The indoor track and field got off to a hot start Friday and Saturday with the Vandal Indoor Invitational, highlighted by several wins including sophomore Rachelle Meade’s record breaking long jump.
Mead broke three-time Olympian Angela Whyte’s 15-year-old long jump record with a 6.17-meter jump. The sophomore already holds the Idaho outdoor long jump record at 6.09 meters.
“Especially with her fall, her training was a little hit-or-miss coming off Worlds, she was a little beat up,” Idaho Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Tim Cawley said. “But to come out in her first meet and tie her all-time PR from outdoors and break the school record, she’s just a very talented individual. Anytime you break a school record you have to be excited.”
Sophomores Karina Moreland and Jordyn Rauer also found success in the jumps, finishing second and third in the triple jump, respectively. Moreland finished with a leap of 11.62 meters and Rauer with 11.31 meters.
Sophomore Kasin Pendergrass-Anderson had a good day in both the sprints and the jumps, finishing second in the triple jump with a hop of 15.05 meters and third in the 60-meter dash with 6.98 seconds.
To round out the jumps for the Vandals, sophomore Jonny Magee took third with a jump of 14.34 meters.
Freshman Britt Ipsen claimed second place in the high jump with a 1.95-meter jump.
Two Vandals had a good opening meet in the field events. Sophomore Zack Short took the victory in the shot put with a toss of 17.91 meters. Junior Quinn Mitchell found a win in the weight throw with a throw of 17.73 meters.
Idaho went uncontested in the mile, taking the top three spots lead by junior Austin Fred. Fred finished with a time of 4:21.23 and was followed closely by junior Levi Wintz with a 4:21.93. Sophomore Fabian Cardenas rounded out the Idaho top-three with a 4:22.52 finish.
On the women’s side, freshman Faith Dilmore took fourth in the mile with a time of 5:08.45. Sophomore Sierra Speiker finished just a minute behind in fifth with a 5:09.54.
Junior Kaizer Gillispie blazed the trail for the Vandals in the long sprints, taking a victory in the 400-meter race with a time of 49.45 seconds. Sophomore Mack Baxter set a new personal record just steps behind with a time of 49.69 seconds. Sophomore Dean Ellenwood took fourth with a time of 50.63 seconds.
In the 800-meters, junior Kaleala Bass lead the way for Idaho with a third-place finish with a 2:15.03 followed by freshman Malaina Thacker in fourth with a 2:21.14.
Freshman Jenner Higgins took second in the men’s 800-meters with a time of 1:59.27.
To cap off the Vandal success in the distance events, junior Skylar Ovnieck claimed third place in the 3000-meter race with a time of 8:51.52.
Sophomore Ben Doucette got his season off to a hot start with a win in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.09 seconds.
Freshman Nik Chappee grabbed second place in the 200-meter dash in 22.08 seconds. Sophomore Kaylee Hove took fourth in the women’s 200-meters with a time of 25.96 seconds.
Baxter, Gillispie, Chappee and junior Rikki McCaw claimed the victory in the men’s 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:24.42.
Idaho hops over the borer for the WSU Indoor Open beginning Friday in Pullman, Washington.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]