SEATTLE, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team opened the 2019 indoor season on Saturday competing at the UW Preview at the Dempsey Indoor Center on the University of Washington campus.

The Vikings had a total of 61 student-athletes compete in the indoor meet, with senior All-American pole vaulter Anna Paradee and junior high jumper Maddie Taylor highlighting the performances by recording NCAA Division II provisional marks in their events.

In addition to the two NCAA II provisional marks, the Vikings had 10 new entries into the WWU Indoor Track & Field record book.

Maddie Taylor (Seattle, WA/Auburn Mountainview) finished 2^nd out of 32 competitors in the high jump, clearing 1.73m/5-8. The mark is tied for the 2^nd-best jump in program history, narrowly trailing the 1.74m/5-8.5 jump by Miranda Osadchey in 2016. Taylor is competing in her first indoor season after winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference outdoor title in 2018. Sophomore Heather Faretta (Hanalei, HI/Kapaa) equaled her PR of 1.60m/5-3, which is 8^th-best in program history.

In the men's high jump, senior Tupre Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark CC) and sophomore Garrett Davies (Vancouver, WA/Mountain View) both cleared 2.00m to place 6^th and 7^th in the 21-competitor field. Wickliff fell just short of his PR of 2.01m/6-7 that is tied for 3^rd in WWU history, while Davies entered the WWU record book with the 5^th-best mark.

Anna Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) placed 7^th out of 35 competitors clearing 3.75m/12-3.5, blowing away the provisional mark of 3.57m. WWU featured 10 of the 35 competitors in the event, with Rachael Roberts (Woodinville, WA/Bellevue College) placing 18^th (3.45m/11-3.75) and freshman Sophia Paradis (Carnation, WA/Cedarcrest) and junior Lexi Perry (Arlington, WA/Lakewood/Spokane CC) tying for 20^th (3.30m/10-10).

Senior J.T. Konrad (Mead, WA/Mount Spokane) placed 16^th clearing 4.30m.

WWU had 10 of the 21 competitors in the men's long jump, with three Vikings placing in the top 10. Redshirt freshman Seren Dances (Port Townsend, WA) placed 2^nd with a leap of 6.89m/22-7.25 for the 6^th-best mark in WWU history. Freshman Ethan Sterkel (Longview, WA/RA Long) made his collegiate debut placing 5^th with a jump of 6.73m/22-1, just missing the school top 10 list.

Sophomore Devon Olson (Bothell, WA/Inglemoor) placed 11^th in the women's triple jump with a jump of 10.83m/35-6.5 for the 7^th-best mark in program history. Freshman Jamie Sanford (San Diego, CA/Westview) was right behind Olson placing 13^th at 10.64m/34-11 for the 8^th-best mark in program history.

The men's triple jump featured four Vikings competing in the 13-athlete field, with senior Somit Chhim (Kelso, WA) leading the way with a 6^th-place finish recording a mark of 13.55m/44-5.5.

WWU had several standout performances on the track, led by junior sprinter Hannah Bradley (Bellingham, WA). Bradley narrowly missed her PR by 1/100^th of a second clocking 7.87 to finish 18^th in the 60m and recorded the 5^th-best time in WWU indoor history finishing 17^th in the 200m in 25.68.

The Vikings had seven runners in the men's 400m, with four placing in the top 10. Sophomore Bryant Welch (Burien, WA/Mount Rainier) placed 4^th in 49.92 (PR is 49.01) to lead the way, while sophomore Myles Smith (6^th, 49.96), freshman Mark Daniels (7^th, 50.06) and freshman Ryan Witters (10^th, 51.01) also earned top-10 finishes. Smith (Puyallup, WA) recorded the 8^th-best time in program history and Daniels (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale) tied for 9^th.

Senior Savannah Smith (Renton, WA) finished 7^th in the women's 400m in 58.63.

In the men's 60m, freshman Noah Johnson (Bellingham, WA) led the way finishing 21^st in 7.17, just outside the school top 10.

Senior Kyler Sager (Snohomish, WA/Everett CC) finished 29^th out of 42 runners completing the men's mile in 4:19.17, the 10^th-fastest time in program history.

Junior Chanelle Eddy (Bellingham, WA/Sehome/Whitworth) placed 19^th in the women's shot put with a throw of 10.86m/35-7.75 just missing her PR of 10.94m/35-10.75 set last season (6^th in WWU history). Sophomore Maya McFadden (Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak/Idaho) placed 20^th with a throw of 10.76m/35-3.75 for the 9^th-best mark in WWU indoor history.

The men's 4x400m relay finished 4^th out of 11 entries, trailing only Pac-12 powers Stanford and Washington (two teams). The Vikings relay squad of Mark Daniels, Koby Okezie (Fr., Tacoma, WA/Todd Beamver), Reid Lovercamp (Sr., Wenatchee, WA) and Myles Smith finished in 3:23.01 to land just outside of the program top 10.

The women's 4x400 relay finished 16^th in 4:10.09 with Mallory Harder (Fr., Bothell, WA), Mirannda Shulman(RS Fr., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin), Molly House (So., Auburn, WA/Auburn Mountainview) and Hannah Bradley competing for the Vikings.

Here is a look at all the results from WWU competitors in Saturday's season-opening UW Preview:

The Dempsey indoor facility is a 307-meter Mondo track with a six lane straightaway, and a five-lane oval. For the field the Dempsey has two 160 ft. elevated wooden long jump runways (132 ft. TJ) with Mondo overlay; two 150 ft. elevated wooden pole vault runways with Mondo overlay; two 80 ft. right/left wooden high jump approach areas with Mondo overlay; two reinforced wooden throwing rings.

The list of NCAA automatic and provisional qualifying marks can be found online on the NCAA II Indoor Track & Field website. Athletes that obtain the automatic marks qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships that will be held March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kansas, hosted by Pittsburg State University at the Robert W. Plaster Center.

Following today's season-opening UW Preview, the Vikings will be back in Seattle Jan. 25-26 for the UW Invitational and Feb. 8-9 for the Husky Classic. The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships will be held Feb. 15-16 at the Jacksons Indoor Complex in Nampa, Idaho. The NCAA Division II Championships will be held March 8-9 at the Robert W. Plaster Center on the Pittsburg State University campus in Pittsburg, Kansas.

-- WWU Track & Field --