PORTLAND - Maggie Carruth ran what would have been the second-fastest women's 800-meter in program history and
Luis Grijalva posted a top 14 showing in the high performance section of the men's 1500-meter as Northern Arizona University had four unattached athletes competing at the 2018 Portland Track Festival at Lewis and Clark College on Sunday.
Carruth finished fourth overall in the high performance section of the women's 800-meter with a 2:03.61 performance. If she would have been competing for NAU the time would have sat as her personal best along with the second-best mark in the event in school history.
"Maggie hit a big one tonight that we knew was in there this year," director of track and field
Michael Smith said. "Her time puts her with some of the best in te country. It was a special performance to cap off the year."
A day after placing third at the NCAA National Championships Ashley Taylor ran a 2:04.05 to take sixth in the same high performance section as Carruth. The time is the second-best that she has posted during outdoors. Taylor wrapped up her storied NAU career at outdoor nationals on Saturday.
Luis Grijalva ran a strong race as well as he took third in his heat and 14th overall in the high performance section of the men's 1500-meter at 3:43.49. The standout will be one to watch over the next few years as he became just the fourth true freshman to advance to the outdoor national championships at NAU since 2009.
Emily Roughan also competed and posted a career-best of 4:28.69 in high performance section of the women's 1500-meter. She finished ninth in her heat and placed 47th overall.
The Portland Track Festival is one of the premiere track meets in the United States that brings some of the best distance runners in the country to Portland, Ore. It is a mix of the best professionals, collegians and high school talent that the sport has to offer.
Keep up to date all summer long with competing NAU Track and Field and Cross Country athletes by following the NAUTrackFieldXC Twitter page here.
UNATTACHED COMPETING ATHLETES
Women's 800m High Performance
4. Maggie Carruth - 2:03.61
6. Ashley Taylor - 2:04.05
Men's 1500m High Performance
14. Luis Grijalva - 3:43.49
Women's 1500m High Performance
47. Emily Roughan - 4:28.69
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