Head coach Norm Berney led the Warriors in their second-ever full-team track & field event today at the Linfield Icebreaker.
Corban Competes in Erik Anderson Icebreaker
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Senior Carli Moller (Vancouver, Wash.) and junior Jason Mentzer (Aumsville, Ore.) helped lead Corban's men's and women's track & field team at the first-ever Eric Anderson Icebreaker hosted by Linfield College Saturday at Maxwell Field.
Turning a blind eye to cold temperatures and a biting wind, the Warrior athletes showed some promising early season results in only their second full-team meet of the season.
Over 600 athletes competed in the annual track & field event, recently renamed in honor of former Linfield track & field and cross country athlete Erik Anderson, who died tragically last month in an on-the-job accident.
After finishing fourth in the 800 meter run in a time of 2:24.73, Moller came back in the 1,500 meter run to place second thanks to a time of 4:46.10. Seven events later, Moller returned to the track and helped lead Corban’s 4x400 meter relay team to a runner-up finish in a time of 4:21.50. The fourth-year Warrior teamed with freshman Jocelyn Smith (Yakima, Wash.), sophomore Erin Laughlin (Ephrata, Wash.), and freshman Courtney Welling (Springfield, Ore.) and ended the race less than nine seconds behind Linfield’s race-winning team.
In the day’s opening event, sophomore Bianca Davis (Ontario, Ore.) finished 15th overall in the 100 meter dash thanks to a time of 13.73.
Smith would be the second Warrior on the track, as she finished 13th overall in the 200 meter dash in a time of 28.46 before Laughlin took part on the 400 meter dash en route to finishing eighth overall thanks to a time of 1:04.19.
In the 800 meter run, Moller was joined by Welling’s 11th place finish in a time of 2:33.64 and freshman Amy Renfro’s (Albany, Ore.) 14th place showing thanks to a time of 2:35.21. Renfro also took part in the 1,500 meter run and finished 21st overall in a time of 5:11.74.
In the 5,000 meter run, sophomore Karissa Griggs (Athena, Ore.) finished fourth overall in a time of 19:54.39 and was less than 50 seconds behind the winner – Kelsey Croall of Lewis & Clark.
Running in Corban’s first hurdle event of the season, Smith ended 18th overall thanks to a time of 20.26 in the 100 meter hurdles to round out the Warrior women’s team competitors.
On the men’s side, Mentzer posted the Warriors’ best field event finish ever thanks to a third place showing in the shot put. The first-year Corban competitor hurled the shot put 13.30 meters (43 feet, 7¾ inches), which was 1.12 meters behind the event winner – Junior Velasquez of Mt. Hood Community College.
After the shot put event, Mentzer turned the discus and finished 13th overall thanks to a throw of 34.71 meters (113 feet, 10 inches) before ending his day with an eighth place showing in the hammer throw with a throw of 38.89 meters (130 feet, 10 inches).
In the track events, freshman Joshua Christensen (Salem, Ore.) opened the day in the 100 meter dash and finished 39th overall thanks to a time of 12.43.
Fellow freshman Cory Shields (Jefferson, Ore.) took the track for the 200 meter dash and finished 40th overall in a time of 25.68 before freshman Kevin Coriano (Anchorage, Alaska) ran in the 400 meter dash ending 24th overall thanks to a time of 56.99.
Sophomore Ben Search (Battle Ground, Wash.) ran in the 800 meter run and finished 13th overall in a time of 2:03.16, while junior Jeffrey Schloemer (Mount Vernon, Wash.) was 21st overall thanks to a time of 2:08.07.
In the 1,500 meter run, freshman Caleb Goins (Scio, Ore.) and Search finished 10th and 13th respectively in times of 4:14.20 (Goins) and 4:18.31 (Search).
Sophomore Kevin Cook (Ashland, Ore.) competed in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and finished eighth overall in a time of 11:08.80 before running in the 5,000 meter run with Goins and sophomore Jason Hardrath (Baker City, Ore.). Goins placed eighth overall in a time of 15:56.47, while Cook and Hardrath ended 17th and 20th respectively in thanks to times of 17:11.56 (Cook) and 17:19.71 (Hardrath).
Senior Ben Snell (Spray, Ore.) rounded out the Warriors’ track runners in the 10,000 meter run and finished 16th overall in a time of 33:27.93.
Corban will return to the track on Saturday, March 14th, at the Mt. Hood Invite beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Gresham.