As the weather improves, so do the scores and times of the SPU outdoor track and field team.

Members of the team spent the weekend split between Palo Alto, Calif., Salem, Ore., and Tacoma, setting and improving national qualifying marks.

"We're hoping to let the weather improve even more," head coach Karl Lerum said, while noting that this weekend was better than it has been.

The Stanford Invitational, which took place on Friday and Saturday, saw sophomore Jane Larson obliterate the former Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) record in the 1500-meter run, tromping the previous time of 4:40.23 with her new mark of 4:29.66.

"It was a good situation," Lerum said. "She won her heat by going out and setting the top time in the [conference]. Now she has the top time in the 1500 and the 3000."

The Willamette Invitational on Saturday included a set of events called the "Celebration of Distance," or C.O.D. According to Salem-News.com, the Invitational featured about 1500 entrants, including athletes from high schools and colleges from the region.

Junior Suzie Strickler starred in the C.O.D.'s steeplechase, finishing with the fourth-best time in the GNAC, 11:08.40. She was joined by senior Karin Rohde, who came in fourth overall.

Meanwhile, for the men's squad, senior Brian Cronrath and sophomore Chad Meis performed well in the 1500. Cronrath ran fourth overall, with a finish time of 3:58.71, and Meis came in 16th at 4:03.57.

The pair stands third and fifth, respectively, in the GNAC for the 1500.

"The right opportunities are coming along, and the men are taking advantage of them," Lerum noted.

In shorter-distance races, sophomore Lisa Anderberg shone, improving her provisional national qualifying time in the 800-meter run by .17 seconds. She clocked in at 2:14.79.

In the Shotwell Invite, sophomore Jessica Hinton sprinted to victory in the 200-meter dash and third place in the 400-meter. Her scores helped carry the Falcons to a third overall finish.

Sophomore Kayti Krepel added to the effort, qualifying for the GNAC meet with a time of 2:23.36 in the 800.

The field team continues to impress, carrying on what Lerum called "a long tradition of competing with anyone in the nation."

The javelin squad, juniors Jeeni Schantin, freshman Brittany Aanstad, and junior Lauren VerMulm, hold the top three spots in the GNAC. They finished in the same order at the Willamette Invitational, with respective distances of 44.17, 43.41, and 41.88 meters.

Freshman Melissa Peaslee vaulted to a winning mark in the pole vault, soaring 3.5 meters. The men contributed to the Falcons' third-placing as well: sophomore Justin Felt reigned victorious in the long jump, leaping 6.78 meters, almost eight inches farther than his next closest competitor.

Senior Michael Gavareski also came out on top in the 800, finishing at 1:58.60.

Now the team will gather together once more and head to Bellingham for the Vernacchia Team Classic, hosted by the Western Washington Vikings.

Then, from April 16-20, Lerum explained the plan: "We'll be taking a group of kids down to Mt. SAC [Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.], those with national qualifying marks, to get those marks lowered."

He pointed out the heptathlon, a combined-event contest made up of seven different events, as a key event which several Falcon athletes will be competing in, calling it "one of the biggest in the nation."