Lilli Burdon finishes third for Washington in 3000m at MPSF championships in season best...
Burdon ran 9:03.32, behind Stanford’s Fiona O’Keeffe’s 8:58.58, which set a meet record, and Colorado’s Makena Morley, who was second at 9:02.47.
Pending the outcome of meets around the country, Burdon’s mark may or may not get her into the NCAA championships in an individual event, but she most likely will be part of the Huskies’ distance medley relay team, when it goes to Birmingham, Alabama in two weeks.
Burdon has an indoor personal best at this distance of 8:59.18 set last year.
The University of Oregon transfer, who was third at the NCAA outdoor championships in the 5000 meters for the Ducks last spring, missed a lot of training in the summer. The effects of it showed in most of her races during the cross country season and in the early part of the indoor season, despite earning an All-American certificate at the NCAA cross country championships in November.
“I thought she looked the best she looked in a long time and like she's back in top form. Her time will be close to making it, but if she doesn't run the 3k she'll run the (distance medley relay) and I think whatever she runs at the NCAA meet she's going to run really well,” said UW director of track and field Maurica Powell.
Paul Ryan of Washington State’s third place finish in the mile earned him his first career sub 4 minute mile.
Ryan ran 3:58.79, a mark that puts him for the time being at number 18 on the NCAA Division I descending order list, though winner William Paulson of Arizona State (3:58.07)and Joe Klecker of Colorado (3:58.51) are not on the list, so Ryan may find himself out of the top 16 and a spot in the NCAA championships, unless athletes in front scratch.
The Cougars saw several top five finishes from the men at the MPSF Indoor Championships including third in the 60m dash from Emmanuel Wells Jr. (6.65), third in the 60m hurdles from Sam Brixey (7.96), fifth in the 400m from Jake Ulrich (47.04), and fifth in the high jump from Peyton Fredrickson at 6-feet 11 3/4 inches (2.13m).
Washington’s Connor Morello in the 800 (2nd, 1;49.08), Jonah Wilson in the shot put (4th, 63-4, 19.30m), Jaylen Taylor in the triple jump (5th, 49-4.25/15.04m) all earned top five finishes Saturday.
In the mens’ team standings, Washington State finished in a tie for eighth at 38 points, with the Huskies tenth at 36, as BYU won with 93 points.
USC easily took the women’s team title with 120 points, while Washington finished sixth with 50 points, and Washington State was 14th with 17 points.
Complete results of the MPSF indoor track and field championships are available here.
In Staten Island, New York, Dillon Maggard of the Brooks Beasts finished fourth in the men’s two mile run Saturday at the Toyota USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
Maggard, the Kirkland native and Utah State alum, finished third in what was supposed to be the heat with the higher seeded athletes, but Drew Hunter of adidas/Tinman Elite stole the race in the first section, running a world leading time and meet record 8:25.29.
In other finals Saturday, Washington alum Eleanor Fulton won her section of the women’s mile in 4:33.47, but finished seventh overall as Colleen Quigley of the Nike Bowerman TC won in 4:29.47.
The men’s 300 saw Tacoma’s Marcus Chambers run the third fastest time in the heats at 33.51, but was disqualified in the finals.
Advancing to Sunday finals were Seattle residents Hannah Fields (2:39.22) and Baylee Mires (2:42.22) in the women’s 1000; and, Brannon Kidder of the Brooks Beasts in the men’s 1000 (2:20.68).
The meet concludes Sunday. Results of the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships are available here.
In Nampa, Idaho, Seattle University’s Nathan Pixler earned the victory in the men’s 800 meters at the Western Athletic Conference indoor track & field championships at Jacksons Track.
Pixler, the sophomore transfer from the University of Colorado via Sammamish’s Eastlake HS, had the third fastest time in Friday’s semifinals, running 1:55.78, but came back Saturday and won in a time of 1:53.39, in what SeattleU coach Kelly Sullivan called the highlight of the meet for his squad.
Both SeattleU squads finished in sixth place, with the women scoring 12 points, and the men 35 points, as Grand Canyon swept both team titles.
“Overall, it was a successful weekend,” Sullivan said. “Last year, we scored in nine total events – this year, we scored in 15. I was thrilled to see that there was a balance in scoring, from mid-distance, long-distance and sprints to hurdles, jumps and relays. "We also had a lot of freshmen competing and getting their first taste of conference competition, which is invaluable experience.”
Complete results of the Western Athletic Conference championship meet are available here.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle University, and USA Track & Field contributed to this report.
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