Cougs and Dawgs split The Dual as it returns to the Palouse for the first time since 2018...

PULLMAN--Without some key cogs, the Washington men's and women's track and field teams earned a split against their cross-state rivals from Washington State in The Dual on a sunny Friday afternoon at Mooberry Track in the Palouse.

The Husky women, who lost both All-American distance runner Haley Herberg and sprinter Victoria Gersch to illness and injury, were defeated by their Cougar counterparts by a 94-69 count, while the men's squad put up triple digits on Wazzu, winning 100-63.

Anna Rodgers (WSU Sports Information photo) led the way for the Cougs, winning both the long and triple jumps.

Rodgers took the long jump with a personal best of 20-1.5 (6.13m) in the first round to give WSU five points for the win. In the process, she elevated herself to the third best mark in the conference.

She won the triple jump comfortably with a mark of 37-8.5 (11.49m), as she was the only jumper to break the 11 meter mark.

The Cougs' Micaela De Mello won the 100 hurdles in a meet record time of 13.22, eclipsing Ashley Lodree of Washington's mark of 13.25 set in 2006.

The Cougars earned 9-0 sweeps in the hammer throw, the high jump, and 400m hurdles en route to their victory over the Huskies. In the process, WSU won 11 of the 19 events contested.

For the Huskies, Anna Gibson nearly broke the meet record in the 800-meters, as she clocked a 2:04.89 in one of the most hotly contested races of the day, going to 23rd in the NCAA this season and No. 4 in school history. Madison Heisterman took second in that race in another great time of 2:06.76.

On the men's side, Washington won 13 of the 19 events including all four throwing events. The Dawgs had top-three sweeps, meaning 9-0 point totals, in the men's 800-meters, the 3,000-meters, and the javelin.

Freshman Anthony Smith had a hand in 15 points, winning the 100 and 200 in 10.63 and 20.70, and anchored the Huskies to victory in the 4 x 100, as the stick traveled around the track in 40.11.

Washington runners won seven of the nine individual running events, with only Jared McElvey in the 400 hurdles (51.59), and Colton Johnsen in the steeplechase (8:49.94) getting wins for the Cougs.

The Huskies had winners in all four throwing events, with Sam Van Peursem in the shot (58-6/17.83m), Elijah Mason in the discus (192-4/58.64m), Jayden White in the hammer (217-11/66.44m), and Roan Allen in the javelin (219-2/66.81m) doing the honors for UW.

"It was awesome to be able to host a dual meet at home for the first time in four years," said WSU head coach Wayne Phipps. "The help and support from the Coug family were amazing. I cannot thank enough all of the people who worked tirelessly to put on such an awesome event."

Complete results of The Dual are available here.

NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington and Washington State University contributed to this report.

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