Christopher Fussell (Las Vegas, Nev.), Daniel Sullivan (Tukwila, Wash.), and Rachael Johnson (Yakima, Wash.) each earned individual event victories, and Fussell and Sullivan also contributed to a relay victory, as the Seattle University track and field team performed well at the Eastern Washington University Pelluer Invitational Friday evening at Woodward Field.
Fussell won the 100 meter dash in 11.18 seconds and also finished fifth in the 200 meter dash in 22.34 seconds. Sullivan took the top spot in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.63 seconds, and then he joined Fussell, Loyal Allen, Jr. (Seattle, Wash.), and Travis Glover (SeaTac, Wash.) to earn first place in the 4x100 meter relay with a final time of 42.21 seconds, 1/100th of a second faster than the quartet from Eastern Washington University.
Glover and Allen also competed in the 400 meter dash, with Glover finishing fifth in 50.17 seconds and Allen earning a ninth place finish with a time of 51.10 seconds. Other top male performances include Jude Anthony Martinez (Hagatna, Guam) finishing fourth in the decathlon with 4,324 points, Nicholas Alvarado (San Francisco, Calif.) finishing fifth in the 5000 meter run in 15:34.97, and the 4x400 meter relay team finishing fourth with a time of 3:23.01.
Johnson ran away from the rest of the field in the 800 meter run, winning by over three seconds with a time of 2:18.14. Overall it was a good night for the SU female distance runners, as Katie Hansen (Portland, Ore.) finished second in the 5000 meter run in 17:58.70 and Greta Stickney (Poulsbo, Wash.) finished seventh in the 1500 meter run with a time of 5:07.18.
In the women’s field events, Lindsay Currier (Beaverton, Ore.) finished sixth in the discus throw with a top toss of 125' and 11th in the shot put with a top effort of 31' 10.25". Mara Becker (Fairbanks, Alaska) finished sixth in the high jump, clearing 4'11", Courtney Cabebe (Kihei, Hawaii) earned a tenth place finish in the pole vault by clearing 10'4", and Hali Bellisario (Newberry, Ore.) finished 11th in the javelin throw with a best toss of 108'11".
Seattle University was able to compete against Division I schools Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho, Montana, and Washington State, schools the Redhawks will see more often as the athletic department begins the reclassification process back to Division I.
The Seattle University track and field team will have two weeks to prepare for the Western Washington University Twilight Meet, to take place Friday, April 25, in Bellingham. That will be the Redhawks’ final meet before the GNAC Championships take place during the first weekend of May.