Several members of the Seattle University track and field team posted solid performances at the Beach Invitational, hosted by Long Beach State Saturday at Cerritos College.
Mandie Maddux (Gresham, Ore.) tied her school record in the high jump, clearing 1.65 meters (5’ 5”) to finish in a tie for 23rd place in the event. She also repeated her performance in the 100 meter hurdles from the previous day, winning her heat with a time of 16.13 seconds, and she posted a mark of 11.16 meters (36’ 7.5”) in the shot put. Also in the field events, Katie Fleming (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) finished fifth in her flight of the triple jump with a mark of 11.12 meters (36’ 5.75”).
The 400 meter dash school records were threatened, first by Candice de Sauvage (Foster City, Calif.), who finished second in her heat with a time of 57.32 seconds, just 6/100ths of a second off the current school mark. Shaddye Melu (Auburn, Wash.) won his heat and finished fifth overall in the men’s 400 meter dash in 47.65 seconds, only 13/100ths of a second off the school record.
Melu also anchored the 4x100 meter relay, joining with Jason Cowan (Renton, Wash.), Austin Thummel-Gravitt (Puyallup, Wash.), and Zac Schlachter (Tigard, Ore.) to finish first in their heat and third overall in 42.09 seconds. Schlachter also competed in two individual events, posting times of 11.15 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 22.65 seconds in the 200 meter dash.
Cowan pulled double duty on an individual basis, finishing the 200 meter dash in 22.85 seconds and the 400 meter dash in 50.29 seconds. Thummel-Gravitt finished fourth in his heat of the men’s 400 meter dash in 49.40 seconds, and Mandy Rusch (Redmond, Wash.) posted times of 26.81 seconds in the 200 meter dash and 59.28 seconds in the 400 meter dash.
The Seattle University track and field team will head north to Bellingham, Wash., next Saturday, April 25, for the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational, hosted by Western Washington University at Civic Stadium.