Another school record fell for Vandal track and field this year in the final indoor meet before nationals. Senior Stephane Colle broke the Idaho men’s 3,000-meter school record in the top performance by a Vandal athlete Saturday at the Husky Last Chance meet. The meet was the last chance for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Nine athletes competed for Idaho. The senior middle and long-distance runners competed in their final indoor track meet as Vandals.
Colle’s 8:05.39 minutes beats teammate Barry Britt’s school record time of 8:07.02. Britt, a junior, set the record earlier this year on the same track. Colle finished the race in No. 6 while Britt finished No. 7 in 8:14.34 Saturday.
Senior Erica Digby had a career-best performance in the women’s mile. She finished in 4:46.44 while crossing the finish line No. 8.
“Erica just had an amazing indoor season,” Idaho track and field coach Julie Taylor said. “That gives her great confidence going to the outdoor season, knowing that she’s been running some amazing times.”
Senior Anna Kalbrener finished in 4:56.37 in the first heat of the mile. Kalbrener didn’t feel 100-percent during the WAC Indoor Championships so Taylor said the Husky Last Chance was a good chance for her to get another solid race in before the outdoor season.
Seniors Josh Dalton and James Clark notched strong performances in the men’s 800-meter. Dalton finished in 1:50.52 and placed seventh in his section while Clark finished in 1:51.55 and took second.
Senior Jeremy Klas tied No. 1 in the men’s pole vault after clearing 17-2.25 feet. Klas was the only Vandal competing in field events at the championships.
“I know I’ve been jumping super consistently this year,” Klas said. “I think it’s just a matter of making sure everything feels good (at nationals) and just hitting it hard so that I can be competitive and put myself in a position to potentially win, if not place in the top five at least.”
Klas will join sophomore Hannah Kiser to represent Idaho at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 9 and 10 in Boise. Klas will return to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the men’s pole vault while Kiser competes in the women’s 3,000-meter during her first track and field championships after making cross-country nationals in 2011.
Going into nationals, Kiser is ranked No. 8 in the nation in the 3,000-meter while Klas is ranked No. 10 in the pole vault.
“Both of those kids have a chance to compete at a very high level this coming weekend and hopefully they’ll continue (competing) how they’ve been doing,” Taylor said. “If they do that I think we’ll have great results.”