Dominic Baez
Managing editor

In a meet hosting more than 1,000 athletes, the Wildcats took charge and smashed school records and personal bests at the Willamette Invitational in Salem on April 3 and 4.
The next meet, Washington v. Oregon, will be in Spokane, Wash., on April 11. Certain track and field athletes will participate in the Northwest Conference Decathlon/Heptathlon in Tacoma, Wash., on April 13 and 14.
At the Willamette Invitational, junior Laura Sibley ran a personal-best, 1:04.96, in the 400-meter hurdles, which was nearly three seconds better than her PR and moved her to No. 7 on Linfield’s all-time list.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I have never felt so good about a track meet. I finally let loose and just raced, and it came so naturally.”
Sibley contributed to the 4×400 relay squad first-place finish.
“I shattered my previous PRs in both races, and I never imagined I could run that fast in a 4×400,” she said. “It doesn’t even seem real that I put up those marks.
Sibley said it was more than just her skill that helped her on the track.
“Honestly, the best part by far was all of the support I received from my teammates and coaches throughout the meet,” she said. “It was awesome hearing everyone cheering for me as I came around the final corner of the 4×400, then looking over and seeing my three 4×400 teammates screaming at me with 50 meters to go and knowing that I was not going to let them down. I couldn’t have competed the way that I did without everyone’s support.”
Junior Marci Klimek also performed well, breaking a 13-year-old school record in the women’s 5,000 race.
Klimek clocked at 17 minutes, 13.74 second times in the 5000, placing 11th in the event and knocking 30 seconds from her previous PR. Her time broke the Linfield record of 17:16.08 set in 1996 by two-time Wildcats All-American and Hall of Fame inductee Missy Hayward. Her time also provisionally qualified for the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held in Marietta, Ohio, May 21-23.
Freshman Kelly Marineau also provisionally qualified for the championships in the javelin; she placed fifth with her throw of 40.35 meters and came within four feet of breaking the school.
The men posted some impressive results, as well.
Junior John Torsey placed third in the 100 dash with a time of 10.84. He also placed eighth in the 200, recording a season-best effort of 22.60. Along with sophomore Mike Eldredge and juniors Josh and Jeremy Lovell, Torsey placed first in the 4×100 relay with a time of 42.03.
In the throws, junior Clint Moore earned season-best distances in the shot, 13.58 meters, discus, 41.75 meters, and hammer, 41.61 meters.
“We have an amazing team, and every single person out there has something great to offer,” Sibley said. “I am so excited to see how we do at the conference championships.”