Fast Break: Playoff prospects, track’s on the podium, NFL doesn’t even care about genetics anymore
- Skeet Starr, Sports Editor
- 9 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Hello, Bearcat Fan! It’s crunch time in Salem. While students are avoiding finals, spring sports are doing everything in their power to get to them. Let’s go to the news!
Both track and field squads snagged No. 3 at the Conference Championships, up from the women’s No. 8 and men’s No. 7 finishes last season. The sports and rec section’s own Kat Thornton (ʼ25) ran the prelim 100-meter hurdle in 14.50 seconds, breaking her own school record, but was accidentally tripped in the finals. Kaleb McArthur (ʼ26) won the triple and long jump and Roan Bashioum won the hammer throw (ʼ27).
True to form, after getting pummeled by the Pioneers 7-24, baseball came back to win the second and third games of their series 14-3 and 5-4. If the No. 7 Basecats sweep No. 9 George Fox this weekend, No. 6 Lewis & Clark take their series against No. 4 Linfield exactly 2-1, and No. 3 Whitworth wins their series against No. 5 Whitman, then Willamette will go through to the playoffs. If not, goodbye repeat dreams. Looks like we’re going to need some more screens.
Lacrosse smashed Pacific 21-7 and Linfield 21-9 to secure their No. 3 spot and a playoff berth. After a short rest, they will take on Whitman in the conference semifinals, with whom they’ve traded close games so far this season. At this weekend’s Linfield matchup, Lily Bachiochi (ʼ25) scored her 200th career goal for Willamette.
Softball took all four games from Pacific to creep into the No. 5 spot ahead of decision weekend. However, four games against No. 1 Linfield stand between the Bearcats and playoffs. Even worse, No. 4 PLU has only No. 9 UPS to worry about.
In the world of sport: Shedeur Sanders toppled to the 144th pick in the NFL draft after being projected for top five. President Trump weighed in on TruthSocial, lambasting NFL leadership and crediting Sanders’ “PHENOMENAL GENES.”
Consider in the coming weeks: What’s going to happen?!? What could the next turn of events be?! Should we be yelling?!