Windy weather did not hinder the Vandal track and field team over the weekend, as multiple athletes qualified for the the Big Sky Track and Field Championships during the Border Clash in Boise.
“With the windy conditions this weekend, the goal was to go out and compete hard,” said Tim Cawley, Idaho director of track and field. “I’m really proud of the team for doing just that.”
Idaho junior Andrea Pikes ran a personal best in the 100-meter dash during the competition. Her Big Sky Championship qualifying time of 11.92 seconds earned her a fourth place finish in the Border Clash.
Pikes also ran in the 200-meter event, earning a new personal-best and a fourth place finish.
Junior Marquita Palmer finished fourth in the 800-meter run with a personal best time of 2:11.53. Palmer’s performance was good enough to earn the junior a berth in the Big Sky Championships.
Two Idaho athletes had top-five finishes in the 1500-meter run. Junior Ally Ginther finished third with a time of 4:42.91, while sophomore Alex Siemens finished behind Ginter in fifth with a mark of 4:44.88.
Freshman Jonny Magee set a new personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 14.51 meters. Derek Haas finished second in the javelin throw with a distance of 62.58 meters.
Both Haas and Magee previously earned qualifying marks for the Big Sky Championships.
Senior sprinter Ben Ayesu-Attah earned another spot at the Big Sky Championships with his performance in the 200-meter dash. His time of 21.60 seconds was a season-best for the senior.
Junior Nathan Stark finished fourth in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:55.54, while junior Santos Vargas earned a fourth place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
“We had a great meet this weekend,” Cawley said. “Things are starting to come together for the team, right in time for conference.”
Kinsey Gomez was the lone Vandal representative in the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford. The senior finished first among collegiate participants in the event.
Gomez competed in the third section of the 5000-meters and earned a time of 16:11.17 to finish seventh overall. The time was the fastest mark for Big Sky Conference athletes this season, and would rank her in the top-40 of current nationwide college competitors.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected]