CORVALLIS, Ore. and PORTLAND, Ore. -- The George Fox track and field athletes finished up their final away meets, with several Bruins traveling down to Corvallis for the Pac-12 Open while others went north for the Portland Twilight.

How It Happened - Pac-12 Open
Ayahna Bahati got things going for the Bruins, finishing fifth place in the 100m hurdles with her time of 14.63 as the senior looks to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

The next top five finisher for Fox was Karys Gates, who placed second overall in the women's 400m with a time of 58.71. 

Connor Christy was the first Bruin man to finish in the top five, clocking a season-best 1:00.85 in the 400m hurdles. Abigail Weber followed with a 1:15.47 in the women's 400m hurdles, a time good for fifth place.

Breanna Schmitt put together a PR time in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing fifth place in the event with a time of 11:11.76.

The jumpers and vaulters rounded out the day in Corvallis, with several Bruins finishing in the top five. Owen Gurney's PR long jump of 22-10.00 was good for second place, while Victoria Azar finished third with a 18-03.00 and Savannah Johnstone placed fourth with a 
17-00.50 in the women's long jump.

For the men's pole vault, Keegan Gantala placed second with a vault of 13-05.75 while Zeke Sikkema was one spot behind in third with a vault of 12-11.75. Drew Pierson rounded out the attempts at OSU with a fifth-place finish in the long jump, totaling a mark of 44-08.25.

How It Happened - Portland Twilight
A stacked distance event saw several Bruins put up solid marks — including two massive performances from Ellie Rising and Aidan Arthur.

In a field that featured Division I runners and athletes associated with shoe sponsorships, Rising placed 9th overall with a blistering PR time of 4:24.20. The senior's time was good for third in the country and stretched her GFU record in the event to a 10-second lead over second place.

In the men's 1500m, Arthur set a PR of his own, moving up to 14th place in the nation with his time of 3:47.40. The senior's mark was good for 11th in the event, and keeps him in second place in GFU history — just one second back of Jonathan Morse's mark set in 1992.

Up Next
The Bruins will field a two-day final meet as several athletes try to get their marks into the top 22 in the nation and qualify for NCAAs. The GFU Final Qualifier will take place on Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15.