Idaho was represented by a trio of Vandals in the NCAA West Preliminary, which kicked off May 24 and ran until May 26.
Junior Andrea Condie and sophomores Ausitn Beyer and Zachary Short competed in Sacramento, California.
“I saw Vandals competing, that was the fun part,” Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Tim Cawley said in a news release. “I saw three young athletes, in their first time at the NCAA Championships, I didn’t see nerves. I saw three kids going out and having fun, and competing. I was proud of all three of them. I think it says a lot about the staff, our coaches got them ready, but it’s just three confident kids enjoying the process. Anytime you beat your rank it’s fantastic.”
Short finished in 24th in the shot put, beating his original rank of 27th. Short continued to improve his marks with each toss, finishing with a 17.86-meter toss and second in his flight.
“I’m pretty happy,” Short said in a news release. “It’s a great experience to come out and experience all the emotions that come with the first rounds and all that.”
Beyer claimed 25th in the javelin with a 62.60-meter throw. Beyer broke the 60-meter mark on all three attempts, finishing with his best throw of the competition.
“It went well, I was above 60 meters on all my throws,” Beyer said in a news release. “It was definitely my best series that I’ve had. I wish I had three more throws here, it would’ve been nice. But this was all I could’ve asked for, honestly.”
Condie represented the Idaho women’s cross-country team in the 5,000 meters where she grabbed a 39th place finish. She completed the quick race with a time of 16:40.36 for a new personal best, good for 19th in her heat.
“I’m happy with it. It was a fast race, so I was just trying to stick with it as long as I could,” Condie said in a news release. “I think I did that, and I’m pretty excited about the 3k PR in the 5k. I’m looking forward to next year for sure and being more ready for that fast pace.”
The outdoor season comes to an official close for the Vandals, who will now await the start of cross-country in the fall.
While the NCAA West Preliminary marked the end of the road for Idaho, Cawley said the experience the athletes gained is invaluable looking ahead to the next season.
“Anytime you can get experience before you come back again is a big help,” Cawley said. “As much as you think you know what you’re getting into, it’s always a little bit different. You can never undervalue experience, it’s pretty amazing what it gives you.”
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]