NCAA qualifier Jonathan Birchman pops 400 hurdles PR in season opener in Tacoma...

While it's very early in the outdoor track and field season, one of the most unexpected marks of the young campaign came in Tacoma Saturday at the Peyton/Shotwell Invitational, hosted by the University of Puget Sound as a small group of University of Washington sprinters and hurdlers competed unattached against a field of predominantly Division II and III athletes.

Senior Jonathan Birchman (Paul Merca file photo), who was an NCAA qualifier last season for the University of Washington in the 400 hurdles, braved the cool conditions to run an unlooked for personal best time of 50.16 to win the event.

Right behind Birchman was Pac-12 scorer Matthew Wilkinson, who came close to his personal best of 51.30 set at the 2022 Pac-12 championship meet, as he ran 51.74.

Jonathan Frazier was third at 53.35, followed by Boden Hanley in fourth at 53.58.

Birchman's mark would have counted as the second fastest time in NCAA Division I this season had he competed as a member of the Washington squad, while Wilkinson would be inside the top ten.  Nonetheless, it bodes well for the Husky sprint and hurdles crew as they prep for their season opener next weekend at the Stanford Invitational.

In her first ever collegiate try at the 400 hurdles, Anna Terrell, who ran the 400 leg in the distance medley relay for Washington at the NCAA indoors, won the event in 60.13, with Kapiolani Coleman second in 60.32.

Danielle Hunter was a double winner, taking the 100 in 11.75, and the 200 in 23.99.

Complete results of the Peyton/Shotwell Invitational are available here.

WILDCATS GET FOUR WINS AT OREGON PREVIEW...

In Eugene, Central Washington athletes picked up four wins on the day, while Eastern Washington athletes added a pair of wins to Ryan Rieckmann's victory in Friday's men's javelin competition at Saturday's Oregon Preview meet at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.

Competing under cloudy skies and temperatures in the low to mid 50s, Central Washington's E'lexis Hollis, fresh off competing at the NCAA indoor championships for the second time in her career, led the way for the Wildcats, winning both the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

Hollis won the 100 in 11.77, and took the 200 in 24.60.

Elise Hopper won the women' 400 in 56.16, while Wyatt Franklin won the men's discus with a throw of 161-4 (49.17m).

For Eastern Washington, pole vaulter Savannah Schultz won her event with a mark of 12-7.5 (3.85m), while new Eagle school record holder Kimberly Smith won the women's long jump with a best of 19-3 (5.87m).

Western Washington's Ryan Greenwalt got their only win of the meet in the mens long jump, as he soared 22-10.5 (6.97m).

Complete results of the Oregon Preview are available here.

FALCONS COMPETE IN MEETS IN SAN DIEGO AREA...

Over the course of the last two days, Seattle Pacific's track teams competed at the Mangrum Invitational Friday on the Cal State San Marcos campus, the Point Loma Nazarene University Invitational and the Aztec Invitational on Saturday.

Friday, the Falcons' David Njeri won the men's triple jump with a best of 48-6 (14.78m), which pending the results of other meets around the country this weekend, puts him inside the Division II top ten to highlight their efforts.

At Saturday's Point Loma meet, multi-event specialist Hannah Chang won the 100 hurdles in 14.37.

Njeri had a rough go at the Aztec Invitational, as he fouled all three preliminary jumps.

Seattle Pacific's release and recap is available here.

NOTE: The sports information office of the University of Puget Sound, University of Oregon, Central Washington, Eastern Washington University, Seattle Pacific, and Western Washington contributed to this report.

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