HILLSBORO, Ore. – George Fox has been selected as the Northwest Conference frontrunner for the 2022 season, as voted on by conference head coaches. The Bruins earned 63 points and seven first-place votes. Whitworth ranks second in the poll with 56 points and two first-place votes.
Pacific Lutheran received 52 points for third, while Pacific (Ore.) takes the fourth spot on the list with 37 points. Lewis & Clark and Linfield both received 33 points to tie for fifth place. Puget Sound (26 pts), Willamette (16 pts), and Whitman (8 pts) round out the poll.
The regular season will begin for most NWC teams Friday, February 11th, with conference play kicking off on Saturday, March 5th.
Below are key returners and players to watch from each team as well as NWC accolades from 2021.
George Fox
Sydney Radigan | Sprints | SR | Portland, OR | St. Stephen’s Academy
Bethany Schmidt | Sprints/Hurdles | SR | Sweet Home, OR | Sweet Home
Kara Helland | Distance | FR | Tualatin, OR | Homeschooled
Ellie Corwin | Throws | SO | Powell Butte, OR | Redmond
Brecken VandenHoek | Heptathalon | JR | Haviland, KS | Haviland
Lewis & Clark
Jessica Cerne | Heptathlon | SR | Enumclaw, WA | Enumclaw
Carly Leandro | Pole Vault | SO | Ventura, CA | Foothill Technology
Macy O'Hara | Sprints | SO | Portland, OR | Oregon Episcopal
Shama Tawakol | Sprints | Los Altos, CA | Homestead
Olivia Farrar | Jumps | Santa Fe, NM | St. Michael’s
Linfield
Hillary Connors | Sprints | SO | Murrieta, CA | Paso Robles
Justice McBride-Steiger | Sprints | SO | Silverton, OR | Silverton
Jerrica Pachl | High Jump | SO | Vancouver, WA | St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic College Prep
Megan Pallas | Throws | JR | Chehalis, WA | W.F. West
Kenzie Feinglas | Sprints | JR | Sammamish, WA | Eastlake
Pacific (Ore.)
Maddy Hubbs | Distance | JR | Sheldon, OR | Sheldon
Sophia Henke | Jumps | JR | Independence, OR | Central
Kara Putman | Distance | SR | Tillamook, OR | Tillamook
Alexis Lowery | Sprints | JR | Aiea, HI | Punahou
Kylie Tidwell | Throws | SO | Hillsboro, OR | Glencoe
Pacific Lutheran
Emily Capps | Throws | SR | Henderson, NV | Foothill
Bailey Forsyth | Sprints | SR | Langley, WA | South Whidbey
Sulin Degollado | Mid-Distance | JR | Puyallup, WA | Rogers
Tabitha Messineo | Heptathalon | SR | Puyallup, WA | Puyallup
Lily Luksich | Pole Vault | FR | Mill Creek, WA | Henry Jackson
Puget Sound
Jackilyn Lewis | Sprints | SO | Tacoma, WA | Mt. Tahoma
Samantha Swartout | Javelin | SR | Eatonville, WA | Eatonville
Lily Turner | Sprints/Hurdles | JR | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta International
McKenna Clark | Mid-Distance | JR | Gig Harbor, WA | Peninsula
Laura Arcia | Distance | JR | Glendale, CA | Mayfield Senior
Whitman
Chloe Michaels | Distance | SR | Mercer Island, WA | Mercer Island
Ella Greenberg | Distance | JR | Whitefish, MT | Whitefish
Sophia Biggio | Distance | SR | Portland, OR | Sunset
Julia Hess | Distance | SR | Whidbey Island, WA | The Northwest School
Jade Greenberg | Distance | JR | Whitefish, MT | Whitefish
Whitworth
Amelia Hewson | Hurdles | SO | Seattle, WA | The Northwest School
Alison Ball | Sprints | FR | Cashmere, WA | Cashmere
Mackenzie Ward | Sprints/Relays | JR | Spokane, WA | Ferris
Madelyn Buckley | Distance | FR | Nine Mile Falls, WA | Lakeside
Renee Tiumalu | Throws | SO | Federal Way, WA | Todd Beamer
Willamette
Sami Riggs | Sprints | JR |La Verne, CA | Bonita
Audrey Piacsek | Distance | SR | Thorp, WA | Ellensburg
Katherine Thornton | Hurdles | FR | Reno, NV | Reno
Samantha Waters | Throws | JR | Kalispell, MT | Flathead
Avery Mickelsen | Throws | SR | Ephrata, WA | Ephrata
| Team |
Pts. |
2021 NWC Finish |
| George Fox (7) |
63 |
1st |
| Whitworth (2) |
56 |
3rd |
| Pacific Lutheran |
52 |
2nd |
| Pacific (Ore.) |
37 |
4th |
| Lewis & Clark |
33 |
7th |
| Linfield |
33 |
6th |
| Puget Sound |
26 |
5th |
| Willamette |
16 |
8th |
| Whitman |
8 |
9th |
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)