Throwers Break 75 Years’ Worth Of Records
Husky Classic
Friday-Saturday, February 26-27
Dempsey Indoor
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SEATTLE – Sophomore MaKayla Kelby broke one of the longest-standing UW school records today, bettering the mark of a former NCAA Champion in the shot put. About an hour later, freshman Jayden White broke the oldest UW indoor school record, held by a seven-time NCAA Champion. Added together it was 75-years' worth of school records gone in the span of an hour in the Dempsey on day one of the Husky Classic.
Kelby took down Jennifer Ponath's 1988 school record in the women's shot put with her sixth and final throw of 53-feet, 7.75-inches, breaking the record by a full foot. Then White knocked Pac-12 All-Century Team member Scott Neilson off the top of the men's weight throw list where he's been since 1979, as the Everett, Wash. native launched one 71-feet, 8.25-inches to best Neilson's mark by three inches.
Only two events were held on the track tonight but a highlight on par with the throwing records came from Allie Schadler, who rolled to the second-fastest mile in UW history, and the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season, as she finished in 4:31.21.
But the throws group made the most of its final go in the Dempsey this season, with strong showings as well from Connor Jost, who went to No. 3 all-time in the weight at 67-11, Jonah Wilson who went 63-5 ½ in the shot put, and Sam Van Peursem who put 60-4 ½. White and Wilson should be in good position now to make the top-16 for NCAA Indoors.
Assistant Coach Andrew Ninow, Washington's throws coach, said consistency has been the only secret ingredient to his group's overall success this indoor season.
"People have been healthy, their training has been consistent, when you're able to do that and miss all this craziness with Covid, it just produces results. You have a motivated group that's doing the right stuff and coming in ready to work. Amazing day. Most everyone accomplished what we thought they could, it's very exciting."
White put people on notice in his first meet back at the UW Indoor Preview when he went 68-9 ¾ to go straight to No. 2 all-time. He then improved at his next meet to 69-10 ¾, and today in just his third meet he added nearly two more feet to get the record. After posing for some photos with the rearderboard, White said of his performance, "I was hyped, it felt good. It was a number I've had in mind all year so it felt good to reach it. Even on those further throws, my technique was still not where I wanted it to be so it feels good I can still knock out big numbers. I had a really good two weeks coming into this meet so I'm hoping to carry that into the next meet as well."
Kelby was emotional after getting the mark on a sixth attempt, as she would have been waiting until next January for another chance indoors if she had not nailed that final throw. The mark was a PR for Kelby by more than a foot-and-a-half.
"Going into the last throw I was just thinking do what I do in practice," said Kelby, the native of Lee's Summit, Missouri. "Ninow came up to me beforehand and said the end of practice is when I usually have my big throws, so just channel the end of practice with my last throw and that's what I did. I've just worked so hard the last couple years with being injured, then Covid and redshirting, so a lot of emotions were there. I had my eyes on the record since I first got here and I want to make my mark."
Coach Ninow said with White they knew it was coming. "The mission for him was to just execute his throw and it would happen. He executed a bunch of good-looking throws like we see in practice, nothing was out of the box, he just did his thing," Ninow said. "Super excited for MaKayla, she's just barely outside the top-16 for nationals, but it's going to set up an awesome outdoor season, and she'll finally be able to throw discus."
Most emblematic of the consistency paying off was Jost, who as a fifth-year senior added six feet to his PR just over the past two meets. "Jost, his growth has been absolutely tremendous," said Ninow. "When we came in this was an event that was foreign to him, but he's just been super steady and consistent, but this year in particular it clicked. The last month you've seen these massive PRs, but harping on the theme of consistency, I don't think anybody is more consistent with his attitude in training than him."
As for Schadler, her latest huge PR just continues a whirlwind 2021 as she has gone back and forth between indoor track and cross country. Schadler entered tonight's race in a top-16 spot nationally in the mile with her previous time of 4:38.08, but at 14th she was in danger of being bumped. She also ranks fourth nationally in the 3k and anchored UW's DMR which is still on the bubble as well. Schadler's career-best mile coming in was a 4:37.12 mark from 2019.
The 4:31.21 time makes her only the second Husky ever under 4:34 in the mile, joining Katie Flood who set the UW record of 4:28.48 back in 2012, a record that was nearly six seconds faster than the No. 2 time until tonight.
"We had a mile time trial in the fall and I ran pretty fast there but I was like, it doesn't really count, but now … it's good," said Schadler. "It's a good feeling. I ran a good 3k two weeks ago and then a cross country race last week and that was a little bit tough. So my goal was just to block that out and just stay eyes on the prize, and I think I did that really well."
In another heat of the women's mile, senior Katie Rainsberger had a big season-best time of her own in 4:38.15, and Madison Heisterman cut six seconds off her PR and moved into the Husky top-10 list at No. 10 with a time of 4:39.70. Kelly Makin was just off her PR in 4:42.84.
The lone men's track race today saw senior Andrew Jordan move to No. 8 in school history in the 3,000-meters as he took second in 7:58.77.
Earlier field event action saw several Huskies set themselves up well for the outdoor season to come. Makenna Barton matched her career-best in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-5 3/4. Jelani Heath was third in the long jump at 18-9 while Lauren Heggen was strong in the triple jump again at 39-3.
Ida Eikeng was having a very strong first pentathlon for the Huskies but did not race the final 800-meters to cap it. Up to that point she had run the No. 3 time in school history in the 60-meter hurdles to start, clocking 8.30 seconds. She then high jumped 5-4 1/4, went 43-7 1/4 in the shot put, and long jumped 18-0 1/2. In the first day of the men's heptathlon, Parker Kennedy ran 7.18 seconds to start things in the 60-meter dash, then long jumped 21-11 3/4, put the shot 39-3 3/4, and got a big PR to finish out the day in the high jump, where he made 6-0 1/2 for the first time.
The Husky Classic final day gets going tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m.
Significant Friday Record Updates
UW Women's Shot Put Indoor Top-10
1. MaKayla Kelby, Tonight 53-7 ¾
2. Jennifer Ponath, 1988 52-7 ½
UW Men's Weight Throw Indoor Top-10
1. Jayden White, Tonight 71-8 1/4
2. Scott Neilson, 1979 71-5 1/2
UW Women's Mile Indoor Top-10
1. Katie Flood, 2012 4:28.48
2. Allie Schadler, Tonight 4:31.21
3. Amy-Eloise Neale, 2017 4:34.15