EOU pair shine on the track, field

NAMPA, Idaho — Eastern Oregon University track and field student-athletes, Karlee Coffey and Robbie Haynie, each found success at separate meets Saturday.

Haynie competed in three events at the Boise State University Jackson's Invitational, recording two NAIA national championship auto-qualifying marks, and three indoor personal bests.

In the high jump, Haynie had a top mark of 6 feet, 8.25 inches (2.04 meters) to finish second in a field of mainly NCAA Division 1 competitors. 

The senior cleared the same height as Cal State-Northridge's Thomas Johnson, but lost on missed attempts. 

The NAIA auto-qualifying mark is 2.04 meters and Haynie's previous indoor personal record was 2.01 meters (6 feet, 7.5 inches).

Shortly after the high jump, Haynie ran in the 60-meter hurdles and placed seventh overall with a personal record 8.75
second. 

His previous best was 9.03 seconds. 

The Nampa, Idaho native qualified for the finals in the event, but elected to pass to prepare for the pole vault.

Proving to be a good choice, Haynie raised his indoor EOU school record from 17 feet, 2.75 inches to 17 feet, 6.5 inches (5.35 meters) and finished    second behind a post-collegiate jumper. 

Haynie's vault equals his outdoor best from the 2011 NAIA National Championships.

Coffey strong

Coffey was the lone Mountaineer female competing this weekend, and she ran at the prestigious University of Washington Invitational. 

The junior was just one of four non-NCAA Division 1 or post-collegians in a field of 54 competitors in the 3,000 meters.

Coffey ran to a sixth place finish out of 16 competitors in heat 2 of 3. 

The La Grande native's time of 10:05.95 is her second fastest ever. 

It was behind her 2011 Indoor National Championship time and easily qualifies her for this year's National Championships.

Eastern will debut as a team Feb. 4, in Nampa, at the Boise State University Bronco Classic.