The second indoor meet of the 2016 season was just as successful as the first for the Idaho indoor track and field team.
Idaho coach Tim Cawley commended the team’s performance this weekend, as several team members posted personal bests at the meet in Pullman, Washington.
“I think the team competed hard,” said Cawley.
The women’s team dominated the meet with six individuals finishing in the top ten of various events.
Idaho junior Kolcie Bates took first place in discus throwing event with a throw of 43.40 meters. In addition to this first place finish, Bates also finished fourth in the open weight throw, with a final score of 16.08 meters.
Lauren Cooper earned sixth place during the weight throw competition with a distance of 15.56 meters.
In the men’s weight throw, redshirt freshman Matthew Bauman finished 14th with a throw of 14.22 meters.
Idaho freshman Cecilia Watkins tied for ninth in the pole vault, with a jump of 3.25 meters.
Two freshmen distance runners returned to the track and had stellar performances this weekend. Freshman runner Erin Hagen finished the one-mile event with a time of 5:14.31, which placed her at fifth overall in the competition. Freshman runner Andrea Condie placed seventh in the 3,000-meter event with a time of 10:41.98.
On the men’s side, Idaho senior Ben Ayesa-Attah placed fifth in the 60-meter dash, finishing the event in 7.04 seconds. In the 800-meter run, junior Christopher Black completed the event in 1:59.84, which was enough to propel him to a fifth place finish.
In the men’s long jump, two Vandals finished in the top ten at the WSU Open. Redshirt junior Ian Middleton finished in sixth with a 6.57-meter jump, and redshirt junior Drew Thompson finished in eighth with 6.46 meters.
“We trained through this meet a little bit in preparation for the big invitational at the University of Washington next week,” Cawley said. “But I’m still excited for where the team is at and I think we’re in a good position to keep getting stronger.”
The Idaho indoor track and field team will travel to Seattle, Washington to compete in the University of Washington Invitational from Jan. 29-30.
The team will then compete in the Cougar Indoor in Pullman from Feb. 5-6, before returning to Seattle to take part in the Husky Classic from Feb. 12-14.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected]