Huskies Add To Top-10 List Barrage On Day Two
SEATTLE – Husky track and field athletes continued to put heat on the school's record books today as the UW Invitational wrapped up inside the Dempsey Indoor. For the second meet in a row, a Husky shattered the four-minute mile mark by nearly five seconds, as the distance runners finished an especially impressive weekend.
The distance Dawgs posted six new Husky top-10 marks on Saturday, and seven marks that rank in the top-25 in the NCAA so far this season. UW also saw wins in both men's and women's shot puts, a top-four sweep in the women's pole vault, and victories from sprinters Aaliyah Wilson and Cass Elliott, who stretched up to 800-meters with a win.
Senior transfer Brian Fay, in his first full race in the Dempsey, became the third Husky this season and the 14th all-time to go sub-four, and he went to No. 2 in UW history with a PR of 3:55.14.
Fay made a lightning-quick kick on the final backstretch to move into second and close the gap on pro runner Jake Heyward who was ninth in the 2021 Olympic Games 1,500-meter final last year. Heyward held on to run 3:53.25 for the second-fastest mile in the history of the Dempsey, while Fay's time is sixth-best in the facility, and also No. 3 in the NCAA this year, one spot ahead of teammate Kieran Lumb who ran 3:55.53 two weeks ago.
Brian Fay goes to #??2?? in school history in the Mile in 3:55.14??
He becomes the 14th Sub-4?? miler in UW history! He and Kieran Lumb are now 3 and 4 in the NCAA!
Britain's Jake Heyward went 3:53.25 for the second fastest mile in Dempsey history. @brianfay98 now 6th.#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/kCsioZxRtP
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) January 29, 2022
The meet ended with some stellar women's miles as well. Senior Allie Schadler, less than 24 hours from anchoring the Husky DMR to the No. 2 time in the NCAA, ran her first open mile of the indoor season and took third overall in 4:35.18, just a couple seconds off her PR which is second in school history. In the same heat, Haley Herberg had a six-second PR of 4:38.08, which puts her in No. 10 all-time at UW. Now, with Madison Heisterman and Anna Gibson, the Huskies have four women who've run under 4:39.00 in the mile this season.
Heisterman and Gibson, also part of Friday night's DMR, both ran the 800-meters today and went up the top-10 lists there. Gibson finished in an identical time as sophomore Carley Thomas, as they each ran 2:05.40 to take the top two spots. Heisterman completed the 1-2-3 sweep, as she ran an indoor PR of 2:06.49. Thomas already holds the UW indoor record, but it was her fastest time since returning from a fractured leg. Gibson goes to No. 3 in school history and Heisterman climbed to No. 5.
The Dawgs go 1-2-3 in the women's 800m! ??????
Carley Thomas and Anna Gibson both post a 2:05.40 and Madison Heisterman goes 2:06.49!
That's the fastest for Thomas since her return from injury, Gibson goes to #??3?? in school history, and Heisterman to #??5??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/2BFGEJ4Kyk
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) January 29, 2022
The men's 800-meters top heat was led nearly wire to wire by Cass Elliott, who finished off a win in a time of 1:49.74, just a split second off his career-best.
Two weeks ago, Luke Houser was another new sub-four miler, and he stepped up to the 3k today and clocked a six-second PR in 7:52.84, jumping up to the No. 5 time in school history. Isaac Green also ran a big 3k PR of 7:57.73 to get the new No. 8 time. Tibebu Proctor was also second in his 3k heat in a PR of 8:09.03.
In the throws, MaKayla Kelby's first shot put in the Dempsey this season came within one centimeter of equaling her own school record. She went 53-7 ½ on her first attempt to win the competition, just a quarter of an inch away from the record she set last year.
Multi-eventer Ida Eikeng also had a strong series in the shot, going 45-0 ¼ for fifth overall, an indoor personal-best. Eikeng and Hannah Rusnak would both also clear 5-6 in the high jump.
On the men's side, Sam Van Peursem was a winner for the second meet in a row, with a best toss of 57-7.
Washington went one through four in the women's pole vault, as Makenna Barton got a couple third-attempt clearances in a row to win at 13-2 ¼. Holland Pilukas, Delaney Ezeji-Okoye, and Ashleigh Helms all made 12-2 ½.
The day's big sprints highlight was junior Aaliyah Wilson taking more time off her season-best in the 60-meter dash. She ran 7.42 in the prelims and then got down to a time of 7.40 in the final to take the victory. Danielle Hunter was sixth overall in the final in 7.78 seconds.
Jaylen Taylor was second in today's men's triple jump at 47-7. Freshman Jami Schlueter, competing unattached, long jumped 22-5.