Results

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University track & field program earned a pair of team victories and three Vikings improved NCAA Division II provisional-qualifying marks at the WWU Team Invitational on Friday at Civic Stadium.

The WWU men totaled 223 points, well ahead of British Columbia (160 points), Saint Martin's (111 points) and Seattle Pacific (81 points). The WWU women (180 points) edged British Columbia (173 points) for the title, followed by Seattle Pacific (152 points) and Saint Martin's (61 points).

In all, WWU claimed four event wins on the women's side and nine on the men's side. The Vikings added four program top-10 marks on the women's side along with one mark tying a personal-best top-10 effort, while the men posted a pair of program top-10 marks.

"Today was a lot of fun to see our team compete in this atmosphere early in the season, building comradery and all cheering from each other," head coach Pee Wee Halsell said. "I thought there were good performances both in field events and on the trackââ'¬¦and the competition was very good to have this early in the season. I think this meet will really help us as we continue to make improvements with our upcoming meets and the GNAC Championships in May. It was a lot of fun to have UBC, SPU and Saint Martin's up here competing on a great day in Bellingham."

Junior Alex Barry (Sequim, WA) bettered his personal best in the javelin by more than eight feet in winning the event with a mark of 64.77m (212-6). The throw improved upon his previous season-best provisional-qualifying throw of 61.90m (203-1), set at Stanford last week, and moved him from No. 7 to No. 3 on the WWU top-10 list. The throw also ranks No. 9 on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference outdoor top-10 list and No. 7 nationally (No. 2 in GNAC) during the 2018 outdoor season.

Senior Anna Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) won the pole vault with a season-best mark of 3.97m (13-0 ¼), coming close to her GNAC and school record mark of 4.01m (13-1 ¾) set last season. Her previous season best was 3.95m (12-11 ½) last week at the Stanford Invitational. Paradee's height recorded in Bellingham is No. 4 on the NCAA Division II list for the season and No. 1 in the conference as of Friday.

Sophomore Raquel Pellecer (Sandy, OR/Portland State), the reigning GNAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week and a three-time recipient of the award in 2018, took top honors in the javelin. She has won the event in four of five meets in which she has competed this season, with the other result a 2nd-place finish last week at Stanford. Her winning throw of 47.13m (154-7) on Friday was a provisional qualifier but did not better her best mark of 47.91m (157-2) set at Stanford.

Freshman Natalie Vetto (Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington) was 2nd in the javelin with a throw of 44.61m (146-4) to better her previous provisional-qualifying mark of 43.97m (144-3), which came last week at Stanford. Her mark ranks No. 7 nationally (No. 2 GNAC) as of Friday, while Pellecer's top mark during the season is No. 4 (No. 1 GNAC).

Sophomore Chanelle Eddy (Bellingham, WA/Sehome/Whitworth) won both the shot put (10.49m/34-5) and discus (43.87m/143-11), with her discus throw ranking No. 5 on the WWU top-10 list as well as No. 3 in the GNAC this season.

Junior Maddie Taylor (Seattle, WA/Auburn Mountainview/Montana) finished 2nd in the high jump at a height of 1.66m (5-5 ¼) as the No. 9 mark on the WWU top-10 list. Her leap is also the best in the GNAC this season.

On the track, junior Savannah Smith (Renton, WA) tied her personal best in the 200m with a time of 25.39 for a 2nd-place finish, which is the No. 5 time on the WWU outdoor top-10 list.

Sophomore Peyton Shinnick (Maple Valley, WA/Tahoma) posted the No. 7 time on the WWU top-10 list in the women's 3,000m steeplechase, placing 2nd with a time of 11:26.83.

The WWU women's 4x100m relay team of sophomore Kelsey McLean (Kirkland, WA/Juanita), sophomore Hannah Bradley (Bellingham, WA), freshman Emily Greene (Spokane, WA/Lewis and Clark) and junior Emily Sytsma (Lynden, WA/Lynden Christian/Concordia) ran a program top-10 time as well, placing 3rd in 48.08 for the No. 9 time on the WWU top-10 list and No. 2 time in the GNAC this year.

On the men's side, freshman Bryce Bryant-Leat (Spokane, WA/Lewis and Clark) placed 1st in the shot put with a program top-10 effort, posting a mark of 15.78m (51-9 ¼) to rank No. 7 on the WWU top-10 list. His mark is also No. 3 in the GNAC during the current season.

Junior Tupre Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark College) took top honors in the high jump with a leap of 1.99m (6-6 ¼) while senior Adam Thomas (Washougal, WA) won the pole vault at a season-best height of 46.02m (151 ¾).

Freshman Seren Dances (Port Townsend, WA) placed 1st with a personal best in the long jump (6.99m/22-11 ¼), the No. 3 mark in the conference during 2018, and junior Jacob Ringold (Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) won the triple jump with a season-best leap of 13.57m (44-6 ¼).

Senior Brandon Pless (Sedro-Woolley, WA) posted an event victory in the discus with a winning and season-best mark of 46.02m (151-0).

In the track events, junior Daniel Jones (Ferndale, WA) won the 200m in a time of 22.89 and the WWU men's 4x400m relay team of freshman Sonny Chhim (Kelso, WA), freshman Bryant Welch (Burien, WA/Mount Rainier), junior Reid Lovercamp (Wenatchee, WA) and Myles Smith (Puyallup, WA) posted a 1st-place finish in a season-best WWU relay time of 3:19.11 (No. 3 in GNAC this season) to edge 2nd-place British Columbia (3:19.70).

Sophomore Cordell Cummings (Arlington, WA) was 3rd in the 400m hurdles (55.67) with the No. 2 time in the GNAC this season.

The Vikings travel to the Saint Martin's Jay Hammer Meet next Saturday in Lacey, Washington. The following weekend features a trip to California for a trio of meets over a span of three days before WWU is back at Civic Stadium for the 37th Annual Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet on April 28.

2018 Outdoor Schedule: