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April 15, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University is sending 20 track and field athletes to compete in two southern California meets this week, with 11 participating in the 51st annual Mt. SAC Relays Collegiate Invitational on Thursday and Friday at Walnut, Calif.(Hilmer Lodge Stadium), and 10 competing in the Azusa Pacific University Invitational on Friday at Azusa, Calif.

Competing Thursday at the Mt. SAC Relays are four Viking distance runners - Eric Brill (So., Kent/Kentwood) in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Sarah Porter (So., Hockinson) and Lauren Breihof (So., Vancouver/Mountain View) in the women's 10,000 and Jordan Welling (So., Burlington/Burlington-Edison) in the men's 10,000.

Porter already has posted a NCAA Division II automatic qualifying time in the 5,000 (17:01.94) and a provisional time in the 1,500 (4:36.24). Breihof is a provisional qualifier in the 10,000 (36:58.82) as are Welling in the 5,000 (14:28.48) and Brill in the steeplechase (9:24.61).

Western participants Friday at the Mt. SAC Relays are Ryan Brown (So., Bellingham/Squalicum) in the men's pole vault, Heidi Dimmitt (Sr., Wenatchee) in the women's 400 hurdles, Rachael Johnson (So., Yakima/West Valley) in the women's 800, Christy Miller (Sr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelley) in the women's pole vault,Kevin Myhre (Sr., Edmonds/Meadowdale) in the men's 400 hurdles, Anthony Tomsich (Jr., Fairbanks, AK/West Valley) in the men's 1,500, Ellie Siler (Fr., Spokane/Lewis & Clark) in the women's 400, and the women's 4x400 relay of Dimmitt, Johnson, Megan O'Connell (So., Sammamish/Skyline) and Siler.

Dimmitt posted a provisional qualifying 400 hurdle time of 1:02.25 last Friday at the WWU Ralph Vernacchia Team Meet, and Tomsich has a 1,500 provisional time of 3:51.96.

O'Connell also will be among nine Vikings participating in the Azusa Pacific meet Friday, running in the women's 400. Joining her are Augustine Agyei (Jr., Aurora, CO/Smoky Hill) in the men's 100. Clara Cook (Sr., Wenatchee) in the women's high jump, Shane Gruger (So., Shoreline/Shorewood) in the men's long jump, 100 and 200; Andrew Gray (Fr., Sammamish/Skyline) in the men's 110 hurdles and 200, Michelle Howe (So., Arlington/Lakewood) in the women's 100 hurdles, Joey Miura (Sr., Seattle/Seattle Prep) in the men's 100, Alex Tilley (Fr., Edmonds/Kamiak) in the men's 100 and 200, and Cheryl Watson (So., Olympia) in the women's 800. Agyei, Gruger, Miura and Gruger are also competing in the men's 4x100 relay.

Cook leads the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in the women's high jump, clearing 5-5 3/4.

The balance of Western's squad travels to Ellensburg on Saturday for the Central Washington University Spike Arlt Invitational.

Leading that contingent is Emily Warman (Fr., Sedro-Woolley), who tops the GNAC in the women's long jump (18-4 1/4) and is second in the triple jump with a provisional qualifying mark of 38-8 3/4.