Forest Grove, Ore. – The Boxers hosted their annual Pacific Lū’au Track and Field Meet this Saturday, April 9. Eight Pacific athletes won their respective events, and a new Hanson Stadium Record was set in the women’s hammer throw by Chanell Botsis, who competed unattached. Botsis threw 61.56m, smashing the old record of 58.73 set by Lauren Stuart of Northern Arizona University in 2013. The Boxers also honored their senior class, as is tradition during the Lū’au Track Meet.
The following Boxers won their events during the meet:
Alexis Lowery, women’s 100m hurdles – 16.30
Angelica Gatica Gomez, women’s 400m – 59.80
Emily Rutkowski, women’s 400m hurdles – 1:08.45
Oliver Joss, men’s 1500m – 4:02.03
Annie Berry, women’s 5k – 18:16.61
Naomi Johnson, women’s discus throw – 40.08m
Sophia Henke, women’s high jump – 1.42m
Andrew Reid, men’s shot put – 13.45m
Women’s 400m relay: Putman, Echiverri, Pilgrim, Rutkowski – 4:21.18
New NWC Qualifiers from this meet:
200m – Angelica Gatica Gomez
1500m – Kara Putman
5k – Cris Brethower, Will Neal
Shot Put – Savannah Ashbaugh
Triple Jump – Tyler Vargas
The annual Pacific Lū’au is a special meet, as it is always held on the morning of Pacific University’s Nā Haumāna O Hawai’i (NHOH) Club’s Lū’au and Hō’ike. NHOH presents the only completely student-run and student-directed lū’au in the Northwest, and several track and field athletes participate or hold leadership positions within this club. The senior class of the Pacific track team is also honored at this meet every year.
“Our Lū’au meet is always fun, and a special day to celebrate our seniors,” said head track and field coach Ryan Hunter-Simms. “All of us coaches are very thankful for the seniors on this team. They’ve given such great leadership to the program, and have accomplished a lot so far in sports and beyond. We are thankful to have a little more time with them yet this season – we will miss them so much next year!”
The Boxers have one more regular-season meet before the Northwest Conference Championship Track and Field Meet. They will compete this Saturday, April 16 at Lewis and Clark.
