WEEKEND RECAP: Huskies' Olivia Gruver breaks NCAA pole vault record at Stanford...
While we were in Aarhus at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, here’s a recap of what happened over the weekend:
At the STANFORD INVITATIONAL, University of Washington senior Olivia Gruver (above/photo courtesy UW Athletics) broke the school, Pac-12 Conference, and NCAA collegiate outdoor record in the women’s pole vault with her clearance of 15-6.25 (4.73m), eclipsing the former collegiate record of 15-5.75 (4.72m) set by Arkansas’ Sandi Morris in 2015.
The 2017 and 2018 NCAA Outdoor Champion in the vault for Kentucky, Gruver came to Washington for her senior year to continue working with her coach, Toby Stevenson, who was named Associate Head Coach at Washington last summer. She redshirted the indoor season, so the Stanford meet was just her second time wearing the Husky uniform.
She entered the competition at 4.23 and cleared that on her second attempt, then had another second attempt make at 4.38. Moving up to 4.45, Gruver had her only first attempt make. She moved the bar up to 4.61 to target the Pac-12 record, and cleared that on her second try. Then it was up to the NCAA outdoor record, and on her second attempt that record fell when the bar did not.
"That's been a goal of ours for a few years now,” said Stevenson. “She took it one jump, one bar, one tailwind at a time. You can't jump a record until you jump the bars before the record."
Courtesy of the Huskies’ Instagram page, here is video of Gruver’s collegiate record:
Other women’s highlights included a new school record in the 10000 by the Huskies’ Izzi Batt-Doyle, a mark that is currently among the top ten in the NCAA this season; a third place finish in the 400 by former Husky Gianna Woodruff; a 2-3 finish in the 400 hurdles by Carly Lester (59.77) and Darhian Mills (60.14); and a win by the Huskies’ Onyie Chibuogwu in the discus of 162-8 (49.58m).
On the men’s side, Washington’s Talon Hull finished sixth in the invitational 1500, running 3:44.78; Gonzaga’s Andrew Gardner, a graduate of the University of Washington, who has outdoor eligibility left, was 12th in the invitational 5000 in 13:52.03; WSU’s Paul Ryan and Gonzaga’s James Mwaura broke 14 minutes in the second section of the 5000, running 13:55.89 and 13:57.05; the Huskies’ Tibebu Proctor won the second section of the 10000 in 28:54.33; the Huskies’ Cass Elliott took second in the 400 hurdles in 51.13.
The Husky 4x100 relay team won in 40.53, while the 4x400 was third in 3:10.86.
On the field, Saint Martin’s Tyler Cronk was third in the high jump at 6-9 (2.06m), while the Huskies’ Chase Smith led a 1–3-4 finish in the pole vault, clearing an outdoor PR of 17-7 (5.36m), with Blaise Black and Zach Shugart following, with each clearing 16-3.25 (4.96m).
Jonah Wilson won the men’s shot put for the Huskies, throwing 64-7.25 (19.69m), while teammate Elijah Mason was second in the discus at 184-4 (56.19m). Denham Patricelli was second in the javelin for the Dawgs at 223-8 (68.18m), with teammates Jacob Wachtendonk (216-7/66.01m) and Zachary Annie (201-3/61.34m) third and fourth.
Complete results of the Stanford Invitational are available here.
Up the road from Stanford, Seattle Pacific’s Kaylee Mitchell broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase at the MIKE FANELLI TRACK CLASSIC, hosted by San Francisco State University on the grounds of Chabot College in Hayward on Friday, running 10:37.53.
SPU junior Sedona McNerney had the race of her college career, winning her heat of the women's 10,000 meters in 37 minutes, 9.10 seconds.
It was the second-fastest time among the six GNAC runners in the race. The only one ahead of her was Western Washington junior Sophia Galvez (24th overall in 36:28.86).
Western Washington’s Kyler Sager was seventh overall in the men’s 800, running 1:53.49. Club Northwest’s Michael Eaton was second in the 5000 in 13:59.74.
Complete results of the Mike Fanelli Track Classic are available here.
In Los Angeles, Washington State’s sprints, jumps and throws crew competed at the UCLA LEGENDS INVITATIONAL meet at Drake Stadium.
Charisma Taylor notched yet another win during her early WSU track career, this time around in the triple jump with a mark of 41-feet 8 3/4 inches (12.72m). Mackenzie Fletcher added a win for the Cougars as well in the 400-meter hurdles event with a time of 1:00.89, and Jelena Grujic was close behind in third with a PR of 1:01.23.
Brock Eager continued to power his way up the ranks of not only the national standings, but the all-time Washington State top ten as well. Eager posted a winning mark of 232-feet 5 inches (70.85m) in the hammer throw to move him up to third all-time in Cougar history, and currently sits at third in the nation in the event as well.
Nick Johnson had himself a great run in the 110-meter hurdles, winning the event with a time of 14.06. Fellow Cougar Sam Brixey took home second in the event at 14.15 seconds, and Christapherson Grant finished in fourth at 14.39.
