Huskies take national lead in both DMRs in Fayetteville and Boston with women breaking CR...
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas & BOSTON--At the 2024 Arkansas Qualifier, the University of Washington distance medley relay team of Joe Waskom, Daniel Gaik, Nathan Green (photo courtesy University of Arkansas Athletics) and Luke Houser set a new American record in winning that event at the Arkansas Qualifier Friday afternoon at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas in a time of 9:18.81.
A few hours later, the UW women's squad of Chloe Foerster, Anna Terrell, Marlena Preigh, and Carley Thomas broke their own school and collegiate record of 10:46.62 set on the very same Boston University Track & Tennis Center facility last year, in winning the distance medley relay at the BU Terrier DMR Challenge in 10:43.39.
In Fayetteville, the Huskies were always at the front, though they were challenged early by both Oklahoma State and Arkansas on the first two legs.
NCAA 1500 meter champion Nathan Green ran a 1:46.57 800 meter leg to give the Huskies a lead they would never relinquish, with reigning NCAA indoor mile champ Luke Houser bringing it home with a 3:54.54 1600 meter leg.
Virginia was second in 9:18.95, followed by Oklahoma State in third at 9:19.74, and Arkansas fourth at 9:20.09.
All four teams on the day ran faster than the men's winning time in Boston at the BU Terrier DMR Challenge of 9:22.71 a few hours later.
Washington's splits were 2:51.34 on the opening 1200 leg by Joe Waskom; 46.37 on the 400 leg by Daniel Gaik; 1:46.57 by Green over 800, and 3:54.54 for Houser on the 1600.
While the final time of 9:18.81 is slower than the Washington school record of 9:16.65, all four legs were run by American citizens (Green is from Idaho; the rest are Washington state products). Last year's team that set the school record included Canadian Kieran Lumb.
The old American record of 9:19.93 was set by a team of Matthew Centrowitz, Rainier Beach HS alum Mike Berry, Erik Sowinski, and Patrick Casey on January 31, 2015 in New York.
Back in Boston, Chloe Foerster, who set the UW school record of 4:28.14 in the mile at the Husky Classic last week, opened the proceedings for the Huskies with a 3:15.29 1200 leg.
She then handed off to Anna Terrell, who ran 54.74 on the 400 leg. Marlena Preigh, who ran the 400 leg on last year's team, ran 2:03.36 on the 800 leg, and Carley Thomas, who ran the 800 on last year's record-setting squad, ran an impressive 4:30.06 on the 1600 anchor leg.
Behind Washington, Providence at 10:44.07, and BYU at 10:44.67 both ducked under the Huskies' old collegiate record of 10:46.62.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ARKANSAS...
--Washington State's Jasneet Nijjar lowered the Washington State indoor program record in the women's 400-meter for the second time this season with a 52.34 to place third overall, while Micaela De Mello was second in the 60 hurdles in 8.20;
--The Cougar men's 4 x 400 relay team of Ethan Willems, Jared McAlvey, Mason Lawyer, and Grant Buckmiller won in a school record time of 3:06.40 in perhaps their best shot to get one of the top 12 spots for the NCAA championships in Boston in three weeks. Pending the outcome of other meets this weekend, the Cougars' time puts them outside the top 20;
--After his run in the distance medley relay, Washington's Nathan Green was fourth in the 800 in 1:47.68. Daniel Gaik was ninth in the 400 in 47.56, behind the Cougars' Grant Buckmiller in seventh at 46.84, and Jared McAlvey in eighth at 46.86.
--Mason Lawyer was fourth in the men's 60 in 6.76 after running 6.82 in the prelims;
--Luke Houser of the Dawgs was fourth in the men's 3000 in 8:10.23.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOSTON...
--Washington alum Jack Rowe of Great Britain, who has been training at altitude in the US for the last month or so, got under the 13:05.00 Olympic standard in the 5000, when he ran 13:04.75 to finish third, as Grant Fisher of the Nike Bowerman TC won in 12:51.84, with Great Britain's Patrick Dever second in 13:04.75.
Dever and Rowe are the third and fourth Brits under the Olympic standard.
--Sophie O'Sullivan of Washington was fifth in the women's mile, running 4:33.30, which still puts her outside the top 16 to get into the NCAA championships with a week to go.
DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE USATF INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS...
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of the oldest standing high school records in Washington state history was finally broken at the USATF Indoor Championships Friday afternoon, as JaiCieonna Gero-Holt of Emerald Ridge HS in Puyallup broke the 1981 mark in the high jump set by Mary Moore of Issaquah of 6-2 (1.88m).
In the women's high jump finals, Gero-Holt opened at 5-8 (1.73m). After needing a second attempt at the next height of 5-9.75 (1.77m), she cleared three straight heights on first attempts, including the state record breaking mark before bowing out at 6-3.5 (1.92m).
Vashti Cunningham won the women's high jump at 6-3.5 (1.92m).
Other highlights:
--Defending champ Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts won her heat of the 800 in 2:02.53 to advance to Saturday's finals. Teammate Isaiah Harris won his heat of the men's 800 in 1:46.97, the fastest time of the day.
Washington alum Sam Ellis, who was in the same heat as Harris, set a personal best, running 1:47.26, but ended up as the fastest non-qualifier. Brannon Kidder of the Beasts was also in Harris' heat and ended up fourth in 1:47.45. UW alum Cass Elliott, making his pro debut competing for Under Armour, was fourth in his heat in 1:49.75;
--In the women's 3000, Allie Buchalski of the Brooks Beasts was fifth in 9:11.96, while teammate Kayley DeLay was eleventh in 9:39.70;
--The men's 3000 saw Dillon Maggard of the Beasts finish fourth in 7:57.56, while Waleed Suliman was twelfth in 8:09.06;
--Vancouver native Daniel Nehnevaj was fourth in the men's 3000 race walk in 15:21.41.
Saturday, former Pullman resident Katie Moon and Mountlake Terrace native Chinne Okoronkwo compete in the finals of the women's pole vault, while WSU and Rainier Beach alum Emmanuel Wells and Spokane high school sensation Dominick Corley from Mead HS goes in the heats of the men's 60, with the finals the last event of the meet at 2:54 pm Pacific.
In perhaps one of the most intriguing races of the meet, defending USA indoor champ Sam Prakel runs in the men's 1500 along with Henry Wynne of the Brooks Beasts and UW alum Sam Ellis.
NBC Sports (KING 5 in Seattle) will televise Saturday's portion of the meet starting at 1 pm Pacific time.
LOWDER WINS AT AIR FORCE LAST CHANCE MEET...
Washington State's Eva Lowder won the pole vault Friday at the Air Force Last Chance meet in Colorado Springs on the campus of the US Air Force Academy.
Lowder cleared a best of 13-7.25 (4.15m), with teammate Tatum Moku fourth at 12-11.5 (3.95m).
NOTE: USA Track & Field, and the sports information office of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Boston University and the University of Arkansas contributed to this report.
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