SEATTLE, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team wrapped up the first day of competition at the UW Invitational several standout performances at Dempsey Indoor on the University of Washington campus.

 

The two-day meet is scheduled to feature close to 40 Viking student-athletes, with competition resuming Saturday morning at 10 am. Fans can follow the meet online via Live Results and also watch the meet via FloTrack with a subscription. 

 

Freshman Koby Okezie (Tacoma, WA/Todd Beamer) led WWU's contingent placing 9^th in the prelims of the 60m hurdles, just missing a spot in Saturday's final. The freshman clocked a PR of 8.43 to tie for the 6^th-fastest time in WWU indoor history. Junior Cordell Cummings (Lake Stevens, WA/Arlington) place 12^th with a season-best 8.56.

 

Junior Sophia Galvez (Los Alamos, NM) finished 28^th in the 5,000-meter race with a PR of 17:37.16 to move up to 5^th in the WWU indoor record book. Galvez bested her previous PR of 17:48.71 set at last year's UW Invite.

 

The men's entry in the distance medley relay finished 8^th out of 23 entries, recording the 3^rd-fastest time in WWU history in 10:05.81. The foursome of junior Liam Cossette (Spokane, WA/Ferris), junior Cordell Cummings (Lake Stevens, WA/Arlington), senior Kyler Sager (Snohomish, WA/Everett CC) and junior James Jasperson (Lacey, WA/North Thurston/Everett CC) just missed the NCAA II provisional mark of 10:04.81.

 

WWU's 'A' entry in the women's distance medley relay placed 27^th finishing in 12:26.04 for the 9^th-fastest time in indoor program history. The Vikings entry consisted of freshman Rebecca Lehman (Spokane Valley, WA/University), redshirt freshman Mirannda Shulman (Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin/Portland State), sophomore Shawnee Konrad (Spokane, WA/Mount Spokane) and junior Aundrea Koger (Osage City, KS).

 

WWU had a pair competitors in the heptathlon, with redshirt freshman Seren Dances (Port Townsend, WA) currently in 4^th place out of 23 entries. Dances finished the first four (out of seven) events with 2,831 points, sparked 3^rd-place finishes in the long jump (22-5.75/6.85m) and high jump (6-2/1.88m). Freshman Ian Rinefort (Ashland, OR) is in 20^th place with 2,442 points, but looks to move up in the final three events on Saturday.

 

Junior Maddie Taylor (Seattle, WA/Auburn Mountainview) placed 5^th out of 19 in the women's high jump clearing 5-6.5/1.69m. In the men's high jump, senior Tupre Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark College) placed 8^th (6-6/1.98m) and sophomore Garrett Davies (Vancouver, WA/Mountain View) was 17^th (6-2/1.88m).

 

Here is a look at all the results from WWU competitors during Friday's first day of the UW Invitational:

 

 

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 the UW Invitational, the Vikings will next be in action Feb. 8-9 at 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 --