WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Two of eight Northwest Conference athletes to qualify, graduate student Keaton Wood and sophomore Jerrica Pachl will represent Linfield at the 2022 Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Wood is the only heptathlete from the NWC competing at the DIII Championships. He ranks sixth in the meet with his 4,959 points set in his win at the St. Olaf Quadrangular on Jan. 28 in Northfield, Minnesota. He hit personal bests at the Quadrangular in the 60-meter hurdles (7.22 seconds) and shot put (12.06 meters), both of which were winning marks. Wood also won the 60-meter hurdles at Idaho's Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open in a time of 8.44 seconds.
 
"Keaton has had an exceptional indoor season," said Travis Olson, Linfield's Director of Cross Country and Track & Field. "His experience is showing as he has improved in every meet he has competed in. He has endured a lot during his career, which I believe has only made him better. I love the way he approaches competition, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him finish in the top three this weekend."
 
Pachl won the high jump at both the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open and the Seattle Pacific Indoor meet with marks of 5 feet, 6 inches. That mark ranks her 10^th in the DIII Championships. Pachl was fifth in the high jump at the Whitworth Indoor Invitational.
 
"Jerrica has done an outstanding job thus far, and I couldn't be prouder of the way she has competed this indoor season," Olson said. "Her confidence is improving every competition, and I fully expect her to jump well in North Carolina. She's definitely jumping at an All-American level."
 
The Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted by Guilford College and Visit Winston-Salem on Friday and Saturday at the JDL Fast Track.
 
"They both have worked extremely hard to get to this point, and I can't wait to see them in action this weekend," Olson said.