Linfield athletes are poised for peak performances this week heading into the nine-team Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships at Willamette University's McCulloch Stadium.
 
Action begins Friday at 10 a.m. with preliminary races in every running event except the 10,000 meter run. Friday's competition will also include finals in four field events: hammer, pole vault, long jump and discus.
 
Saturday's events begin at 10:30 a.m. Both relays will be contested that day as well as eight running event finals. The field events will see finals in the javelin, shot put, triple jump and high jump.
 
Linfield's women are aiming to improve upon last season's fifth-place team finish. The Wildcat men are eyeing a top-three finish after placing fourth in the team standings each of the past two years.
 
WOMEN
Kenzie Feinglas enters the meet with the leading times in the 100 dash (12.24) and the 200 dash (25.11) and should emerge with two individual championships.
 
The foursome of Hillary Connors, Rachelle Silis, Addie Klindt and Feinglass enter the meet owning the conference's best time in the 4x100 relay.
 
In the 4x400 relay, the quartet of Jordan Hayes, Mary Sturley, Silis and Fineglas look to fight off a challenge from George Fox to claim the championship.
 
Jennifer Torres-Bermudez will be in the thick of the hunt for a championship in the 1,500 run. Makayla Erickson ranks eighth in the 10,000. Torres-Bermudez and Erickson are each capable of top-10 finishes in the 5,000.
 
First-year Wildcat Olivia Farrior has the potential to score points in the 400 hurdles.
 
In the jumps, Logan Roberts ranks second in the NWC in the high jump with a jump of 5-4¼. Jordan Roberts and Nara Van De Grift could make noise in the triple jump.
 
MEN
The Linfield men come into the NWC Championships having already secured a handful of points by virtue of Ronan Krutzikowsky's third-place finish in the decathlon at last week's multi-event championship.
Jacob Slifka, owner of the top mark in the discus (165-3½) looks to defend his NWC championship and perhaps secure a national-meet qualifying mark.
 
Krutzikowsky is a leading contender in the 110 and the 400 hurdles. He's also likely to score points in the pole vault.
 
Wildcats Chandler Morris and Evan Fisette are a leading contenders to reach the finals in the 400.  Morris ranks third in the conference (50.05).
 
Morris, Fisette and Dylan Jackson are also among the leading entrants in the 200 dash. Jackson ranks third in the NWC in the 100 (11.03) and fourth in the 200 (22.27).
 
The talented grouping of Fisette, Morris, Jackson and Krutzikowsky have the potential for a top-three finish in the 4x100 relay.
 
The 4x400 relay squad, featuring Krutzikowsky, Jackson, Fisette and Morris, is aiming for a top-five result.
 
Calvin Cahill and Conner Dooley are leading challengers in the 800. Alex Oathout could surprise people in the 5,000.
 
In the field events, newcomer Andrew Troeh looks to establish himself as a conference contender in the triple jump.
 
Linfield will enter four Wildcats in the hammer: Nick Olsen, Grant Jackson, Matt Metcalf and Slifka.
 
Metcalf and Zach Young will be strong challengers in the javelin.