UW alum Nastassja Campbell joins the 15-foot club at Texas Relays...
AUSTIN, Texas--University of Washington alum Nastassja Campbell (Paul Merca file photo), who battled through injuries through the 2024 season to finish fourth at the NCAA outdoor championships, showed that she is back after winning the women's invitational pole vault at the Texas Relays Saturday afternoon.
Campbell, who made the difficult decision to shut it down and bypass the US Olympic Trials after the NCAA championships last June, only competed in two meets during the indoor season, jumping a best of 14-1.75 (4.31m) at the UW Invitational in late January.
In her outdoor season debut, the native of New Caney, Texas, just outside of Houston, returned to her home state and set a personal best of 15-0 (4.57m), eclipsing her previous best of 14-11 (4.55m) set two years ago at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut.
Campbell, who is still training in Seattle at the University of Washington, was clean through her first four bars, including the winning jump.
She ended the day with three misses at 15-3.75 (4.67m).
In the women's University Elite section of the pole vault, Washington State's Tatum Moku finished in a tie for sixth at 14-4 (4.37m).
In an entertaining men's University Elite pole vault, Washington's Scott Toney finished second on misses behind Arkansas State's Bradley Jelmert, with both clearing 18-2.5 (5.55m).
The Huskies' Mathis Bresko finished sixth at 17-6.5 (5.35m).
Former Eastern Washington standout Ryan Rieckmann, now a grad student at Cincinnati, finished fifth in the men's javelin with a throw of 233-0 (71.02m). Western Washington's Jakob Braunstein was eleventh with a best of 208-9 (63.62m).
Western Washington alums Mac Franks and Calahan Warren finished fourth and fifth in the men's invitational mile. Franks ran 4:05.44, while Warren ran 4:10.67.
In San Marcos, Texas, Central Washington's E'lexis Hollis has put herself in the conversation as one of the favorites for the NCAA Division II 100 meter title at the Bobcat Invitational Saturday hosted by Texas State University.
Despite a +2.3 meter per second tailwind, Hollis powered to victory, running 11.27. Had the mark been under the 2.0 meter per second allowance, it would easily be the second fastest mark in Division II this season.
The Wildcats' 4 x 100 relay dropped their time from the 45.87 run on Friday at the Texas Relays, as they ran 45.15 to finish third overall behind Division I Sam Houston's 44.79 and Louisiana's 44.88. Central went with a slightly different team with Elise Hopper, Zoe Gonzales, Hollis and Ashlyn Nielsen, who took the place of Donna Marie Harris from the Texas Relays team.
NCAA indoor triple jump champ Emy Ntekpere finished second in both the triple jump (43-6/13.26m) and the high jump (5-10.5/1.79m), both of which are personal bests.
Friday, pole vaulter Lauryn McGough finished second with a clearance of 13-3.5 (4.05m).
MAURIE PLANT AND MELBOURNE INVITATIONAL RECAP...
At the Maurie Plant Invitational Saturday evening in Melbourne, Australia, former Washington Husky Sam Tanner of New Zealand finished fifth in the men's 1500, running 3:36.67.
In the women's 1500, Washington alum Eleanor Fulton finished seventh in a time of 4:10.21 to open her 2025 campaign, while current Husky Sophie O'Sullivan was eighth in 4:12.91.
Washington alum Brian Fay opened up his 2025 outdoor campaign with a seventh place finish in the 5000 meters, running 13:25.63. Fellow alum Izzi Batt-Doyle, whose focus has been on the roads after the Olympics, dropped down to the 3000 meters, and finished ninth in a season best 8:53.58.
In the Melbourne Invitational, which was the prelude to the Maurie Plant Invitational, Washington alum Carley Thomas finished second in the women's 800 in 2:03.14.
Complete results of both the Maurie Plant Invitational and the Melbourne Invitational are available here.
THE TEN RECAP...
Roe, whose previous personal best at 10000 was 33:02.36 set at the Stanford Invitational two years ago, dropped her personal best all the way down to 30:58.66.
In a race which was set up to attack the world championships standard of 30:20.00, Stanford alum Elise Cranny took the victory in a time of 30:36.56, pulling away on the last lap from New Mexico alum and fellow US Olympian Weini Kelati, who ran 30:38.60.
Former Brooks Beast Jessica McClain, who was the Olympic team alternate at both the 10000 and marathon, finished seventh in a personal best time of 30:59.71.
Current Brooks Beast Allie Buchalski completed her first attempt at the distance in 15th, running 31:52.41.
In the top section of the men's 10000, Lake Washington HS grad and current Brooks Beast Dillon Maggard dropped out with four laps to go.
Incoming Washington freshman Josiah Tostenson of Crater HS in Oregon finished fifth in the invitational section of the men's 1500, running 3:40.06, while Washington alum Aaron Ahl of Canada was seventh in 3:40.90.
For Tostenson, the mark is the eighth fastest by a high schooler outdoors all-time.
Tostenson's Crater HS teammate Tayvon Kitchen, who has not committed to a school, finished ninth in 3:41.62, the ninth fastest time by a high schooler outdoors all-time.
NOTE: The sports information office of the University of Texas, Texas State, Central Washington, Western Washington, Washington & Washington State, along with Sound Running and Athletics Australia contributed to this report.
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