TACOMA, Wash.—Lewis & Clark College men's track & field posted nine top-10 marks on Friday and Saturday in their outdoor track & field season opener. 
 
THE BASICS
 
Men's track & field – 11^th out of 12 Teams – 12 Points 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The Pioneers recorded five top-50 marks in program history over the weekend at the Ed Boitano Invitational. 
 
Lewis & Clark kicked off the weekend with a strong showing in the 10,000M. Sophomore Evan Markelz registered the top-finish of the weekend, when he placed fifth out of 34 runners in the 10K. His time of 31:16.19 moved him into eighth place in program history. Senior Peter Ford came across in 12^th place with a time of 32:05.56. Sophomore John Blockhus took 28^th place with a mark of 33:52.61. 
 
Sophomore Emil Miller led a pair of runners in the 3,000M Steeplechase. Miller recorded the 36^th-fastest time in program history in the steeplechase with a time of 9:59.68. He finished the race seventh overall. Junior Joseph Naylor posted a time of 10:30.06 to finish in 11^th place. 
 
Sophomore Quinn Higgins led four runners in the 1,500M run. He finished sixth out of 30 runners in the event with a time of 4:02.98. Sophomore Sam Garcia crossed the line in seventh place with a time of 4:04.59. Sophomores Gavin Sellers (4:18.01) and Jordan Wu (4:21.74) finished back-to-back in 18^th and 19^th places. 
 
Higgins also led four runners in the 800M. The sophomore posted a time of 2:01.45 to finish 12^th overall. Garcia came in just behind him in 14^th place with a final time of 2:02.39. Sellers (2:05.18) and Wu (2:07.61) placed 19^th and 23^rd. 
 
Junior Jordan Lahusky notched a pair of top-10 finishes in the sprinting events. 
 
In the 100M, he crossed the line in 11.35 to finish ninth overall. First years Jaden Mwendapole (11.56) and Aiden Wood (11.56) finished in 16^th and 17^th overall. First year Kris Adams (11.96) and junior Zaren Crockett (12.02) ended the race in 28^th and 30^th places. 
 
Lahusky led a trio of runners in the 200M. The junior registered a time of 22.99 to place 10^th overall. Wood took 24^th place with a time of 24.05. Mwendapole registered a time of 24.11 to take 26^th place. 
 
The Pioneers fielded a pair of relay teams in the 4x400M Relay. The quartet of Wood, Wu, Higgins and Sellers finished ninth overall with a time of 3:37.68. Lewis & Clark's second relay team ended the race in 10^th place. The grouping of Mwendapole, Miller, Garcia and Naylor combined for a time of 4:00.97. 
 
Senior JT Willis posted the top-finish on the team in the field events. The senior placed eighth overall in the javelin with a throw of 47.96M (157-04 Feet). 
 
Adams came in 11^th place in the long jump. The dual-sport athlete notched a jump of 5.59M (18-04.25 Feet). 
 
Sophomore Liam Stanley competed in the hammer throw and the shot put. He finished 21^st overall in the shot put with a throw of 25.62M (84-00 Feet). Stanley took 32^nd in the shot put with a heave of 8.09M (26-06.50 Feet). 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Markelz (eighth), Ford (17^th) and Blockhus (45^th) all posted top-50 times in program history in the 10,000M run. 
• Willis cracked the top-50 in program history in his first time competing in the javelin. He sits 45^th overall with his throw of 47.96M. 
• Markelz (10,000M) and Miller (3,000M Steeplechase) are both ranked fifth in NCAA DIII this season after their 2025 outdoor track & field season opener. 

WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will host their first of three outdoor track & field meets on Saturday. The Pioneers will welcome teams to Eldon Fix Track for the L&C Electric Forest Opener beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.