Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran hosts its lone meet of the season, welcoming programs from around the Pacific Northwest to the PLU Open. Action gets underway on Friday at 1 p.m. with the hammer Throw while the rest of the events will be contested on Saturday.
About the Lute Women: Three Lutes won events at the outdoor opener at Puget Sound last Saturday, including reigning national champion Ava Nelson shattering her own school record in the javelin.
Nelson extended her school record by over a foot with a toss of 151 feet, nine inches. It's currently the best throw in D3 this season and the seventh best chuck in all of collegiate track & field. Sarah Paquet won the 10,000-meters in convincing fashion and owns the fastest 10K in all of collegiate track while Tabitha Messineo won the hammer throw.
Both Nelson and Paquet were recognized by the NWC on Monday with Nelson earning NWC Field Athlete of the Week and Paquet landing NWC Track Athlete of the Week honors.
About the Lute Men: The Lutes won three events at the outdoor season opener on Saturday at the Ed Boitano Invitational. Masum Real headlined the weekend, winning both the shot put and discus and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Field Athlete of the Week. Real currently boasts the top throws in NCAA Division III in both the shot and discus and ranks 10th nationally in the hammer throw.
Keola Sanchez won the 100-meter dash in 10.99 and owns the 12th fastest time in D3 this season and the fastest time in the NWC. His performance earned him NWC Track Athlete of the Week laurels on Monday.
Ryan Stracke and Owen Ladinig own the top two times in D3 in the 10,000-meters while Larson Fairbairn had a big PR in the hammer and ranks fourth in the nation in the event.
This weekend the Lutes will compete as a split squad with Grady Lemma participating at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships while the rest of the squad stays home and competes at the PLU Open.
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Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on August 31 through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Next Meet:
Mar. 18: Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle, Wash.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu