Idaho opened the indoor season with outstanding performances Saturday, highlighted by sophomore Rechelle Meade and Zachary Short.
Meade 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 in a news release. “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.”
Short was named Big Sky Field Athlete of the Week for his winning performance in the shot put. Short won the event with a throw of 17.91 meters, a personal best and the second-best throw in the conference this season.
In another throwing event, junior Quinn Mitchell took first in the weight throw with a toss of 17.73 meters.
The Vandal squad found equal success in the distance events. 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.
In the sprints, sophomore Ben Doucette got started with a win in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.09 seconds.
After a successful season opener on home territory, Idaho will hop the border to compete in the WSU Indoor Open. The field events will begin 4 p.m. Friday and the running events will kick off 10 a.m. Saturday.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]