SPOKANE, Wash. – In a day filled with several standout performances, the best was saved for last by the Western Washington University Track & Field program at the WSU Open & Invitational at The Podium.
 
After standing for nearly 15 years, the men's distance medley relay has been broken in consecutive weeks, with Friday's performance in Spokane smashing the mark by over three seconds. The group of Kevin McDermott (1200m), Bryant Welch (400m), Drew Weber (800m) and Mac Franks (1600m) logged a time of 9:50.82, bettering the mark of 9:54.13 set last Friday at the UW Invitational. The previous record was 9:55.00 set at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championships. WWU finished 2nd in the race behind the University of Idaho (9:48.41) to conclude the second day of the meet held at the new state-of-the-art facility in Spokane.
 
In addition to the program record set by the DMR, senior high jumper Beau Sheeran placed 2nd in the high jump (2.00m/6-6.75), one of four total entries into the WWU top-10 indoor record book.
 
A small group of student-athletes will compete in the final day of the WSU Invitational Saturday at The Podium.
 
Here is a look at the performances by the Vikings during the WSU Open & Invitational that recorded a top-10 mark in program indoor history:
 
Friday's WWU Top-10 Performances:

• Distance Medley Relay – Men, 9:50.82 (School Record)
• Beau Sheeran – High Jump, 2.00m/6-6.75 (Tied for 6th in WWU history)
• Lucas Brenek – 200m, 22.31 (Tied for 7th in WWU history)
• Sophie Wright – 800m, 2:21.87 (10th in WWU history)

  Freshman Lucas Brenek had a big day in the 200m and 400m, cracking the top 10 in WWU history in the 200m (22.31) and placing 10th in the 400m (50.42). His time in the 200m tied for 7th in WWU history and was the top mark by a non-NCAA Division I runner. He was 10th out of 39 competitors in the 400m in 50.42, falling just outside of the WWU top-10.
  Senior transfer Beau Sheeran placed 2nd out of 27 competitors in the high jump, clearing 2.00m/6-6.76. The mark is just short of his all-time indoor PR of 2.01m/6-7 set during the 2000 season while competing for Washington State. Sheeran's mark Friday is tied for 6th-best in WWU indoor history.   Junior Aliyah Dawkins placed 5th out of 32 competitors in the high jump by clearing 1.66m/5-5.25. She attempted to clear a season-best 1.69m/5-6.5, but was not successful reaching the mark that would have moved her up to third in the competition. Dawkins has a season-best mark of 1.68m/5-6 that entered the weekend ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II.
  Paced by a 5th-place finish by sophomore Alec Ritter the Vikings had four runners in the top 10 in the men's mile, with 29 total competitors in the field. Ritter's time of 4:19.83 is just outside of the WWU all-time top-10. Junior Kaleb Korta set a PR placing 7th in 4:21.02, while freshmen Quinn Wilcox (8th, 4:21.94) and Landon Sturdevant (10th, 4:22.78) had great races to place in the top 10. Sturdevant, a Ferndale native, also placed 10th in the 800m in 1:56.74.
  Freshman Jaden Edwards qualified for the finals and placed 6th in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.69. Edwards ran a 8.42 last week at the UW Invitational for the No. 8 time in WWU history. Edwards won his heat in 8.71 in the prelims and was the only NCAA Division II runner to advance to the finals.
  Spokane native Ila Davis returned to her hometown and had a solid performance in the mile placing 14th out of 47 runners in the mile. Her time of 5:10.66 is just outside of the WWU top 10and was fastest among the 11 non-NCAA Division I runners. Freshmen Sophie Wright (22nd, 5:19.50) and Mia Crocker (25th, 5:22.02) also represented WWU in the race.
  Freshman Lucas Brenek finished 10th in the 400m in 50.42 (out of 39 competitors) and was followed closely by sophomore Mark Daniels placing 12th with a time of 50.62.
  Freshman Sophie Wright placed 16th out of 35 runners and was 2nd among DII competitors in the 800m, turning in the 10th-best time in program history in 2:21.87. Freshman Mia Crocker (season PR of 2:18.89) placed 18th in 2:22.43.
  Freshman Tyrone Woodard set a PR and placed 8th out of 41 competitors in the long jump with a leap of 6.53m/21-5.25.
  The Vikings didn't have any sprinters advanced out of the prelims in the 60m dash, but had a strong showing with six athletes run sub-7.20. Ryan Greenwalt led the WWU contingent clocking 7.07, with Noah Johnson close behind at 7.08 and Tyrone Woodard at 7.10.
  The WWU Track & Field team wraps up competition tomorrow with the final day of the WSU Invitational at The Podium in Spokane. The Vikings are scheduled to have competitors in the men's long jump, shot put, mile, 400m and 800m events. The full 2021-22 WWU Indoor Track & Field schedule (in addition to the tentative outdoor schedule) can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/TF.