Cheptoo and Longisa both break WSU school records on final day of Husky Classic...
SEATTLE--Washington State's Rosemary Longisa and Zenah Cheptoo (Paul Merca photo) both broke school records on the final day of competition at the Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor as the University of Washington closed out its home indoor season.
In perhaps one of the most exciting races of the entire afternoon, Longisa tried to steal the women's 800 meter invitational race with 250 meters remaining, by going to the front and daring anyone else to go after her.
Penn State's Hayley Kitching went past her before they came off the final turn to win in 1:59.22, with Longisa second in 1:59;71.
Paris Olympic 800 meter finalist Juliette Whittaker of Stanford finished third in 1:59.76, just ahead of Washington's Chloe Foerster, who broke the school record in a time of 1:59.91.
In a very competitive women's invitational 5000, Cheptoo tucked behind a group of four runners--eventual winner Edna Chelulei of Eastern Kentucky, Isca Chelangat of Oklahoma State, Sophia Kennedy of Stanford, and Mercyline Kirwa of Iowa State.
She hung with the group until the final kilometer when they slowly pulled away. Chelulei took the victory in 15:05.16, which is the fastest collegiate time not run in Boston at the Sharon Colyear-Danville meet back in December.
Cheptoo crossed the line in 15:17.80, which puts her inside the NCAA Division I top 20 going into the conference championship meets in two weeks.
Other highlights:
--Washington alum Joe Waskom (Paul Merca photo) won the men's 800 in 1:46.76 over Reinhardt Harrison of Northern Arizona's 1:46.93.
Sam Prakel was fourth in 1:48.08, while Washington alum Sam Ellis was fifth in 1:48;16, and UW's Tyler Bilyard sixth in 1:49.53.
--After Friday night's men's invitational miles, where 13 men broke 4 minutes in the mile, 9 more added their names to the list, including Washington State's Kutoven Stevens, who was third in his heat in 3:59.38.
The Dempsey closed out the 2026 season with 412 sub-4 performances over the facility's 25 seasons of operations.
--Washington's Evan Jenkins placed fifth in the men's invitational 5000 meters, running 13:22.28.
Washington State's Evans Kurui finished one spot behind Jenkins in 13:25.51.
Kelvin Cheruiyot of Florida took the win in a Dempsey Indoor record 13:15.57, breaking the old facility record of 13:17.16 set by Kurui last year.
HANA MOLL REMAINS UNDEFEATED...
In Albuquerque, Washington's Hana Moll extended her undefeated 2026 season by winning the women's pole vault in a jump-off over pro Gabby Leon on the final day of the Don Kirby Elite meet hosted by the University of New Mexico at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Leon entered the competition with a first attempt make at 13-11.25 (4.25m), while Moll waited until the next bar of 14-5.25 (4.40m) to go in.
The duo then made the next two bars: 14-9 (4.50m) and 15-1 (4.60m) on first attempts, then passed to 15-5 (4.70m), where they both missed three times.
To break the tie, they were given a fourth attempt which Moll made to take the win.
Washington freshman Veronica Vacca was sixth at 14-5.25 (4.40m), while Sara Borton of UW and former Cougar Eva Lowder, who transferred to Grand Canyon, tied for eighth at the same height.
BEASTS PLUS OTHER WASHINGTON PROS RACE IN NORTH CAROLINA...
At the ASICS Sound Invite at JDL Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Valery Tobias of the Brooks Beasts had the team's top finish, taking third in the top section of the women's 800.
Tobias ran 1:59.30, as Sage Hurta-Klecker won in 1:58.78.
Isaiah Harris was fourth and John Rivera fifth in the top section of the men's 800, running 1:45.62, and 1:46.17, as teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus won in 1:44.03.
The top section of the men's 3000 saw Washington alum Luke Houser finish eighth in 7:40.38, while Waleed Suliman and Matt Strangio of the Beasts were tenth (7:44.12) and eleventh (7:50.61). Nico Young was the winner in 7:33.32.
Washington alum Kayley DeLay of the Beasts was fourth in the top section of the women's 3000 in 8:39.72, while fellow UW alum Eleanor Fulton was tenth in 8:50.13. Nikki Hiltz won in 8:34.98.
In a race that saw Olympic 1500m champ Cole Hocker set the American record of 3:45.94 in the mile, Washington alum Ronan McMahon-Staggs, making his pro debut for Diadora, finished ninth in 3:57.23.
In a separate section of the men's mile, Brannon Kidder of the Beasts was second in 3:55.25, while Washington alum Aidan Ryan was third in 3:55.43.
Laura Pellicoro of the Beasts won her section of the women's 800 in 2:02.19.
NOTE: Sound Running and the sports information offices of Washington, New Mexico, and Boston University contributed to this report.
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