April 28, 2018 Results
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University men's and women's track & field teams each claimed team titles while senior Brandon Pless recorded an NCAA Division II provisional-qualifying hammer throw mark as the Vikings hosted the 37th Annual Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet on Saturday at Civic Stadium.
The WWU women finished 1st of 18 with 147.50 points, ahead of Central Washington University in 2nd (117 points) and British Columbia (61 points) in 3rd. On the men's side, WWU totaled 184 points to finish 1st of 23, ahead of CWU in 2nd (113 points) and Olympic College (50 points) in 3rd.
Pless (Sedro-Woolley, WA) won the hammer with a provisional-qualifying mark of 54.95m (180-3), becoming the 10th WWU competitor to record a provisional mark during the outdoor season. His throw ranks 5th in the GNAC and 44th nationally during the season. His personal-best mark of 54.98m (180-4 ½), set in 2017, is the No. 3 mark on the WWU top-10 list.
Freshman Avery Lux (Fort Collins, CO/Fossil Ridge) finished 3rd in the hammer, posting a personal-best mark of 52.45m (172-1) that ranks 7th on the WWU top-10 list.
Junior Alex Barry (Sequim, WA) joined Pless with an event victory for the WWU men, winning the javelin with a throw of 60.87m (199-8). It was a provisional-qualifying mark but short of his season-best and personal-best mark of 64.77m (212-6), ranking 2nd in the GNAC this season as well as No. 3 on the WWU top-10 list and No. 9 in GNAC history. Freshman Mason Salley (Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap) was 4th in the javelin at a mark of 54.76m (179-8).
Junior Tupre Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark College) led a 1-2 finish for WWU in the high jump with a height of 1.98m (6-6). Freshman Garrett Davies (Vancouver, WA/Mountain View) finished 2nd at a height of 1.88m (6-2). Wickliff's personal-best mark of 2.06m (6-9) ranks as a provisional-qualifying mark and the best mark in the conference during the season.
Junior Kyler Sager (Snohomish, WA/Everett CC) took 1st in the 800m with a winning time of 1:53.26 to lead a 1-2-3 WWU finish. His top season time and personal best of 1:51.94 recorded last weekend is a provisional qualifier ranking 3rd in the conference. Sophomore Liam Cossette (Spokane, WA/Ferris) followed in 2nd (1:55.84) and sophomore Enrique Gomez (Seattle, WA) finished in 3rd (1:55.95 - personal best) while freshman Macauley Franks (Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest) placed 5th with a personal-best time of 1:56.53.
The WWU men's 4x400m relay team of freshman Sonny Chhim (Kelso, WA), sophomore Cordell Cummings (Arlington, WA), Sager and freshman Myles Smith (Puyallup, WA) were 1st of 8 teams with a time of 3:21.74.
Cummings (Arlington, WA) placed 2nd in the 110m hurdles in a time of 15.07. His personal-best time of 15.01, recorded last weekend, leads the conference during the season.
Junior Reid Lovercamp (Wenatchee, WA) finished 2nd in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 55.41, the No. 4 time in conference this year, while Smith took 5th in the 400m with a personal-best time of 50.70.
Junior James Jasperson (Lacey, WA/North Thurston/Everett CC) placed 3rd in the 1,500m with a personal-best time of 3:57.55. In the 5,000m, junior Peter Butler (Port Angeles, WA) had a top-5 finish, placing 3rd with a season-best time of 15:12.40.
Junior Jacob Ringold (Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) was 3rd in the long jump with a season-best leap of 6.54m (21-5 ½) and also placed 3rd in the triple jump with a season-best mark of 13.59m (44-7).
Senior Adam Thomas (Washougal, WA) led the Vikings in the pole vault with a 3rd-place finish at a height of 4.51m (14-9 ½). He was followed in 5th by junior J.T. Konrad (Mead, WA/Mount Spokane) in 5th (4.36m/14-3 ½).
