Waynesburg University men’s and women’s track & field teams participated in their final two meets before they compete at the PAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 1 and 2, and both teams did not waste any time in showing there are going to be plenty of Yellow Jackets on the podium.

For the teams’ meet at Grove City on Wednesday, April 16, sophomore Natalie Double was the standout performance on the day, taking first in javelin with a throw of 37.71 meters, which has also eclipsed her prior PR. If those feats were not enough, she finds herself now with the third farthest throw in the conference, and second in the region.

“I am very grateful for how I have been doing in javelin over the last few weeks because I am hitting personal goals that I set for myself before I came to college,” Double said when it came to her performance at Grove City. However, this would carry over to her performance at the Mountaineer Twilight at West Virginia University on Saturday, April 19, where once again, Double would take first place in javelin, setting a new PR in just three days with a throw of 38.66 meters, moving her first in the region and even top 35 in all of Division III. For Double, rather than seeing it as a peak for the season, she attests to it being more of the continued progress she is aiming for.

“I don’t really see the last two meets as peaking but more of a display to myself that I can really do it if I put myself out there. I think I have more in the tank, I just need to keep believing in myself and the amazing support system I have around me,” Double said. “I couldn’t do any of this without God, my mom and my dad, Meg [Barry], my coaches [Chris] Hardie and [Kevin] Thacker and many more who have been by my side.”

The Mountaineer Twilight Inv. saw its fair share of PR’s set, as Jacob Harker set two more records for the University, with his coming in outdoor shot put with a heave of 14.73 meters and did the same in hammer throw, notching 42.30 meters, which breaks the record set by teammate Garrett Hillard last season. Harker also notched first in discus as well, throwing for 40.70 meters.

When it comes to the rest of the team over the two meets, Ella Rishell continued her noteworthy pace at Grove City by placing second in the 200 and 400 meter dashes, as well as seventh in triple jump and 12 in long jump. Hardie seems to have a plan for how to utilize one of his most talented athletes while trying to keep her body fresh for the two-day meet in May.

“We have a few days to look at the conference standings and seedings and see where she fits in. She wants to help the team in as many ways as she can, so we will take a good look at her events and the meet schedule and come up with a good game plan,” Hardie said, elaborating on the potential Rishell has to contribute in a massive way at PAC’s. “I truly think she has the ability to score in five events, so that is a testament to her talent and her hard work.”

A number of other consistent contributors placed at these two meets, including Barry, Hillard,, Adam Helbling, Quinton Weaver, John Stewart and others. Both teams will begin the PAC Championships on Thursday, May 1, at West Virginia University.