Joe Waskom sets UW school record in 1500m in finishing third at Bryan Clay...
The great Southern California track carnival at three different sites in the greater Los Angeles area came to a close Saturday night, with a fast 1500 meter race to top off the competition of the last four days.
BRYAN CLAY RECAP
In Azusa, Washington's reigning NCAA champion at 1500 meters, Joe Waskom (Paul Merca photo) added the school record to his list of accomplishments in finishing third in the top section of the men's 1500 at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Cougar Stadium on the campus of Azusa Pacific University Saturday night.
Waskom ran 3:35.86 to break the school record set last year by Nathan Green of 3:37.46.
Reigning US 1500 meter champion Cooper Teare, the former Oregon Duck now competing for the Nike Bowerman Track Club, won the race in 3:34.96, with Fouad Messaoudi of Oklahoma State taking second in 3:35.16.
Messaoudi and Waskom ran the two fastest collegiate times so far this season.
In the same race, Washington State alum Paul Ryan finished fifth in 3:36.32, just ahead of American 5000 meter record holder Grant Fisher, who led until losing a shoe in the final 200 meters.
Eastern Washington's Kaylin Sheley won the open B section of the women's 1500, running 4:33.62.
MT SAC RECAP
In Walnut, Washington's Nastassja Campbell won a four way battle in the women's invitational pole vault that was won on fewer misses at the Mt. SAC Relays at Hilmer Lodge Stadium Saturday.
After a slow start at the opening height of 13-7.25 (4.15m) where she needed a second attempt to advance to the next height, the Arkansas transfer made the next two heights--14-1.25 (4.30m) and 14-7.25 (4.45m) on her first attempts.
At the eventual winning height of 14-11 (4.55m), Campbell needed two tries to clear her personal best, while the other three still contending--post collegians Sophie Gutermuth, Kristen Leland, and Rachel Baxter--used all three attempts to stay in contention.
All four missed at the next bar of 15-3 (4.65m) to give Campbell the win. In the process, Campbell became the collegiate leader in the event, and her mark is the second best in UW history, behind only collegiate record holder Olivia Gruver's 15-6.25 (4.73m) from four years ago.
Gruver, who was in the competition, finished fifth at 14-7.25 (4.45m).
Washington's Cass Elliott finished second to Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and American record holder Rai Benjamin in the men's invitational 400 hurdles, as he ran a personal best 49.65 to Benjamin's meet record 47.74.
That mark puts Elliott second on the all-time UW list behind Shane Charles' 2006 school record of 49.51, and makes him the fourth Husky to ever break 50 seconds in the 400 hurdles.
Washington State's Jared McElvay was eighth in the section, finishing in 51.63.
In a separate section, the Huskies' Jonathan Birchman won in 50.61 to put him fifth on the all time UW list. Matthew Wilkinson of the Dawgs was seventh in the heat at 52.96.
University Place native Lexi Ellis of the University of Oregon was second in the women's invitational triple jump with a leap of 44-7.5 (13.60m).
BEACH INVITATIONAL RECAP
In Long Beach, Eastern Washington's Bobby Say finished third in the top section of the men's triple jump to cap off the Beach Invitational, hosted by Long Beach State Saturday.
After opening with a bound of 50-10.75 (15.51m), he stretched out the tape to 51-2.75 (15.61m), an outdoor season best, and extended his lead in the Big Sky conference standings.
Despite fouling all of his other jumps, Texas Tech's Chris Welch won at 52-7.25 (16.03m).
Bellingham native and Idaho alum Ben Doucette finished second in the men's 110 hurdles in 13.95.
The Eagles' Liam Bracken was fourth in the top section of the men's 400 in 48.12.
In the men's 4 x 400 relay, Eastern Washington was third in 3:17.09, while Central Washington finished fifth in 3:21.53.
The men's discus saw the Huskies' Elijah Mason (189-11/57.90m) and Nolan Such (189-11/57.89m) finish fourth and fifth, with Such throwing his second straight personal best of the week, having thrown 175-8 (53.54m) two days earlier in the same ring at the Pacific Coast Invitational.
MT SAC RELAYS (Wednesday-Saturday)
BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL (Thursday-Saturday)
BEACH INVITATIONAL (Friday-Saturday)
NOTE: The Mt. SAC Relays, and the sports information offices of Washington, Washington State, Western Washington, Gonzaga, Azusa Pacific, and Long Beach State contributed to this report.
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