Freshman Bryce Bryant-Leat (Spokane, WA/Lewis and Clark) and Pless both posted marks of 14.30m (46-11) in the shot put with Bryant-Leat finishing 3rd and Pless placing 4th. Pless was also among the top 5 in the discus with a mark of 47.31m (155-2) for a season-best mark.
On the women's side, junior Maddie Taylor (Seattle, WA/Auburn Mountainview/Montana) had one of four event wins for WWU, placing 1st in the high jump with a leap of 1.63m (5-4 ¼) to lead the Vikings in the event. Taylor's personal-best during the season of 1.70m (5-7), set last weekend, leads the GNAC as a provisional-qualifying mark.
Junior Emily Sytsma (Lynden, WA/Lynden Christian/Concordia) won the 100m in a personal-best time of 12.43 to lead five Vikings in the event. Also among the top 5 placers were junior Savannah Smith (Renton, WA) in 2nd with a time of 12.55 to tie her personal best, and freshman Emily Greene (Spokane, WA/Lewis and Clark) in 4th (12.83).
The WWU 4x100m relay team of sophomore Kelsey McLean (Kirkland, WA/Juanita), Greene, freshman Isabella Foos (Olympia, WA/Tumwater) and sophomore Alana Austin (Oak Harbor, WA) placed 1st in a time of 50.08 competing against Olympic College in a two-team race.
Sophomore Chanelle Eddy (Bellingham, WA/Sehome/Whitworth) won the discus at a mark of 42.19m (138-5) to lead three Vikings among the top 8 and also finished 3rd in the shot put with a mark of 12.11m (39-8 ¾).
Freshman Claire Hansen (Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer) was 3rd in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.41. Freshman Molly House placed 4th in the 400m hurdles (1:07.62 - personal-best) and senior Deja Svastisalee (Spokane, WA/North Central) was 5th in a time of 1:08.97.
WWU had a pair finishers among the top 5 in the 5,000m with junior Tracy Melville (Lamont, WA/Lind-Ritzville/Sprague) placing 3rd (17:45.64) with a season-best time and senior Alexandra Laiblin (Oak Harbor, WA) in 4th (17:51.54 - personal-best) among five Vikings in the race.
Senior Anna Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) led WWU in the pole vault, placing 2nd with a height of 3.96m (12-11 ¾) for a mark above the provisional-qualifying standard but shy of her season-best mark. Her season-best performance of 3.97m (13-0 ¼), which leads the conference, ranks 6th nationally. Junior Rachael Roberts (Woodinville, WA/Bellevue College) and sophomore Jewels Oliquiano (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) tied for 4th at 3.51m (11-6 ¼) to give WWU three placers among the top 5.
Sophomore Raquel Pellecer (Sandy, OR/Portland State), came close to her personal-best in the javelin, placing 3rd with a throw of 47.18m (154-9). The effort was above the provisional standard but short of her best mark of 47.91m (157-2), which leads the GNAC and ranks 4th nationally. Freshman Natalie Vetto (Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington) finished 5th with a throw of 41.39m (135-6), also above the provisional standard but shy of her top mark during the season (44.94m/147-5) ranking 12th nationally.
Freshman Devon Olson (Bothell, WA/Inglemoor) had a 3rd-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 10.07m (33-0 ½). Freshman Kiana Schwendeman (Bonney Lake, WA) was the top placer for the Vikings in the hammer throw with a mark of 43.20m (141-9) to finish 5th.
The Vikings return to action Monday and Tuesday with the GNAC Combined Events Championships at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. Freshman Seren Dances (Port Townsend, WA), junior Rudy Mataya (Burlington, WA/Burlington-Edison) and sophomore Nick Makrakis (Concord, CA/Northgate) are scheduled to compete in the decathlon for WWU.
WWU will be at the University of Washington Ken Shannon Invitational next weekend (May 4-5), a week before the GNAC Championships (May 11-12) at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.
Meet Details:
Event: 37th Annual Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet
Site: Bellingham, WA (Civic Stadium)
Date: April 28, 2018
