Four members of the Portland Pilots men’s and women’s track and field team qualified recently for the NCAA National Championship. Woody Kincaid, Reid Buchanan, Lauren LaRocco, and Kaylie Van Loo each took top-10 finishes in their respective events at Rock Chalk Park during the NCAA West Regional competition. For the second straight year, the Pilots match a program record by sending four qualifiers to nationals. Portland also sent four student-athletes to the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1995.
Kincaid was the top finisher for a second year in a row in the men’s 5,000m with a time of 14:09.13. Buchanan was one of four members of the men’s team to compete in the men’s 10,000m race. He was the top Pilot to finish, taking seventh with a time of 29:53.54. LaRocco first competed in the women’s 10,000m, placing sixth with a time of 34:25.40. LaRocco also qualified for nationals in the 5,000 meters as her time of 16:21.09 was good enough for ninth place. Van Loo’s throw of 167’8’’ in the javelin held off nine of the last 16 throwers, placing her in seventh overall. She will be one of the 24 student-athletes competing for a national championship in Eugene.
The four qualifying Pilots will be competing in the NCAA National Championship on June 8-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. For more information contact the athletics office at x7117 or go to portlandpilots.com.