SALEM, ORE. -- In sports, two major factors that go into evaluating an athlete are whether that athlete is consistently improving, as well as its ability to rise to the occasion when it matters the most.

Competing in the javelin throw at the Northwest Conference Championships on Saturday, April 26, Jordan Loos (Jr., Springfield, OR/Thurston HS) successfully fulfilled both of those categories.

Registering a distance of 214' 7" on his third throw of the preliminary heat, Loos took first place at the NWC Championships and made a much bigger mark on the WU track and field program.

Not only did his throw earn himself an individual NWC title, but it also shattered the previous school record of 211' 11" set by Jim Williams in 1987.

"It was a great experience. At conference it's so exciting, it's what you train for all year. You take your weight training and all of your repetitions and you kind of peak for that one day," Loos told the Bearcat Sports Network on May 19. "To be able to perform my best that day, and for many of the Willamette athletes to perform their best on that day, was a really exciting experience."

This record-breaking throw also proved to be the icing on the cake in what turned out to be a career filled with steady improvement.

Loos's conference winning throw at the NWC's topped his previous career-high by over 12 inches. He notched that personal record with a throwing distance of 202' 4.5" on April 11 at the John Knight Twighlight in Monmouth, Ore.

Prior to the start of the 2014 track and field season, Loos's personal best distance in the javelin was 187' 9", nearly 15 feet shorter than his score at the NWC Championships this year.

"The consistency just comes with little adjustments here and there," Loos said regarding his steady improvements. "As you get more consistent with your technique, those throws start to come up at the right time."

In addition to winning the NWC and setting a new WU record, Loos's throw also placed him third on the NCAA Division III National Performance List, solidifying his trip to the NCAA Championships.

Loos was one of six members of the Willamette track and field team to qualify for nationals, where he recorded a score of 193' 10" to finish 11th out of 20 competitors in the javelin event.

For Loos, the 2014 season contained great memories of winning a conference championship and qualifying for a trip to nationals. And for the Willamette track and field program, Loos's name atop the javelin record list signifies an event that served as one of the shining moments in 2014.