SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University track and field teams held up well against the deepest competition the Pirates would face this season on Friday at the Whitworth Peace meet.

Competing against the likes of NCAA Division I Washington State, Idaho and Eastern Washington and NCAA Div. II Central Washington, among others, Whitworth came away with several top finishes and season-best marks in a field of over 500 student-athletes.

As she has done most of the season, Amelia Hewson led the way.  She finished first in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 14.25, which is also now the leading mark in the Northwest Conference.  Hewson went on to finish fourth in the women's 100-meter dash with a season-best time of 12.40.

Alisson Ball took sixth in the 100 dash with a season-best time of 12.53 and she was fifth in the 200-meter dash in 25.90.

Carmen Winslow, Mackenzie Ward, Madelyn Buckley and Nikohl Jordan won the women's 4x400-meter relay in 4:15.77.  Ward also took sixth in the women's 400-meter dash with a season-best time of 1:01.97.  Buckley finished sixth in the 800-meter run in 2:22.55. 

Mary Neder took first place in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:27.68.  Haley Jacobson had a season-best time in the women's 5000-meter run in 19:36.33.

Devyn Cope was runner-up in the triple jump (34'-8.5"), while Eva Millan was fourth in the javelin (129'-6").  Abbie Jo Carlson posted a season-best (156'-11") by nearly seven feet while finishing seventh in the hammer throw.

The Whitworth men did not have any event victories, but still posted some strong times and marks on Friday. James Dugenet was runner-up in the men's 3000 steeplechase with a season-best time of 9:55.76, shaving 17 seconds off his previous top time.

Similarly, Xavier Betancourt took over two seconds off his best time while finishing third in the 400-meter hurdles in 55.37. 

Hopefully setting himself up for a strong performance at next week's NWC decathlon, Joe Tingstad put up a season-best time in the 100-meter dash with an 11.16. 

Out in the field events, the Pirate men had strong, season-best performances from Benjamin Brinkley and Logan Wright.  Brinkley took third in the javelin throw with a mark of 185'-10", improving by about four feet.  Wright was fourth in the long jump in 21'-11", improving by about eight inches.

Reed Hurst was fourth in the discus (145'11") and sixth in the shot put (46'-8"). 

In addition to the Northwest Conference multi-event championships on Monday and Tuesday, Whitworth will host its own Twilight Meet next Thursday.