May 24, 2008

Results

WALNUT, Calif. - Western Washington University had three outstanding final-day performances as sophomore Monika Gruszecki (Lynnwood/Meadowdale) placed second in the women's javelin, junior Heidi Dimmitt (Wenatchee) finished fourth in the women's 400-meter hurdles and senior Keith Lemay (Lynden/Lynden Christian) was sixth in the men's 800 on Saturday at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mount San Antonio College.

"These are the days you dream about," said Western coach Pee Wee Halsell. "I'm still walking on a cloud ... I've been nervous all day."

Gruszecki, the defending national champion, posted a mark of 152 feet, 3 inches on her first throw, her best of the competition. That bettered her personal record of 146-10 accomplished as a freshman by over five inches.

"She came here to win and she gave it her all," Halsell said. "She is a national competitor, I'll tell you that."

The 5-foot-4 Gruszecki entered the competition with the nation's seventh-best mark of 146-2. Her winning toss in 2007 was 145-8.

This year's winning throw was 169-9 by Abilene Christian's Lina Brivule.

The competition was probably Gruszecki's last for Western. Next fall, she plans to attend school at Phillips University in Marburg, Germany.

Dimmitt, who also was making her second straight trip to nationals, had a personal-best time of 1:00.52, the second fastest in school history, as she placed fourth in the 400 hurdles.

Heidi Dimmitt

"That was a second faster for Heidi," said Halsell. "She was in lane nine and she wasn't too excited about that. But she went out hard and came off the final corner in fourth or fifth place and was strong down the home stretch."

Lemay, who was a late addition after a pair of injury withdrawals, made the most of his opportunity as he placed sixth in the 800 with a 1:51.62 clocking. Less than a second separated the fifth through ninth place runners.

"He was the 20th seed and to place sixth is an awesome deal." Halsell said. "At the 400 mark he was in second place, but then on the back stretch he got passed and when he finished there was just a glob of people and I had no idea where he had placed."

Keith Lemay

Lemay got to the finals by running a personal-best 1:51.33, the third-fastest time in school history, to place second in his preliminary heat.

In opening-day action Thursday, the Vikings' Sarah Porter (Fr., Hockinson) placed ninth in the women's 10,000 meters, breaking her own school record with a 36:11.17 clocking.

On Friday, Western's Christy Miller (Jr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly) was unable to clear the opening height of 11-10 1/2 in the women's pole vault.

The five national competitors was a record for the Vikings as a NCAA II member.