The Idaho track and field team hit the track in Missoula, Montana, at the Al Manuel Invitational. The Vandals faced other Big Sky opponents Montana and Montana State. In the first conference test of the 2017 outdoor season, the Vandals finished with five first place finishes.
A handful of Vandals finished with top marks in the distance events. Senior Nathan Stark won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:27.79.
Idaho went third, fourth and fifth in the 800-meter lead by senior Blake Gerling with a time of 1:53.58. Freshman Dean Ellenwood and senior Ian Middleton followed close behind in 1:53.79 and 1:53.84. All three athletes hold top-10 times in the Big Sky Conference.
Freshman Mack Baxter set a new personal record in the 400-meter hurdles with a first place finish in 52.82 seconds. Baxter also joined the 4×100 team with Middleton and sophomores Zion Stuffle and Kaizer Gillispie. The squad came in third with a time of 3:18.36.
Sophomore Andrea Condie was the top Vandal in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a second place finish in 11:03.33.
Sophomore Kaleala Bass finished third in the 800 meters in 2:16.51. Freshman Krista Story grabbed another third place finish for Idaho in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:38.05.
Junior Meghan Palesch earned a third place finish for the women in the 400-meter in 1:03.21.
Senior Drew Thompson won the 110-meter hurdle race in 15.05 seconds.
Freshman Kasin Pendergrass-Anderson grabbed the win in the triple jump with a leap of 14.63 meters. Pendergrass-Anderson currently sits in fourth in the conference.
Freshman Austin Beyer took second place in the javelin with a throw of 58.08 meters to claim third in the conference. Freshman Matthew Bauman also finished second place in the hammer throw with a toss of 52.29 meters.
Freshman Rechelle Meade was the sole first place finisher on the women’s side with her win in the high jump. Meade won with a leap of 1.75 meters. Teammate senior Katelyn Peterson finished close behind in third with 1.65 meters.
The women’s 4×100 squad of Meade, junior Nicole Carter and freshmen Karina Moreland and Maddy Dustin earned third place with a time of 48.22 seconds.
Vandals move on to the Pelluer Invitational April 7 in Cheney, Washington.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]