PORTLAND, Ore.  – Following a limited week of practice due to the ice storm, the Bushnell women's track & field team got the 2024 season underway on Sunday at the University of Portland Indoor Meet.
 
Many Beacons ran events they had never competed in before, including the 300-meter, 600m and 1000m runs. Kaitlin Cook ran the first-ever 1000m in Bushnell history, setting the record with a time of 3:30.60. The senior took fifth place in the event.
 
Adrienne Mai posted a top-10 finish in the 300m, finishing in a time of 45.18 to place seventh. Mayah Pappas was not far behind, taking 13^th (45.73) in the 32-competitor field.
 
Sierra Janikowski provided the top time for the Beacons in the 600m, posting a time of 1:51.17 for ninth place.
 
Bushnell also had two 4x400m relay teams compete with Janikowski, Mai, Cook and newcomer Audri Ward placing third with a time of 4:38.92. Macayla Parrish, Pappas, Maddii Desemone and Madison Bender took fourth (4:46.43).
 
Director of Track & Field Kyle Will said, "We had a good day today. A lot of people ran events they had never run before. Our jumpers and throwers came in and ran the 300. We really had no expectations coming in, especially after this last week where we had little to no practice. Coach Walcott and I are very pleased with the efforts we saw today and feel like it was a great start to indoor. We are looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow in practice and continuing to get better day in and day out."
 
Up next, Bushnell will compete at the UW Invitational on Jan. 26-27 in Seattle, Wash.