UW women jump to early lead in B1G Ten team race with three wins...
LINCOLN, Nebraska--The University of Washington's Hana Moll (center/UW Athletics photo) won her first B1G Ten outdoor pole vault title, clearing an outdoor collegiate record 15-10 (4.83m), as the Dawgs claimed three individual titles on the first day of the B1G Ten Track & Field Championships at Nebraska Track on the campus of the University of Nebraska Friday.
Under weather that went past the 90 degree mark during the day, Hana started with a second attempt make at 14-6.25 (4.43m), then a second attempt make at 15-0.25 (4.58m).
Sister Amanda, the defending B1G Ten champion, was clean through her first five bars, holding the lead with a season best 15-2.25 (4.63m) as the twins were the only ones remaining in the field of 19 left.
Hana took the lead with a first attempt clearance at 15-6.25 (4.73m), while Amanda missed all three tries. Hana boosted her collegiate outdoor record with the first attempt make at 15-10 (4.83m). She then took three good shots at Amanda's ultimate collegiate record of 16-1.25 (4.91m) set at last year's B1G Ten indoor championships in Indianapolis by attempting 16-1.75 (4.92m), of which the third attempt was the best of the three.
The UW coaching staff had to be delighted with Amanda's performance, as it was a season best, but more importantly for her, a big turnaround after a rocky start during the indoor season, where she was shut down after the end of January with what was then reported as an injury.
Freshman Veronica Vacca of the Huskies finished fourth with an outdoor personal best of 14-6.25 (4.43m), while senior teammate Sara Borton was tenth with a best of 13-10.5 (4.23m). Senior Avril Wilson was 12th at 13-6.5 (4.13m).
In a bit of an upset, Washington's Ashley Schroeder, who entered the meet seeded fourth, used a fourth round throw to win the javelin in a school and personal record of 179-6 (54.72m).
After the first three throws, the junior from Kirkland's Juanita HS was in third, as Nebraska's Jana Lowka held the lead with a best of 175-8 (53.54m).
Behind Schroeder, Saydi Orange and Leonie Troeger earned the last two spots going into the nine-woman final, but took advantage of getting three more throws by moving up in the standings.
In round 5, Troeger, who transferred from Cincinnati after the 2024 season, launched the spear 166-1 (50.63m) to move into fifth. Orange then leapfrogged her teammate with a toss of 169-5 (51.64m) to go into fourth, where they both ultimately finished.
On the B1G Ten broadcast, Schroeder said that her goal going into the competition was, "to throw as far as I can...and that happened today!"
"I got my arm back in the end, and that was what I was trying to do on the left side. I want to replicate it for regionals.
Schroeder became the first Washington conference champion in the javelin since 1987 when Helena Uusitalo won the Pac-10 title and the first thrower to win since 1998 when Aretha Hill won the Pac-10 discus title.
B1G TEN AFTER DARK, AS CHLOE THOMAS WINS 10000M...
Just after the 6k point, Thomas was in a pack of three which included defending champion Diana Cherotich of Oregon and Ali Weimer of Minnesota. They would stay that way until the 8k mark, at which point Thomas had enough.
Over the last 1600, she put down laps of 76, 75, 74 and 75 to salt away the win in 32:59.51 to Weimer's 33:07.71.
Cherotich dropped out with a lap to go, and unheralded Husky Abby DeVeau, who last year competed on the UW intramural club rugby team and dabbled with the intramural Husky Run Club team, finished third in 33:18.23, while Maeve Stiles was seventh in 34:00.45.
Thomas won the first Husky conference title in the 10000 since Izzi Batt-Doyle won the 2019 Pac-12 crown in Tucson, which ironically, also had a weather delay.
The one track final involving the Washington men saw Evan Jenkins just fall short in his efforts to defend his B1G Ten title in the 10000 meters.
Through 8k, there was a group of about eleven athletes still in contention, including Jenkins, and UW teammates Tyrone Gorze and Parker Mong.
With two laps to go, Oregon's Luke Tewalt, a grad transfer from Wake Forest, had about a two step lead with Jenkins, Oregon's Evan Bishop, and Michigan State's Riley Hough all waiting to pounce.
That two step lead was good enough, as Tewalt accelerated down the back stretch and created enough of a gap to hold on for the victory. Tewalt finished in 29:49.24, with Jenkins second in 29:49.83.
Gorze was eighth in 29:56.32, while Mong was 11th in a personal best 30:16.53.
He dropped to third overall after throwing the shot 41-5.25 (12.63m), but then rebounded by winning the high jump with a best of 6-11.5 (2.12m), just off his all time best of 7-2.25 (2.19m) set indoors. The freshman finished off day one with a personal best of 50.23 in the 400 meters.
