SALT LAKE CITY– On a clear, warm and sunny day, the Utah women's track and field team opened up their 2019 outdoor season at the Trojan Invitational on Saturday. Hosted by USC and taking place at the Katherine B. Loker Track Stadium, the Utes took home one event title and several top-10 finishes. 
 
"It was a really positive day and for a season opener, I thought it was our best opener in several years," head coach Kyle Kepler said. " 
 
In the 1,500-meter run, Utah had a strong showing finishing all six of their competitors in the top-10. Junior Sarah Newton finished in a personal-best time of 4:28.45 to lead the Utes and capture the event title. Freshman Scarlet Dale, sophomore Trina Moreno and senior Megan Killian finished in followed in Newton finishing in fifth, sixth and seventh-places, respectively. Dale finished in a time of 4:30.96, Moreno finished with a lifetime-best time of 4:32.75 and Perkins finished in a time of 4:34.13. Rounding out the competitors for the Utes were freshman Kennedy Powell (ninth, 4:37.81) and sophomore Bella Williams (10th, 4:38.02). 
 
The had another solid showing in the 800-meter race as they finished five out of the six runners inside the top-10. Senior Whitney Hessler and freshman Sophie Ryan paced the Utes as they finished in third and fourth-place, respectively. Hessler finished with a personal-best time of 2:10.35 while Ryan finished in a time of 2:11.68. Senior Cara Woolnough, freshman Brooklyn James and senior Sadie Wassum rounded out the top-five finishers for Utah. Woolnough placed fifth in a time of 2:12.74, James earned sixth with a personal-best time of 2:13.36 and Wassum finished in seventh-place in a time of 2:13.71. Senior Mesa Weidle also competed posting a time of 2:17.14 to capture 12th-place. 
 
Senior Eliza Hansen shined for Utah in the women's high jump posting a career-best mark of 1.68-meters to capture a second-place finish. Senior Kolbi Sims finished in fifth-place with a jumping height of 1.63-meters. Sims also competed in the 100-meter hurdles earning a ninth-place finish in a time of 15.45. Freshman Skyler Blair also competed finishing in 11th-place (15.54). 
 
Sophomore Regan Crofts competed in her first javelin throw since last season throwing a distance of 40.07-meters to earn a third-place finish and to move into 10th place all-time at Utah. Sims also represented Utah in the event capturing a seventh-place finish with a lifetime-best throwing distance of 36.06-meters. 
 
Moving to the 400-meter race, sophomore Jackie Martin lead the Utes finishing in fourth-place with a personal-best time of 56.26. Freshman Maya Lebar and junior Nicole Griffths finished in 11th and 13th-place, posting times of 57.86 and 59.83, respectively. 
 
Utah posted solid marks in the 400-meter hurdle race with freshman Skyler Blair finishing first for the Utes. Blair earned fifth in a time of 62.29. Junior Brooke Martin and sophomore Ruby Jane Mathewson finished in eighth (64.20) and 11th (66.51), respectively.  
 
In the 100-meter dash, freshman Taylor Watson earned 15th in a time of 12.23. This time moves Watson into seventh-place all-time at Utah. Senior Raynee Helm-Wheelock placed 17th in a time of 12.41. 
 
Utah entered two different squads to compete in the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay on Saturday. The squad made up of Helm-Wheelock, J. Martin, Lebar and Watson earned a third-place finish with a time of 46.89. The squad made up of Wassum, Griffiths, freshman Brooke Manson and Newton, competed in the 4x400-meter relay and captured fifth in a time of 3:53.08. 
 
"I'm really pleased, like I said it was probably one of the better season openers we've had in several years. We are heading in the right direction and certainly took advantage of a great weather day, 80 degrees and the sun shining almost no wind, but we are really excited to get back home and train," Kepler said. 
 
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