Chloe Thomas''s third place finish in 3000 helps Huskies to a fifth place finish at B1G Tens...
INDIANAPOLIS--The Washington women's squad piled up team points in the 800 and the 3000 to push them towards a fifth place finish for the second straight year at the B1G Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Fall Creek Pavilion on the Indiana State Fairgrounds Saturday, while the men finished twelfth in the fifteen team field.
Grad transfer Chloe Thomas (Paul Merca photo) led the way, finishing third in a time of 8:56.54. It was Thomas’s second medal of the weekend after she led off the winning DMR on Friday.
Right behind Thomas in fourth was Julia David-Smith, in 8:57.68. Mia Cochran took seventh in 9:03.80 to add two more points.
The women’s 800m final was by far the fastest in meet history, with the top five finishers all under the old meet record. UW had three in the final, and Chloe Foerster was attempting to defend her 2025 title, but after coming through the halfway point in sixth-place, she could only gain one place up into fifth despite running the third-fastest final lap.
Foerster ran 2:02.90 for fifth, which was faster than her winning time from a year ago.
Freshman Chloe Symon was sixth and Jenica Swartz was seventh. Symon ran 2:04.79, and Swartz ran 2:04.97.
The Huskies finished with a final team score of 54 points, as Oregon successfully defended its B1G Ten title, scoring 101 to runner-up Illinois' 93. USC was third with 81, followed by Nebraska at 63.5.
MEN'S RECAP...
Despite having four runners in the finals of the mile, the Washington men walked away with seven points in the event.
As is often the case in a championship race, the pace was painfully slow.
Tyler Bilyard, Thom Diamond and Reuben Reina each took turns at the front of the field. Reina made the most aggressive push, taking the lead and injecting a huge surge with three laps to go, but he was unable to hold off the pursuers, and wound up fifth overall in a time of 4:13.36.
Bilyard gained three spots over the final lap to take sixth overall in 4:13.62. Freshman Josiah Tostenson was ninth in 4:16.53, and Diamond was 10th after he was tripped and fell coming off the final turn on the last lap.
In the men’s 400-meters final, junior Alex Rhodes earned himself another new indoor PR and took sixth-place overall in 46.18 seconds.
In a bit of a surprise, pole vaulter Jimmy Rhoads, the collegiate leader, only managed to clear 18-1.75 (5.53m) and placed fourth, as he was eliminated at 18-5.5 (5.63m). Nebraska's Dyson Wicker won it with a meet and facility record 19-0 (5.79m).
The Huskies finished the day with 24 points, good for twelfth. Oregon made it a sweep of both team titles, scoring 114 to runner-up Penn State's 96. Iowa was third with 61, followed by Michigan at 52.5, and Wisconsin's 47.
EAGLE WOMEN SIXTH, MEN NINTH AT BIG SKY...
In Pocatello, Idaho, the Eastern Washington women's team finished in a tie for sixth, scoring 38 points, while the men were ninth with a final team score of 25 points at the Big Sky indoor championships, hosted by Idaho State University Saturday.
Maddy Shekhawat was the only winner for the Eagles, taking the men's 60 meter hurdles in 7.73 after running 7.75 in qualifying Friday.
Other podium finishes for the Eagles included Judith Koumedzina in the women's 60, as she ran 7.42 in Saturday's final.
Koumedzina was second in the women's 200, running 23.77.
Alex Blecha finished off the podium in fourth in the men's pole vault, clearing 16-8.75 (5.10m).
Defending women's pole vault champ Suzi Woodall was fifth with a best of 12-2.75 (3.73m).
Northern Arizona again swept the men's and women's team titles. The Lumberjacks scored 200 points to win over runner-up Montana State's 91, and Montana's 75 in the men's competition.
The same three teams finished in the identical order on the women's side. NAU scored 164.5, while Montana State was second at 135, and Montana third at 91.
USATF INDOOR DAY 1 RECAP...
In Staten Island, New York, Seattle resident Sam Prakel finished fifth in the men's 3000 meter run finals at the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex Saturday.
Prakel ran 7:40.92, as world 5000m champion Cole Hocker took the victory in 7:39.25, just ahead of Yared Nuguse's 7:39.28, and Nico Young's 7:39.29.
Waleed Suliman of the Brooks Beasts was eleventh in 7:47.77.
Washington alum Kayley DeLay of the Brooks Beasts finished seventh in the women's 3000, running 8:50.61, as Emily Mackay won in a meet record 8:30.01.
Washington alum Scott Toney had a rough go in the men's pole vault, not clearing the opening height of 18-0.5 (5.50m).
Washington alum Joe Waskom advanced to Sunday's final in the men's 800, winning his heat in 1:47.72.
Isaiah Harris of the Brooks Beasts also won his heat of the 800, running 1:47.32, while teammate Brannon Kidder earned the final time qualifier, as he finished second behind Harris in 1:47.71.
Valery Tobias of the Beasts won her heat of the women's 800 in 2:01.00 to advance to Sunday's final.
Besides Waskom, Harris, Kidder and Tobias in the 800s, Prakel, Nathan Green and Luke Houser race in the finals of the men's 1500 Sunday.
Central Washington freshman Colton Magruder, and Rainier Beach alum Ray Ray Wells go in the qualifying of the men's 60 dash, with finals slater later in the day.
Central Washington alum E'Lexis Hollis will also run in the qualifying round of the women's 60 dash, for a chance to advance to the finals later in the day.
Finally, Washington alum Nastassja Campbell competes in the women's pole vault.
Day 2 of the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships will be streamed on Peacock ($) and shown on NBC Sports, starting at 10 am Pacific.
NOTE: The B1G Ten, Big Sky, and USA Track & Field contributed to this report.
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