Another successful Championship can be written in the record books.
Saturday, the Redhawks battled it out at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Lawrence, Kan.
In the final day of competition, they weren’t going to go home without leaving their mark.
And taking some hardware with them.
“The team did an excellent job of putting their heart and soul into their competitions,” head coach Trisha Steidl said. “We’re bringing back a lot of medals, personal records, and some school records. It was a fantastic end to the season for the team as a whole.”
Assistant coach Chad Pharis mirrored Steidl’s thoughts.
“This was a great meet and a great final day,” Pharis said. “It was great to see the effort of each performance.”
In total, the Redhawks head back to Seattle with four gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals, plus four new outdoor school records.
Five of those medals were claimed on the final day – an amazing way to end the season.
Shaddye Melu carried over his impressive Indoor Championship performances into the Outdoor Championships, claiming not one, but two gold medals yet again.
After finishing in first place in the 400 meter dash preliminaries on Friday, Melu once again finished in first place in the finals on Saturday with a time of 47.40.
He had won gold in the 400 during the Indoor Championships earlier this year, too.
Melu also took first place in an event he reigns king in, the high jump, with a height of 2.07 meters (6’-9.5”).
Melu is now a two-time Indoor Champion and a two-time Outdoor Champion in the high jump.
“Shaddye capped the day off with a couple very exciting event wins,” Pharis said. “His ability to compete when the time calls for it is something that each of his teammates is striving to continue next year.”
And his teammates sure didn’t disappoint in their performances on Saturday, proving they, too, are impressive.
Jacques Hebert became a first-time WAC Champion in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 3:55.78.
“Jacques ran an incredible race today, certainly the best of his collegiate career thus far. Not just because he won, but also because of the confidence and composure with which he raced,” Steidl said.
Louis Rodrigues also ran a strong race in the same event, finishing in fourth place with a time of 3:57.94.
Also in the 1,500, Lila Rice claimed bronze with a time of 4:41.60.
Steidl acknowledged Rice’s resilience.
“Lila ran with guts and determination,” Steidl said. “She came out guns blazing and was able to earn a medal.”
On Thursday, Matthew Seidel and Baxter Arguinchona had been a power-duo in the 10,000 meter run. Saturday, they got to do it again.
Seidel added to his medal collection with a second-place finish in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:28.40, a new outdoor school record.
“Matt ran an incredibly gutsy race,” Steidl said. “He went for it. His whole race was great to watch, and it truly came down to the very end…Confidence and determination is what allows an athlete to duke it out the way Matt did today and come out on top. Silver, a personal record, and a school record – it doesn’t get much better than that!”
Arguinchona also set a new outdoor personal record in the event with a time of 14:45.17. That time was good for a fifth place finish.
It was a “fantastic race” to end his collegiate career, according to Steidl.
Alisa Poplawski grabbed a fifth-place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:16.79.
Besides podium finishes, more impressive moments were made over the four days – one of the four outdoor school records was broken on Saturday.
The women’s 4x100 meter relay (Madison Lichter, Abby Wachter, Katie Fleming, and Alyssa Gonzales) broke the outdoor school record with a time of 48.09.
For many of the student-athletes, the 2016 season is over, and it ended on an incredible high note.
For a select few, they will wait to see if their marks qualified them for the NCAA West Preliminaries.
For the entire team, they come back to Seattle proud of their many accomplishments – once again – at the WAC Championships, having well-represented their university and themselves.
It feels good to be a Redhawk.
“I witnessed a team full of passion, fire, determination, and intelligence today and over the entirety of the Conference meet,” Steidl said. “It’s a thrill to work with student-athletes like these. I feel incredibly fortunate to work with such a wonderful staff.”
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Here’s a breakdown of all the medals won and Top 5-finishes claimed at the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships:
Mandie Maddux: gold (heptathlon)
Shaddye Melu: gold (400), gold (high jump)
Jacques Hebert: gold (1500)
Elena Smith: silver (10K)
Matthew Seidel: silver (10K), silver (5K)
Baxter Arguinchona: bronze (10K), fifth place (5K)
Lila Rice: bronze (1500)
Louis Rodrigues: fourth place (1500)
Alisa Poplawski: fifth place (800)
Rebecca Lassere: fifth place (steeplechase)