With collegiate leader Sofia Cosculluela of Washington opting not to compete in the heptathlon, Puyallup's JaiCienna Gero-Holt of Illinois took the lead after day one, scoring 3767 points.
She ran 13.71 in the 100 hurdles, then won two straight events, taking the high jump at 6-0 (1.83m) and the shot put at 46-11 (14.30m), the latter in a personal best.
Gero-Holt ended the day by running 24.67 to take a 118 point lead over her Illini teammate Meagan Humphries, who has 3649 points going into the break.
In the only other field event final, Washington's Carson Olmstead was eleventh in the javelin at 212-6 (64.78m).
FRIDAY'S QUALIFYING ACTION...
In qualifying, Jonathan Frazier advanced to Sunday's finals in the 400 hurdles as the final time qualifier, finishing third in his heat in 51.09.
In the women's 1500, Chloe Foerster had the top time, winning her heat in 4:15.26, with teammate Mia Cochran second in the heat in 4:17.06.
The men's 1500 saw Reuben Reina (3:44.79) and Thomas Diamond (3:50.59) advance as automatic qualifiers to Sunday's final, while Tyler Bilyard advanced as a time qualifier, running 3:44.06 in his heat.
With the three wins after four events on the women's side, the Husky women have the first day lead with 60 points, with Minnesota second with 34, and Illinois third at 22 points.
Washington's nine points has them in fifth after three events in the men's competition. Oregon leads with 38 followed by Minnesota at 16, and Nebraska and USC in a tie for third with 11 points.
ALEX BLECHA WINS MEN'S POLE VAULT AT BIG SKY...
In Gresham, Oregon, Alex Blecha of Eastern Washington won the men's pole vault with a clearance of 17-2.25 (5.24m) to highlight the first full day of competition at the Big Sky Track & Field Championships at Mt. Hood Community College, hosted by Portland State University, after the conclusion of Wednesday and Thursday's combined events.
Blecha started the day with a second attempt make at 15-6.5 (4.74m), then had four straight first attempt makes, cumulating with the winning bar of 17-2.25 (5.24m).
Both second place Carson Hegele of Montana and Bob Hartley of Montana State cleared the same height, but Blecha's first attempt make at the winning height was the difference.
Cashmere native Rob McManus of Montana State, a two time Big Sky steeplechase champion and an NCAA All American in the event last year, won his third straight Big Sky title, running 8:34.32.
Eastern Washington's Shai Gray earned a podium spot with her third place finish in the long jump, jumping 19-3.5 (5.88m).
The Eagles advanced to Saturday's finals included Maddy Shekhawat in the 110 hurdles (14.06); Jordyn Grady in both the 100 and 400 hurdles (13.82/60.19); Modou Kinteh in the men's 400 (47.90); Judith Koumedzina in both the 100 and 200 (11.87/24.43); Kristian Phennicie in both the men's 100 and 200 (10.57/21.58); Lexi Meyer (2:10.05) in the women's 800; Owen Higgins (1:50.37) in the men's 800; and Melia Middleton in the 400 hurdles (60.61).
COUGS, ZAGS AND REDHAWKS IN LAST CHANCE MEETS...
Saturday, Washington State, the Gonzaga men, and a select number of runners from Seattle University will compete at the Stumptown Running High Performance meet at Jesuit HS in Portland.
For Washington State, the big story revolves around the Cougars' Solomon Kipchoge, who has not raced since the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor championships in Reno.
In order for him to compete at the NCAA First Round meet (West Regionals), Kipchoge must produce a mark in the top 48 in either the 5000 (13:39.36) or 10000 (28:52.45). Kipchoge is entered in both events, but will most likely decide which event to run shortly before the race. The men's 5000 goes at 8:08 pm, and the 10000 is at 9 pm.
SeattleU's Seku Sanders is entered in the men's 800 at 7:11 pm. Sanders, whose personal and season best is 1:48.75, will have to run at least sub 1:48.00 to get himself inside the top 48, and end the Redhawks' streak of eleven years without qualifying a single athlete to the NCAA First Round meet (West Regionals).
The Gonzaga women are sending a small group to San Francisco to compete in the West Coast Last Chance meet at Cox Stadium.
Entered in the meet are sisters Emma and Maria Taggi Padró along with Clare Mullin in the 1500, and Ashlinn Aguayo in the 800.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA, Big Ten, Big Sky, and the sports information offices of Washington, Nebraska, Eastern Washington and Portland State contributed to this report.
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