April 29, 2017 Results
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Junior Anna Paradee set the school pole vault record as well as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record, and the Western Washington University men's and women's track & field teams turned in strong efforts with program top 10 performances and event wins as the Vikings hosted the 36th Annual Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet on Saturday at Civic Stadium.
Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) cleared 3.86m/12-8 in the pole vault to break the previous school record held by Karis Anderson (3.85m, 2012) as well as the GNAC record, also previously held by Anderson. Paradee won the event, improving upon her previous NCAA II provisional-qualifying mark of 3.80m/12-5.5 set at the Stanford Invitational on March 31. She was followed in 3rd by freshman Jewels Oliquiano (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) with a height of 3.56m (11-8) to rank in a tie for 6th in WWU top 10 history.
Senior Bethany Drake (Sandy, OR) placed 2nd in the javelin with a season-best distance of 50.72m/166-5 to improve upon her NCAA Division II automatic-qualifying mark of 49.48m/162-4 set at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 14. Her mark recorded Saturday ranks No. 2 nationally during 2017.
The women's 4x100m relay team of freshman Kelsey McLean (Kirkland, WA/Juanita), sophomore Savannah Smith (Renton, WA), freshman Hannah Bradley (Bellingham, WA) and freshman Macie Allen (Gresham, OR/Barlow) placed 2nd with a time of 47.74 to tie for the 2nd-best time in WWU history.
Smith and Emily Sytsma (Lynden, WA/Lynden Christian) finished 1-2 in the 400m with Smith winning in 57.56 and Sytsma following in 57.80. Smith's time ranks 8th on the WWU top 10 list while Sytsma's is 10th.
Senior Jasmine McMullin (Sequim, WA) added a program top 10 mark as well in the long jump, winning the event with a leap of 5.63m/18-5.75 to rank No. 7 on the WWU top 10. She also placed 2nd in the triple jump (11.62m/38-1.50).
Senior Miranda Osadchey (Dupont, WA/Steilacoom) won the high jump with a height of 1.63m/5-4.25 while senior Megan Mortensen (Tacoma, WA/Franklin Pierce) took top honors in the women's discus with a mark of 43.59m/143-0.
Senior Brittany Grant (Port Townsend, WA) won the 3,000m steeplechase in a time of 10:49.78. Although an NCAA II provisional-qualifying time, it did not better her season-best time of 10:32.60 set at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on March 31.
Senior Lillianna Stelling (Langley, WA/South Whidbey) was 4th in the 5,000m with a time of 17:27.66 to lead nine WWU racers in the event while McLean was 3rd in the 100m with a time of 12.58 to lead four Vikings competing in the event. Junior Deja Svastisalee (Spokane, WA/North Central) took 3rd in the 400m hurdles in a time of 1:04.84.
On the men's side, senior Jacob Hino (Yakima, WA/Eisenhower) took top honors in the pole vault at a height of 4.58m/15-0.25 while senior Kevin Yates (Snohomish, WA) won the long jump with a leap of 7.08m/23-2.75 to lead three Vikings finishing among the top four in the event.
Sophomore Alex Barry (Sequim, WA) placed 2nd in the javelin with a throw of 61.67m/202-4 to post an NCAA II provisional-qualifying mark but not better his NCAA II provisional-qualifying mark of 62.30m/204-5 set at the Bryan Clay Invite.
Junior Brandon Pless (Sedro-Woolley, WA) claimed an event win in the shot put with a mark of 15.76m/51-8.50 and was 3rd in the discus, coming just shy of his personal-best with a distance of 49.22m/161-6.
The men's 4x100m relay team of sophomore Daniel Jones (Ferndale, WA), sophomore Stedman Knox (Bothell, WA/Cedar Park Christian), freshman Cordell Cummings (Arlington, WA) and junior Somit Chhim (Kelso, WA) won in a time of 43.28.
Senior Cody McCranie (Auburn, WA) led six Vikings in the 1,500m with a 4th-place finish in a time of 3:54.50 and also led eight WWU racers in the 800m, placing 4th in 1:55.16. Senior Ryan McArthur (Lynnwood, WA) had a 2nd-place finish in the 400m (48.93) and Jones was 4th to lead five Vikings in the 100m with a time of 11.11 as well as 4th in the 200m with a time of 22.52.
The Vikings 4x400m relay team of sophomore Reid Lovercamp (Wenatchee, WA), McArthur, Knox and sophomore Keaton Spiller (Vancouver, WA/Heritage) placed 2nd with a time of 3:24.14. Sophomore Dylan Hayes (Seattle, WA/Garfield) led eight Vikings in the 5,000m by finishing 3rd with a time of 15:06.46 while Cummings was 4th in the 400m hurdles (56.86) and 5th in the 110m hurdles (15.59).
Next up for WWU, junior Kaylie Greninger (Sammamish, WA/Skyline) will compete at the GNAC Combined Events Championships on Monday and Tuesday (May 1-2) in Nampa, Idaho. The Vikings continue the outdoor season with the Ken Shannon Invitational (May 5-6) at the University of Washington before traveling to the GNAC Outdoor Championships at Western Oregon University on May 12-13 in Monmouth, Ore.
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