Gruver does it again & ups her UW school record and gets the Olympic standard...
Competing against the best vaulters in the United States at the Toyota USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center instead of the Don Kirby Elite Invitational meet with the rest of the Husky squad on Thursday and Friday, Gruver set her second Washington indoor school record of the season as she finished third with a clearance of 15-5 (4.70m).
Gruver opened at 14-3.25 (4.35m), and had consecutive first attempt clearances at 14-9 (4.50m), 15-1 (4.60m), and ultimately 15-5 (4.70m), before bowing out with three misses at 15-7 (4.75m).
Reigning world indoor champion Sandi Morris won with a clearance of 16-0.75 (4.90m), while 2012 Olympic champion Jenn Suhr was second at 15-11 (4.85m).
Most importantly for Gruver, she now holds the Olympic qualifying standard in the event, as her outdoor personal best of 15-6.25 (4.73m) set at the Stanford Invitational in late March, was done before the qualifying period opened on May 1st.
In other events at the USATF indoor championships:
--Erik Sowinski of the Brooks Beasts finished fourth in the finals of the men's 800, running 1:48.63, as Bryce Hoppel won in 1:46.67;
--Washington alum Katie Mackey was fifth in the 1500, running 4:12.34, as Shelby Houlihan won her 12th career USATF title at various distances, running 4:06.41;
--Brannon Kidder of the Brooks Beasts was fourth in the 1500 meters, running 3:44.69, as Josh Thompson of the Bowerman TC won in 3:44.07;
--In the 3000 race walk, Mountlake Terrace resident Katie Burnett was fifth in 14:10.88, with Robyn Stevens winning at 13:12.54.
Complete results of the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships are available here.
Back in Seattle, Oregon's James West won the featured men's mile to highlight the second day of the Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor hosted by the University of Washington.
West won in a time of 3:57.43 in a highly anticipated race in which a number of runners were looking to duck under 3:59 and get themselves better positioned for one of the top 16 spots on the NCAA descending order list for next month's national championships in Albuquerque.
With less than 250 meters to go, Texas' Sam Worley leg gave out without apparent contact from anyone, and as he rolled to the ground, caused several runners to fall and/or swerve around him, including Husky freshman Sam Tanner.
Only West and runner-up Theo Quax of Northern Arizona at 3:58.13 from that heat went under 3:59, as the other two runners--Charlie Hunter of Oregon at 3:59.01, and the Huskies' Dustin Nading at 3:59.25 got under 4 minutes.
One runner who was agonizingly close to breaking 4 minutes was Cruz Culpepper of Niwot HS in Colorado, as the Husky commit ran 4:00.10 in his attempt to become the fourth high schooler to break 4 minutes indoors, and the first to do it outside of the Armory in New York.
In a separate heat, Texas Tech's Takiennine Hedeilli won in 3:58.88.
Entering Saturday, 4:37.47 was the magic number 16 mark to duck under in the women's mile in the collegiate ranks.
Ten athletes in two heats did so, of which six were collegians.
Julie Labach of the Langley Mustangs was the overall winner in 4;32.85, as Stanford's Julia Heymach was second and the first collegian in 4:33.37.
Washington alum Mel Lawrence was third overall in 4:34.20, while in a separate section, Pasco HS alum Marisa Howard was second (eighth overall) scored an indoor personal best of 4:37.25.
Other highlights:
--One day after winning the pole vault at the Don Kirby Elite meet in Albuquerque, the Huskies' Chase Smith came back to win that event in a season best 17-11 (5.46m);
--China's Yang Gao, a 2016 Olympian and two time finalist at the world indoor and outdoor championships, broke the meet record in winning the women's shot put by throwing 59-8.25 (18.19m).
Complete results of the Husky Classic are available here.
NOTE: USA Track & Field and the sports information office of the University of Washington contributed to this report.
Comments