NWC Multi-Events Results (M&W)

SPOKANE, Wash. – Alexis Arnold, Beth Stam, Melissa Leighty and Alyssa Turner finished 1-2-4-5 in the women's heptathlon while twin brothers Nate and David Dillow were second and third in the men's decathlon for the George Fox University Bruins as the Northwest Conference Multi-Events concluded Tuesday here at Whitworth University's Boppell Track.

Women

Arnold captured the heptathlon with a score of 4,456 points while Stam scored 4,266, both NCAA Division III provisional qualifying totals.  Arnold's score is the second-highest in the NWC this spring and ranks fifth nationally, right behind Stam's 4,470 which she achieved in the Cal State-Northridge event on March 17-18.  Brandi Miller of Willamette University took third with 4,102 points, followed by Leighty with 3,848 and Turner with 3,806.

Arnold secured the conference championship on Tuesday by winning the long jump (17-0.5 / 5.19m) and finishing third in the javelin throw (99-5 / 30.30m) and fifth in the 800 meter run (2:39.37).  Her long jump mark was an NWC qualifier and moved her into fourth in the conference.

Stam took second place by winning the javelin (125-2 / 38.16m), placing third in the long jump (16-6 / 5.03m) and sixth in the 800 (2:39.50).  Her javelin and long jump distances were NWC qualifiers; she already led the league with an NCAA provisional 142-0 / 43.28m in the javelin, and moved into eighth in the long jump.

Leighty built her score by finishing second in the long jump (16-7.25 / 5.06m), sixth in the javelin (86-0 / 26.21m), and eighth in the 800 (2:43.22).  Her long jump was an NWC mark that is seventh in the league.

Turner won the 800 (2:25.12), placed fifth in the long jump (15-6.25 / 4.73m), and came in ninth in the javelin (70-8 / 21.53m).  Her NWC-qualifying 800 stands 12th in the conference.

“I don't believe we've ever had that many athletes finish that high in the heptathlon,” said George Fox coach John Smith.  “Our ladies have given us a terrific start toward the conference championships coming up in two weeks.”

By taking four of the top five spots, George Fox earned 27 points (10-8-5-4) toward the overall Northwest Conference title, with Willamette receiving six points, Pacific University three, Pacific Lutheran University two, and Whitworth one.   

Men

In the decathlon, Willamette's Evin Colignon caught first-day leader David Dillow to win with 6,419 points.  Nate Dillow also caught his brother to finish second with 6,141 points, while David ended with 6,037.  The scores for Colignon and Nate Dillow are the second and third-best marks in the country thus far, trailing only the 6,701 posted by David Dillow in the Cal State-Northridge decathlon on March 17-18.

On Tuesday, Nate Dillow won the 110 meter hurdles (15.73) and came in second in the pole vault (12-11.5 / 3.95m), third in the 1,500 meter run (4:40.45), seventh in the javelin throw (139-7 / 42.54m), and 10th in the discus throw (94-0 / 28.65m).  He hit NWC marks in the hurdles and pole vault, moving into 10th in the conference in the vault, and was already the conference leader with a 15.30 in the hurdles. 

David Dillow won the pole vault (14-3.25 / 4.35m) and took third in the discus (118-11 / 36.25m), seventh in the 1,500 (4:58.59), and 11th in the 110 hurdles (19.47) and the javelin (107-7 / 32.79m).  His NWC mark in the vault now ranks second in the league.

“David strained a hamstring on Monday and just had trouble getting over the hurdles, which is usually one of his better events,” said George Fox coach John Smith in noting the national leader's dropoff in that event to start Tuesday.  “He gutted it out the rest of the way, though, had a great vault, and earned us some big points.  Nate had a fine meet as well, even though he hasn't trained that much for it.”

The Dillow finishes earned George Fox 14 points toward the Northwest Conference championships.  Willamette garnered 12 points, Whitworth 10, and Pacific Lutheran three.

All remaining Northwest Conference championship events will be held April 22-23 at Linfield College's Maxwell Field in McMinnville, Ore.

NEXT: George Fox will host its own Rich Allen Classic Saturday at Colcord Memorial Field.  Field events begin at 10:30 a.m. with the women's hammer and men's shot put and javelin, while track events get under way at 11:15 a.m. with the women's 4x100 meter relay.