CORVALLIS, Ore. – The UBC Thunderbirds once again stood up to the challenge against some stiff competition, earning personal bests and several more national championship qualifying results at the Oregon State University High Performance meet in Corvallis this weekend.
In their final competition ahead of next week's Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship, the 'Birds who made the trip to west-central Oregon proved they're already well in championship season form.
"The meet was a great opportunity for our athletes to compete against strong competition," said UBC lead endurance coach, Steve Weiler. "It was key for our 10,000 metre athletes with
Amelia Pfohl and
Jaiveer Tiwana both qualifying for NAIAs while
Jonah Brost ran a huge personal best. The group also performed particularly well in the 800 metres including a top-three sweep of the open men's race."
In the case of Pfohl and Tiwana, it was the first collegiate entries in the longest NAIA event for both veteran T-Birds and both showed tremendously.
Tiwana made a strong 'B' Standard with a 30:37.55 while Brost set a PB with a final time of 31:14.37.
Pfohl clinched her berth in the women's national championship 10,000 metre race with an 'A' Standard 35:07.28, currently the fourth fastest time in the NAIA.
The T-Birds made it a 1,2,3 UBC finish in the men's 800 metres Saturday with
Spencer Hardy leading the way with a time of 1:52.95.
Ryan Goudron claimed second with a season best 1:53.13.
Devon Meadows followed just 14 one-hundredths back.
Mackenzie Campbell won the women's 800 metres posting a 2:11.45 while
Laura Beghin posted a personal best of 2:14.22 to make 'B' Standard. Freshman
Rachel McDonald also set a new PB of 2:15.82.
2024 NAIA women's 1500 metre champion
Holly MacGillivray now has the opportunity to defend her title having run a blistering 4:21.09 Friday evening for a new number one ranking.
Campbell had already secured 'A' Standard in the women's 1500 metres, but she bumped herself up to the third overall ranking in the NAIA with a new personal best of 4:25.34 on Friday.
Sarah MacGillivray also improved her 'A' Standard 1500 posting a 4:28.89, just 69 one-hundredths off her lifetime best.
McDonald set a new personal best crossing the finish line in 4:40.91 with Beghin also notching a new lifetime best time of 4:41.07.
Maximilien Filion won the men's 1500 metres with a final time of 3:53.99.
Will Lesyna's time of 4:02.96 serves as a new personal best for the rookie from Washington State.
Calvin Brain set a new personal best in the men's 3000 metre steeplechase, clocking in at 9:29.29.
In her first ever collegiate 5000 metre entry,
Elysse Fleming ran a 'B' Standard time of 17:01.19, currently the 11
th fastest time in the NAIA this season.
Tony Ganz ran a season best in the men's 200 metres with a time of 22.67.
Far more Thunderbirds will be heading back to Oregon in less than a week with the 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships taking place Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10 in Ashland.
Championship season will then continue with the NAIA National Championship meet set for May 21-23 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.
FULL RESULTS
