Huskies and Cougars split squads Friday, while pros head to ABQ for USATF indoor champs...
With the four Division II schools gearing up for the GNAC conference meet on Monday and Tuesday in Spokane, Washington and Washington State are the only two teams active this weekend as they try to advance athletes up the NCAA descending order list with only two weekends to qualify for the NCAA Division I indoor championships in Boston March 8th and 9th.
The Huskies are sending out their women's distance medley relay teams to compete at the newly created Terrier DMR Challenge meet, hosted by Boston University at the Track & Tennis Center starting at 4 pm Pacific time.
Washington, which hasn't run a distance medley relay this season, is looking for the magic that got the Huskies the collegiate record on that same track last year.
The DMR pool includes Chloe Foerster (Paul Merca photo), Marlena Preigh, Anna Terrell, and Carley Thomas.
Foerster is also entered in the 800, while Sophie O'Sullivan is entered in the mile. Washington alum Mick Stanovsek is entered in the men's mile.
In addition to the DMRs contested in Boston, there will be a special 5000 meter race set up featuring members of the Nike Bowerman TC as they aim for the Olympic standard of 13:05.00. Washington alum Jack Rowe is entered in the race.
The start list and time schedule for the Terrier DMR challenge meet is available here, while the link to live results is available here.
Flotrack ($) will stream the Terrier DMR Challenge meet.
The Husky men's squad is traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas for Friday's Arkansas Qualifier, where they will face DMR teams from Oklahoma State, Texas, Iowa State, Virginia, and host Arkansas.
Additionally, Eric Gibson, Ronan McMahon-Staggs and NCAA 1500m champion Nathan Green are entered in individual events.
Washington State is sending a small group to the Arkansas meet, led by Jasneet Nijjar in the 200 and 400, Michaela De Mello in the 60 hurdles, Mason Lawyer in the 60 and 200, and Grant Buckmiller and Jared McAlvey in the 400.
The Cougars have a men's 4 x 400 relay team entered.
The invitational men's distance medley relay kicks off the Arkansas Qualifier starting at noon, Pacific time (2 pm local time).
The Cougars are also sending three athletes to Colorado Springs for the Air Force Last Chance meet, including pole vaulters Eva Lowder and Tatum Moku, along with multi event specialist Mason Mahacek.
PROS & POST COLLEGIANS HEAD TO ALBUQUERQUE FOR USATF INDOOR CHAMPS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...
Meanwhile, a large number of pros with ties to the state of Washington are in Albuquerque for Friday and Saturday's USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
With 2024 a world championships year, places on this years' team heading to Glasgow, Scotland are on the line.
Friday's schedule starts off at 2 pm Pacific time with the women's high jump featuring Puyallup high school standout JaiCienna Gero-Holt.
Vancouver native Daniel Nehnevaj competes in the men's 3000 race walk an hour later.
The first running event starts at 4:15 pm local time with the first round of the women's 800 featuring defending US champion Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts. The winner of each of the three heats are guaranteed a spot in Saturday's finals at 2:58 pm local time, plus the three fastest time qualifiers. Akins is one of three Americans with the world championship standards.
As soon as the women are done, it's time for the men's 800 to take the track in the first of four heats, featuring Isaiah Harris of the Brooks Beasts, who is one of only two with the world championships standards.
Harris is in the second heat with Washington alum Sam Ellis and Beasts teammate Brannon Kidder.
In heat 4, Brandon Miller of the Beasts is in the field along with Washington alum Cass Elliott, who is making his pro debut as a member of Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore as he makes the move full time to the 800 from the 400 hurdles.
The finals of the men's 800 happens Saturday at 3:07 pm local time.
Allie Buchalski and Kayley DeLay of the Brooks Beasts will line up in the women's 3000 at 5:10 local time, while Beasts Dillon Maggard and Waleed Suliman go in the men's 3000 at 6:59 pm local time.
The one straightaway race happening Friday is the men's 60 hurdles first round at 5:46 pm local time, with Eastern Washington alum Parker Bowden the lone entry from the state. He'll need to finish in the top three in his heat or have one of the two time qualifiers to advance to the finals at 7:25 pm.
USATF.tv ($) will stream day 1 of the national indoor championships, as well as part of Saturday's competition before NBC (KING 5 in Seattle) takes over coverage starting at 1 pm Pacific time.
We will preview Saturday's competition in a separate post on Friday.
BATT-DOYLE DUCKS UNDER 15 MINUTES IN 5000M IN MELBOURNE...
Washington alum Izzi Batt-Doyle, who made Australia's Olympic team in the 5000 three years ago, made a return to the track Thursday evening at the Maurie Plant Meet, the first stop of the season-long World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold series.
Batt-Doyle, who had concentrated on the marathon the past few seasons, dropped down to the 5000, and was rewarded with a second place finish, running a personal best 14:59.18 as fellow Australian and training partner Rose Davies won in a meet record 14:57.54.
NOTE: World Athletics, USA Track & Field, and the sports information office of Washington State University, University of Washington, Boston University, University of Arkansas and the US Air Force Academy, contributed to this report.
paulmerca.blogspot.com may receive a commission for any purchases made from links clicked. Please support this site and our sponsors by clicking on the links. You can also support the site by clicking the yellow "Buy Me A Coffee" link below.
Comments