SEATTLE, Wash. – Led by an NCAA Division II provisional mark in the men's pole vault by senior J.T. Konrad, the Western Washington University Track & Field team competed Friday at the Husky Classic at Dempsey Indoor on the University of Washington campus.

 

The meet was originally scheduled to be a two-day competition on Friday and Saturday, but expected snow and freezing temperatures in the Puget Sound region condensed the meet into one day. 

 

Konrad (Spokane, WA/Mt. Spokane) was the highest placing collegiate athlete among the 10 competitors. He finished 3^rd clearing 16' ¾" to record the best mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season. 

 

In addition to Konrad's mark tying for 3^rd-best in WWU indoor history, it is also tied for 5^th in GNAC history.

 

Senior high jumper Tupre Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark College) tied his PR in the high jump (6' 7"), Heather Faretta (Hanaiei, HI/Kapaa) moved up to 6^th in WWU history with a PR of 5' 4¼" in the high jump, Avery Lux (Fort Collins, CO/Fossil Ridge) recorded the 4^th-best weight throw in program history (46' 0") and Chanelle Eddy (Bellingham, WA/Sehome/Whitworth) moved up to a tie for 3^rd in program history with a shot put mark of 38' 11½".

 

"I thought we had some good performances today and it was good to get back in competition mode," said WWU head coach Pee Wee Halsell. "Now it is time to get ready for the GNAC Championships and I am really excited to see how this team competes next week in Idaho."

 

Senior J.T. Konrad set a PR and recorded an NCAA II provisional mark while placing 3^rd in the men's pole vault competition. Konrad cleared 16' ¾"/4.90m on his first attempt, tying for the 3^rd-best indoor vault in WWU history. The mark is well above the NCAA provisional standard of 15' 6¼"/4.73m and the best mark in the GNAC this season and in the top 20 in NCAA II.

 

Senior Tupre Wickliff equaled his PR recording a season-best 6' 7"/2.01m to place 3^rd in the high jump. Wickliff had three attempts at 6' 9"/2.06m which would have been the 2^nd-best mark in school history, but could not clear the bar. His jump Friday is 3^rd-best in the GNAC this season. Sophomore Garrett Daviesplaced 8^th clearing 6' 3¼"/1.91m.

 

Sophomore Heather Faretta set a PR clearing 5' 4¼"/1.63m placing 3^rd in the high jump. Faretta's big leap moved her up to 6^th in the WWU indoor record book and is just short of the NCAA II provisional mark of 5' 5¾"/1.67m. Junior Maddie Taylor placed 4^th also clearing 5' 4¼"/1.63m on her second attempt.

 

Junior Chanelle Eddy set a PR in the shot put and moved into a tie for 3^rd in the WWU indoor record book. Eddy placed 7^th with a mark of 38' 11½"/11.87m.

 

Sophomore Avery Lux set a PR in the weight throw, placing 6^th in the men's weight throw. The only non-Division I competitor in the field, Lux recorded the longest throw of his career at 52' 6½"/16.01m. The mark blew away his old PR of 46' 0"/14.02m and is 4^th-best in WWU history.

 

Here is a look at all the results from WWU competitors in the 2019 Husky Classic:

 

 

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.

 

The Vikings now turn their attention to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships that will be held next week (Feb. 15-16) at the Jacksons Indoor Complex in Nampa, Idaho. The SPU Final Qualifier will be held Feb. 23 at Dempsey Indoor in Seattle and the indoor season will conclude with the NCAA Division II Championships March 8-9 at the Robert W. Plaster Center on the Pittsburg State University campus in Pittsburg, Kansas.

 

 

 

-- WWU Track & Field --