WEEKEND ROUNDUP: East Wenatchee natives Tarbert and VanAssche sweep Big Sky 60 titles...

In Bozeman, Montana, East Wenatchee natives Rebecca Tarbert (above/photo courtesy EWU Athletics) and Jeremy VanAssche each won the women’s and men’s 60 meter dash titles for Eastern Washington as the Eagles wrapped up competition at the Big Sky indoor track & field championships at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana State University Saturday.

Tarbert won the women’s title in 7.51, slightly off of her school record time of 7.47 set in Friday’s prelims.

A few moments later, VanAssche took the men’s crown in a time of 6.77, just 2/100ths off of Johnnie Williams’ school record of 6.75 set in 1999.

The Eagle women’s team finished third with 79.5 points, one better than last year’s fourth place finish, while the men finished eighth with 40 points, as Sacramento State’s women and the Northern Arizona men’s squads took home the conference crowns.

Eastern earned four other top 3 finishes on Saturday—Katie Mahoney, who returned from anchoring the distance medley to the conference crown Friday night to take third in the mile (4:58.85); Sarah Reiter in the 3000 (2nd, 9:55.99); Dominique Butler in the triple jump (2nd, 39-0.5/11.90m); and Aaron Cunningham (3rd, 54-4.75/16.58m) in the shot put.

Spokane native Nathan Weitz, who won the 5000 on Friday night, finished third in the 3000, running 8:32.37.


In Nampa, Idaho, Seattle University’s Shaddye Melu added the 400 meter dash title to his high jump crown to highlight the Redhawks’ performance at the Western Athletic Conference championship meet.

Melu ran 48.16 to take the 400 crown in the two-section final, running in the first of two heats, as Jamarice Preston of UM-Kansas City ran 48.40 to win his section, giving Melu the overall win.

Lila Rice won the women’s mile in a personal best of 5:05.10 to give the Redhawks their only conference crown on the day.  Mandie Maddux won the pentathlon title on Thursday.

The Redhawk men’s team were fifth of five teams with 57 points, while the women’s team was fifth of seven with 64 points.  Grand Canyon University swept both titles, winning the women’s title with 253 points, and the men’s crown with 232.


NOTE:  The Big Sky Conference, Eastern Washington University, and Seattle University contributed to this report.

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