SPOKANE, Wash. – A host of Western Washington University Track & Field student-athletes helped open up the state-of-the-art The Podium on Saturday at the Spokane Invitational.
 
WWU had nine student-athletes in competition in the indoor meet held at the new world-class venue in Spokane, marking the second competition of the 2021-22 indoor season for the Vikings.
 
The Viking contingent was led by the two-fastest 800m times in program history by senior Mac Franks and freshman Will Henry, and a pair of program top-10 marks by sophomore thrower Katie Potts in the shot put and weight throw.
 
Franks (Lake Forest Park, WA/Shorecrest) set the WWU indoor record in the 800m placing 2nd out of 24 runners in 1:52.34 bettering the previous school record of 1:53.29 by Kyler Sager in 2019. Making his WWU debut, Henry (Park City, UT) placed 5th in 1:52.82 for the 2nd-best mark in program history.
 
Potts (Everett, WA/Glacier Peak) recorded the 5th-best mark in the shot put (11.79m/38-8.25) and the 6th-best in the weight throw (13.35m/43-9.75). She placed 11th in the shot put (out of 28) and 18th in the weight throw (out of 30).
  Senior Mac Franks set the WWU indoor record with an NCAA II indoor provisional qualifying mark of 1:52.34. Franks has been a key part of the WWU distance program over the last two years, placing 11th at the NCAA II West Regional Cross Country Championships to earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors and earned an All-GNAC award with an 8th-place finish at the cross country championships. He was also a key part of WWU's 2021 GNAC Outdoor team title winning the 800m (1:52.01) and placing 3rd in the 1500m (3:57.98) and the 3000m Steeplechase (9:02.86).   WWU made up over a quarter of the field in the first event in the history of The Podium in the 5,000m. Sophomore Kevin McDermott led the contingent of Vikings racing with WWU eligibility remaining placing 3rd of 20 athletes in 15:12.11. Calahan Warren, who has one year of outdoor eligibility remaining, finished 2nd in 15:00.67 racing unattached. Freshman Jalen Javurek (5th, 15:20.73) and junior Kaleb Korta (9th, 15:37.26) also recorded top-10 finishes.   Sophomore Katie Potts set a pair of PR marks in her season debut. The Glacier Peak product finished 11th out of 28 competitors in the shot put recording the 5th-best mark in program indoor history. After a pair of foot fouls to open the event, Potts unleashed a throw of 11.79m/38-8.25 for the 5th-best mark in program indoor history. Earlier in the day, Potts set a PR and placed 18th out of 30 competitors in the weight throw with the 6th-best mark in WWU indoor history with a mark of 13.35m/43-09.75. She recorded her PR on the second throw shattering her old PR of 12.42m/40-9 set at the Portland Indoor Meet in 2020.   Here is a rundown of all the Vikings that were in action Saturday at the Spokane Invitational:

• Mac Franks (800m & 3,000m) – Set school record in the 800m finishing 2nd of 24 competitors in a time of 1:52.34…also raced in the 3,000m placing 16th out of 22 racers in 8:57.63.
• Will Henry (800m) – Made WWU debut finishing 5th in the 800m in 1:52.82, 2nd-fastest time in indoor program history and only second sub-1:53 time in WWU history behind teammate Mac Franks in the same race.
• Jalen Javurek (5,000m) – Finished 5th in the 5,000m in 15:20.73.
• Kaleb Korta (5,000m) – Finished 9th in 15:37.26 in the 5,000m.
• Nick McIver (Mile) – Finished 17th out of 28 in the mile clocking a time of 4:27.71.
• Kevin McDermott (5,000m) – Finished 3rd in 15:12.11.
• Katie Potts (Shot Put & Weight Throw) – Placed 11th out of 28 competitors in the shot put, recording a PR and the 5th-best mark in WWU indoor history at 11.79m/38-8.25…recorded her career-best throw on her final throw after a pair of foot faults…also placed 18th in the weight throw with a PR and 6th-best mark in WWU history (13.35m/43-9.75).
• Alec Ritter (5,000m) – Finished 13th in 15:53.46.
• Quinn Wilcox (5,000m) – Finished 17th in 16:25.81.

The WWU Track & Field team will next been in indoor action at the UW Indoor Preview in Seattle at Dempsey Indoor on Saturday, January 15. The full 2021-22 WWU Indoor Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/TF.