11 Track & Field Boxers Earn All-Conference; Maddy Hubbs Becomes Conference Champion

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The Pacific Track and Field team traveled to Tacoma, Washington, on April 23rd and 24th to compete at the Northwest Conference Championship. The sunshine was out for the two-day meet.11 Boxers battled their way onto the podium and earned All-Conference by placing top three in their events. The men’s team took 5th and the women’s team took 4th in the NWC Championship. 

A junior and distance runner, Maddy Hubbs, is the NWC individual champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The race consists of hurdling over two hurdles on the track and two water barriers. Hubbs led the entire race, finishing with a time of 11:37.98, only seconds off her personal best of 11:34.81. Hubbs was battling an ankle injury the week leading up to the championships. 

“This race was super mental for me this year,” explained Hubbs. “I was in a boot until the Wednesday before the Friday race, and I knew I was capable of a good race but didn’t know if it would be that weekend. It was frustrating thinking I wouldn’t be able to finish the season, but I’m super glad I was able to go out the way I did.” 

Kara Putman, a senior and 2021 NWC cross country champion and national qualifier, walked away at this most recent meet with two second-place medals in the 10k, with a time of 38:00.18 and 5k with a time of 18:04.27. Neither of those times was Putman’s personal best, but she said she felt good about the overall race. 

“The 10k did not go as I expected it to go, but overall I am happy with my performance,” explained Putman. “I was ranked to win it by a minute and was not expecting that type of racing strategy from Lewis and Clarke, but at the championships, anything can happen, and I controlled what I could.”  

Angelica Gomez, a freshman sprinter, placed second in the open 400 finals with a time of 59.57 after running a season-best of 58.53 in prelims. Gomez has improved her personal best in the 400m and 200m almost every invite. 

“It felt good passing people on the last 100 meters; I have improved a lot on my final kicks this season,” explained Gomez. “It was a little harder on finals day because my legs were already tired from prelims the day before.” 

Eight other Boxers medaled at the NWC Championships: Noami Johnson, second in the discus (41.25m); Annie Berry, third in the 5k (18:06.91); Andrew Reid, third in the shot put (14.22m); Dominic Funk, third in the javelin (57.10m); Erik Maack, third in the 10k (31:48.84); Riley Stewart, third in the 1500m (3:53.62), Garrett Stewart, third in the 800m (1:55.86); Emily Rutkowski, third in the 400m hurdlers (1:06.13). — Emily Ruthowski

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