It was a hectic day for the Seattle University track and field team, but numerous members of the squad were still able to post season and personal bests at the UW Open Sunday at Dempsey Indoor.
Highlights included Stephen Squatrito (Phoenix, Ariz.) tying his school record in the pole vault by clearing 4.45 meters (14' 7.25") and Miriam Mboya (Shoreline, Wash.) coming within 1/100th of a second of her school record in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.86 seconds. Mboya also competed in the 200 meter dash, finishing in 27.12 seconds, and in the long jump, posting a top jump of 4.74 meters (15' 6.75").
In the men's 4x400 meter relay, the team of Duncan MacKay (Renton, Wash.), Samuel Engle (Portland, Ore.), Zachary Schlachter (Tigard, Ore.), and Austin Thummel-Gravitt (Puyallup, Wash.) finished first in their heat with a time of 3:24.01. The women's 4x400 meter relay quartet of Elena Collins (Eugene, Ore.), Meeghan Bergmann (Portland, Ore.), Candice de Sauvage (Foster City, Calif.), and Rosalyn DiLillo (Santa Rosa, Calif.) finished second in their heat after posting a time of 4:05.32.
Individually, Thummel-Gravitt won his heat of the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.58 seconds, while MacKay finished third in his heat of the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.19 seconds and Engle finished third in his heat of the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.48 seconds.
Kaytie Bateman (Chehalis, Wash.) was moving from one event to the next throughout the morning, starting at the 60 meter hurdles, posting a time of 10.31 seconds in that event. After posting a top effort of 4.82 meters (15' 9.75") in the long jump, she went to the high jump pit, where she was able to clear a height of 1.50 meters (4' 11").
Besides Mboya, three other female sprinters competed in both the 60 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. After finishing second in her heat of the 60 meter dash in 8.21 seconds, Katie Tougas (Edmonds, Wash.) won her heat in the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.72 seconds. Alyssa Lout (Tempe, Ariz.) posted times of 8.14 seconds in the 60 meter dash and 27.55 seconds in the 200 meter dash, while Valerie Wu (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) ran the 60 meter dash in 8.45 seconds and the 200 meter dash in 28.92 seconds.
In the distance events, Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) finished 10th in her section of the one mile run with a time of 5:43.21, while Meghan Arigo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) finished 13th in her portion of the 3000 meter run by posting a time of 11:04.80. Fellow freshman Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) also posted a personal best in the 3000 meter run, finishing the race in 11:48.45.
On the men's side, Keenan Clinch (Sammamish, Wash.) finished fourth in his section of the 800 meter run with a time of 1:59.85, while three runners were near the lead in their section of the 3000 meter run, led by Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) in fifth place in 8:50.69, followed by Kevin Kopetz (Derry, N.H.) in seventh place in 8:56.25 and Jeff Baklund (Auburn, Wash.) in eighth place in 8:59.19.
From the field events, Cooper Hartman (Silverdale, Wash.) earned the best jump of all the Redhawk competitors in the men's long jump, posting an effort of 5.82 meters (19' 1.25"), while Mahmoud Hassanyn (Redondo Beach, Calif.) saved his best effort in the triple jump for his third and final trip down the runway, ending up with a leap of 12.67 meters (41' 7").
In the women's triple jump, Cali Cull (Marysville, Wash.) found the mark on her third and final attempt, posting a leap of 10.93 meters (35' 10.5"). Amanda Luna (Beavercreek, Ore.) had a solid day, first posting a top throw of 11.17 meters (46' 7.75") in the weight throw before jumping 10.18 meters (33' 4.75") in the triple jump. Also in the women's weight throw, Bethany Richards (Shoreline, Wash.) posted a top effort of 11.97 meters (39' 3.25"), while Renate Wescott (Puyallup, Wash.) improved on every throw, finishing with a top mark of 11.40 meters (37' 5").
"There were quite a few very good performances today. What people did today is going to make the decision-making process for conference qualifying a lot more difficult, which is a testament to how well the team is doing this year. It's also foreshadowing what can be an incredible outdoor season," Seattle U head coach Trisha Steidl said.
The Seattle University track and field team will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, to take place Feb. 25-26 in Sterling, Ill.