Emmanuel Wells Jr. picked up the victory in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.50 seconds, and along with teammates Ja'Maun Charles, Ethan Gardner, and Jake Ulrich, won the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.21 to cap off a solid overall meet at UCLA.
Complete results of the UCLA Legends Invitational are available here.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific, Gonzaga University, Saint Martin’s University, Western Washington University, and Central Washington contributed to this report.
The 2017 and 2018 NCAA Outdoor Champion in the vault for Kentucky, Gruver came to Washington for her senior year to continue working with her coach, Toby Stevenson, who was named Associate Head Coach at Washington last summer. She redshirted the indoor season, so the Stanford meet was just her second time wearing the Husky uniform.
She entered the competition at 4.23 and cleared that on her second attempt, then had another second attempt make at 4.38. Moving up to 4.45, Gruver had her only first attempt make. She moved the bar up to 4.61 to target the Pac-12 record, and cleared that on her second try. Then it was up to the NCAA outdoor record, and on her second attempt that record fell when the bar did not.
"That's been a goal of ours for a few years now,” said Stevenson. “She took it one jump, one bar, one tailwind at a time. You can't jump a record until you jump the bars before the record."
Courtesy of the Huskies’ Instagram page, here is video of Gruver’s collegiate record:
Other women’s highlights included a new school record in the 10000 by the Huskies’ Izzi Batt-Doyle, a mark that is currently among the top ten in the NCAA this season; a third place finish in the 400 by former Husky Gianna Woodruff; a 2-3 finish in the 400 hurdles by Carly Lester (59.77) and Darhian Mills (60.14); and a win by the Huskies’ Onyie Chibuogwu in the discus of 162-8 (49.58m).
On the men’s side, Washington’s Talon Hull finished sixth in the invitational 1500, running 3:44.78; Gonzaga’s Andrew Gardner, a graduate of the University of Washington, who has outdoor eligibility left, was 12th in the invitational 5000 in 13:52.03; WSU’s Paul Ryan and Gonzaga’s James Mwaura broke 14 minutes in the second section of the 5000, running 13:55.89 and 13:57.05; the Huskies’ Tibebu Proctor won the second section of the 10000 in 28:54.33; the Huskies’ Cass Elliott took second in the 400 hurdles in 51.13.
The Husky 4x100 relay team won in 40.53, while the 4x400 was third in 3:10.86.
On the field, Saint Martin’s Tyler Cronk was third in the high jump at 6-9 (2.06m), while the Huskies’ Chase Smith led a 1–3-4 finish in the pole vault, clearing an outdoor PR of 17-7 (5.36m), with Blaise Black and Zach Shugart following, with each clearing 16-3.25 (4.96m).
Jonah Wilson won the men’s shot put for the Huskies, throwing 64-7.25 (19.69m), while teammate Elijah Mason was second in the discus at 184-4 (56.19m). Denham Patricelli was second in the javelin for the Dawgs at 223-8 (68.18m), with teammates Jacob Wachtendonk (216-7/66.01m) and Zachary Annie (201-3/61.34m) third and fourth.
Complete results of the Stanford Invitational are available here.
Up the road from Stanford, Seattle Pacific’s Kaylee Mitchell broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase at the MIKE FANELLI TRACK CLASSIC, hosted by San Francisco State University on the grounds of Chabot College in Hayward on Friday, running 10:37.53.
SPU junior Sedona McNerney had the race of her college career, winning her heat of the women's 10,000 meters in 37 minutes, 9.10 seconds.
It was the second-fastest time among the six GNAC runners in the race. The only one ahead of her was Western Washington junior Sophia Galvez (24th overall in 36:28.86).
Western Washington’s Kyler Sager was seventh overall in the men’s 800, running 1:53.49. Club Northwest’s Michael Eaton was second in the 5000 in 13:59.74.
Complete results of the Mike Fanelli Track Classic are available here.
In Los Angeles, Washington State’s sprints, jumps and throws crew competed at the UCLA LEGENDS INVITATIONAL meet at Drake Stadium.
Charisma Taylor notched yet another win during her early WSU track career, this time around in the triple jump with a mark of 41-feet 8 3/4 inches (12.72m). Mackenzie Fletcher added a win for the Cougars as well in the 400-meter hurdles event with a time of 1:00.89, and Jelena Grujic was close behind in third with a PR of 1:01.23.
Brock Eager continued to power his way up the ranks of not only the national standings, but the all-time Washington State top ten as well. Eager posted a winning mark of 232-feet 5 inches (70.85m) in the hammer throw to move him up to third all-time in Cougar history, and currently sits at third in the nation in the event as well.
Nick Johnson had himself a great run in the 110-meter hurdles, winning the event with a time of 14.06. Fellow Cougar Sam Brixey took home second in the event at 14.15 seconds, and Christapherson Grant finished in fourth at 14.39.
Emmanuel Wells Jr. picked up the victory in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.50 seconds, and along with teammates Ja'Maun Charles, Ethan Gardner, and Jake Ulrich, won the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.21 to cap off a solid overall meet at UCLA.
Complete results of the UCLA Legends Invitational are available here.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific, Gonzaga University, Saint Martin’s University, Western Washington University, and Central Washington contributed to this report.
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