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MARION, Ind. – Eastern Oregon University track and field athlete, Alma Garcilazo, advanced to the national finals heat of the women's 800 meters.
Garcilazo ran a 2:12.14 to place fifth in Friday's national semifinals. She was third in her heat. The sophomore will be running for an All-American finish Saturday. Garcilazo will run at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Umatilla, Ore. native owns the EOU record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.01, which she ran at the Oregon Relays this season.
Ryan Booth finished his sophomore season in the national semifinals. He crossed the line at 1:54.66. Booth has battled a hamstring injury, but finishes 15th in the men's 800 meters. He broke the school record this season in the event with a time of 1:50.64 at the Oregon Relays.
Chris Dilley placed 25th in the men's discus. The senior had a top throw of 132 feet, 10 inches. Dilley had the 16th best throw in NAIA this season at 159 feet, nine inches at the Stanford Invite. Doane's Jared Schuurmans won the event with a throw of 179 feet, seven inches.
The next EOU competitor was Terry Johnsen in the men's 5,000 meters. The sophomore finished 26th with a time of 15:48.17. Johnsen ran a 14:58.64 at the Pacific Twilight this season for his best time. Wayland Baptist's Kennedy Kithuka enters Saturday final as the top seed after Friday's 14:57.54 semifinal finish.
The EOU women's 4x400-meter relay team finished its heat in sixth place, 16th overall. The team of Melisa Abesa, Talissa Baldovino, Grace Deboodt, and Garcilazo crossed the finish line with a time of 3:55.62. The 4x400 team crushed the previous school record this season with a top time of 3:52.
The Mountaineers' men's 4x400-meter relay team of Kevin Sthen, Dustin Cloud, Andrew Wise, and Andrew Perri crossed the line eighth in their meet. EOU finished at 3:17.72. Eastern broke a school record this year in that event with a time of 3:17.03. The top time Friday was Oklahoma City's 3:10.71.
Justin Dean and Garcilazo will be the final two Mountaineers to compete. Dean is running the marathon in the morning at 3 Pacific Time. The 26.2-mile course wraps through the town of Marion and ends on the Indiana Wesleyan University campus.
