excelled with a time of 2:01.36, 11^th overall, 3^rd among NWAC competitors, and 5^th overall in the NWAC this season.  His time is less than 2 seconds from hitting the qualifier.

Freshman sprinters Joshua Hodges and Robert Lane got their first outdoor track meet experience, Hodges placing 14^th overall in the 100m and 15^th overall in the 200m.  Both events were large fields with 35 athletes in the 200, and 53 athletes in the 100, the largest event at the meet.  Robert Lane took 22^nd overall in the 200m and 15^th overall in the 400m.  In the 200m event, Hodges ended up finishing 1^st among NWAC competition and Lane finished 3^rd. 

Another freshman, Liam Naicker competed in the 100m, winning his heat with a time of 11.44 and placing 7^th overall, 1^st among NWAC competition.  His time is currently the fastest in the NWAC by a tenth of a second, and 4 tenths away from auto qualifying. 

The next track meet will again be in Tacoma, this time the team will be at Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, March 16th.  The first events will begin at 11am.