Moll twins & Campbell go 3-4-5 in pole vault at NCAAs...
EUGENE--Day 2 of the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships put the women on center stage Thursday night, and the University of Washington trio of Hana Moll (Paul Merca photo), Nastassja Campbell and Amanda Moll finished in positions 3-4-5 in the pole vault.
Hana, the freshman from Olympia's Capital HS and reigning NCAA indoor champion, led the way with a third place finish, clearing 14-9 (4.50m).
Campbell, the sixth year senior competing in her final collegiate meet, finished fourth with a best of 14-5.25 (4.40m), the same height cleared by Amanda Moll, with Campbell getting fourth on fewer misses.
Amanda needed two attempts to clear her first two bars at 13-7.25 (4.15m) and 14-1/25 (4.30m) before clearing 14-5.25 (4.40m) on her first attempt.
Campbell, who was second in this meet last year, was clean on her first three bars before bowing out with Amanda at 14-9 (4.50m).
Hana was clean on the first three bars, before needing a second attempt to clear 14-9 (4.50m).
At 14-11, eventual winner Chloe Timberg of Rutgers, who was clean through the first four bars, made it five straight makes to put pressure on the other two remaining vaulters, but Riley Felts of Charlotte answered with a first attempt clearance to post Hana to third.
After Hana's first miss, she passed to the next height of 15-1 (4.60m), where she was eliminated after two misses.
Timberg needed two attempts to clear 15-3 (4.65m), then answered with a first attempt make at the eventual winning height of 15-5.5 (4.71m) after missing at 15-5 (4.70m).
In other finals contested Thursday, Lake Stevens HS alum Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State pushed the pace for the first 8k before eventual winner Parker Valby of Florida took over for good, and won in a time of 31:46.09.
Roe earned a personal best, running 32:17.45.
Rosina Machu of Gonzaga became the second in school history to run in the NCAA championship and first to race in a final, as she finished 15th in 34:07.11, just ahead of former Husky Sarah Carter of Colorado State, who was 16th in 34:08.75.
Washington alum Andrea Markezich of Notre Dame dropped out at around the 8k mark.
The Cougars' Nana Gyedu finished 18th in the finals of the shot put with a best of 53-8.25 (16.36m).
In the men's decathlon, Washington State's Lee Walburn, who ended day one in eleventh place with 3976 points, rallied to finish seventh with a personal best score of 7816. while the Huskies' Jami Schlueter couldn't maintain the momentum of the first day, where he stood seventh at the break with 4075 points, and finished eleventh with 7739 points, which was also a personal best.
In qualifying action, defending NCAA steeplechase champion Olivia Markezich from Woodinville, representing Notre Dame, advanced easily, winning her heat in 9:50.08.
The Huskies' Sophie O'Sullivan, who made the finals last year, earned a repeat spot on the line Saturday in the 1500, running 4:08.04 to take fourth in her heat.
Unfortunately, Washington's Pac-12 1500m champ Chloe Foerster was never in contention, and finished tenth in her heat in 4:17.48.
Washington State's Maribel Caicedo ran the second fastest time in the 100 hurdles qualifying, stopping the clock at 12.53, her second fastest time ever.
Teammate Micaela De Mello had the fourth fastest time in qualifying, running a wind-aided 12.71, which would have been under the Olympic qualifying standard had it not been wind-aided.
Eastside Catholic grad Kate Jendrezek was sixth in her heat of the 800, running 2:03.42.
Here's who's competing Friday with Washington ties:
5:35 pm Discus MEN Final Jeremiah Nubbe
6:02 pm 4 x 100 Relay MEN Final Louie Hinchliffe
6:12 pm 1500 Meters MEN Final Nathan Green, Luke Houser, Joe Waskom
6:52 pm 100 Meters MEN Final Louie Hinchliffe
7:55 pm 5000 Meters MEN Final Wil Smith, Acer Iverson
Coverage continues on the networks of ESPN, either streaming on ESPN+ or televised on ESPN2.
- Friday will air on ESPN2 from 6pm to 8:30 pm PT
- Saturday will air on ESPN2 from 2:30 pm to 5 pm PT
The combined events and field events will have dedicated live streams on ESPN+.
NOTE: The NCAA and the sports information offices of Gonzaga, Washington, Washington State and Oregon contributed to this report.
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