The Seattle University track and field team set five new school records along with numerous personal bests as the Redhawks competed at the Duane Hartman Invitational Friday evening and all day Saturday at Spokane Falls Community College.
The men's 4x100 meter relay team of Eric Patterson-Floyd (Seattle, Wash.), Austin Thummel-Gravitt (Puyallup, Wash.), Zachary Schlachter (Tigard, Ore.), and Zach Stanfield (Adna, Wash.) won the event with a new school record time of 41.51 seconds. Stanfield also won the 200 meter dash in 21.62 seconds, finished second in the 100 meter dash in 10.85 seconds, and finished fifth in the long jump with a top leap of 6.21 meters (20' 4.5").
Thummel-Gravitt posted personal best times in both the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash, finishing third in the 100 meter dash in 11.10 seconds and second in the 200 meter dash in 21.87 seconds. After matching his personal best time of 11.24 seconds in the 100 meter dash, Schlachter won his heat and finished third overall in the 200 meter dash with a personal-best time of 22.16 seconds. Patterson-Floyd also posted a personal best time in the 200 meter dash, winning his heat in 22.75 seconds, plus he finished seventh overall in the 100 meter dash in 11.23 seconds.
Stephen Squatrito (Phoenix, Ariz.) cleared a height never-before reached by a Redhawk pole vaulter, finishing third in the event with a school-record height of 4.5 meters (14' 9"). The other school record for the men's track and field team came from Josh Walters (Sacramento, Calif.), who attained a new standard in the hammer throw with a top effort of 45.04 meters (147' 9"), over a full meter further than the previous school record.
On the women's side, the hammer throw record once again was broken by Bethany Richards (Shoreline, Wash.), who finished eighth in the event with a top throw of 44.81 meters (147' 0"), 4.5 meters further than the previous mark she set just last week at the Oregon Relays. Katie Tougas (Edmonds, Wash.) broke the school record in the 200 meter dash, finishing fifth overall in the event with a time of 26.02 seconds.
"The weather was great throughout the weekend, and the team took advantage of the conditions as well as their fitness coming together. Five school records and numerous personal bests are great signs of positive momentum heading into conference," Seattle U head coach Trisha Steidl said.
Tougas also finished fourth in the 100 meter dash in 12.74 seconds, second in the long jump with a top leap of 5.36 meters (17' 7"), and anchored the 4x100 meter relay team to a fourth place finish with a time of 49.29 seconds. Meeghan Bergmann (Portland, Ore.), another member of the relay team, also posted a personal-best time in the 100 meter dash with a mark of 13.21 seconds and finished seventh in the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.88 seconds.
It was a busy day for Kaytie Bateman (Chehalis, Wash.), as the relay was just one of four events she competed in during the day. Bateman won her heat of the 200 meter dash with a time of 27.73 seconds, finished second in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 17.36 seconds, and was 12th in the javelin throw with a top toss of 28.12 meters (92' 3"). The fourth member of the relay squad, Cali Cull (Marysville, Wash.), also competed in the triple jump, finishing third with a top leap of 10.16 meters (33' 4").
Another Redhawk highlight of the meet featured the men taking the first five spots in the 1500 meter run, led by Kelton Sears (Maple Valley, Wash.) with a time of 3:57.40, followed by Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) in 4:00.75, personal-best times from Matthew McClement (Bellingham, Wash.) in 4:02.72 and Ryan Dennison (Pacifica, Calif.) in 4:02.78, and Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) in 4:03.71. Colton Misono (Newcastle, Calif.) posted a personal-best time in the 800 meter run, finishing ninth in the race in 1:55.68.
In the women's 1500 meter run, Hannah Mittelstaedt (Maple Valley, Wash.) finished second with a personal-best time of 4:42.82, followed by Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii) in third in 4:46.05, Jennifer Stolle (Seattle, Wash.) in fifth in 4:48.99, and Sarah Bolce (Sacramento, Calif.) in seventh in 4:52.92. Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) posted a time of 5:20.25, and Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) set a personal record with her time of 5:26.08.
The 5000 meter run was contested Friday night, with Seattle U runners earning four personal best times. In the women's 5000 meter run, Justine Bates (Arlington, Wash.) finished in 18th place overall with a personal-best time of 19:29.92, with Meghan Arigo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) crossing the finish line with a time of 19:39.96. On the men's side, Baxter Arguinchona (Spokane, Wash.) posted a personal-best time with a mark of 15:06.95, as did Jeff Baklund (Auburn, Wash.) with a time of 15:30.13 and Kevin Kopetz (Derry, N.H.) in 15:42.43. David Strand (Seattle, Wash.) also competed in the event, finishing with a time of 16:15.85.
In other events, Amanda Luna (Beavercreek, Ore.) set a personal record in the hammer throw, finishing 14th in the event with a top mark of 37.54 meters (123' 2"). Samuel Engle (Portland, Ore.) finished third in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 58.02 seconds, while Ryan Agnew (Issaquah, Wash.) posted career-best performances in two events: the high jump by clearing 1.79 meters (5' 10.5") and the long jump with a top effort of 6.04 meters (19' 9.75").
The Seattle University track and field team will head to Bellingham, Wash., for the Western Washington University Twilight Meet Friday, May 4, starting at 2:45 p.m. at Civic Stadium. The Redhawks will then head to Humble, Texas, for the Great West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 10-12.