GREATER LOS ANGELES — The Eastern Washington University Track and Field team wrapped up a highly competitive weekend late on Saturday night, returning to Cheney from the greater Los Angeles area with several new season-bests, top-10 marks in the Big Sky Conference and movement on EWU's all-time outdoor performance list. The Eags competed at the Pacific Coast Invitational and Beach Invitational meets at Long Beach State University, as well as the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University.

"Going to California is always worth it due to the great weather," said EWU Track and Field Director Erin Tucker. "This year, we brought the PNW weather with us on Thursday but Friday and Saturday turned out to be great days."

Eagle distance runners competed at the Bryan Clay starting on Thursday and continuing through the late hours of Saturday night, turning in new personal bests and EWU marks. Among those climbing the EWU all-time list on the women's side were Kaylin Sheley in 1,500 meters (4:33.62; 9th) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:46.49; 5th), Lilly Fetzer in the 10,000 meters (36:43.55; 8th), and Nattie Ruzauskas in the 3,000-meter steeple (11:02.65; 7th). Sheley's steeplechase mark puts her 5th in the Big Sky this season.
For the men, Noah Hasselblad turned in the 6th-best EWU 10,000 meters of all time with a 30:06.06, good for 8th in the conference.

"Across the board, (the distance runners) ran home with the most PR's and top-ten movements on the list. Sam (Read) did a great job with them this weekend, especially Kaylin Sheley. She had a meet!"

At the Pacific Coast Invitational on Thursday in Long Beach, men's pole vaulter Zach Klobutcher turned in his best performance of the 2023 outdoor season, clearing 5.16 meters to move into a tie for the conference lead, 2nd on the all-time EWU list and just outside the top 50 in NCAA Division I this year (54th). The EWU record is 5.35 meters by Larry Still in 2019.

Hally Ruff then set a outdoor PR in the women's pole vault at the Beach Invitational, besting her own mark for 7th on the EWU all-time list at 4.07m, good for 1st in the conference and 43rd in D-I this season.

Javelin thrower Ryan Rieckmann surely caught some eyes this weekend, exploding into 5th on the EWU all-time list, 3rd in the Big Sky and 47th in D-I this year with a throw of 67.49m (221' 5").

"Our coaches have brought my cross-coaching plan to fruition. Ryan had never thrown over 200 feet until this weekend and I think he did it seven or eight times, with his last throw being over 220. The javelin group as a whole had a great meet with almost 100 percent season bests. They are buying into the unorthodox style and the javs are flying."

Jumper Bobby Say, who won the triple jump at the 2023 Big Sky Indoor Championships, set a new PR in both the triple and long jumps. He cleared 7.51 meters in the long jump on Thursday, good for 2nd in the conference and 5th in EWU history, then hit 15.61 meters in the triple on Friday, also good for 5th in EWU history, 1st in the Big Sky and 31st in the NCAA.

"Bob has been rock solid all year and had a huge PR in the long jump. It doesn't matter the event, he comes to play every meet."

The Eagles have just a few weeks until the 2023 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, set for May 10-13 in Greeley, Colo.

Notable EWU Performances

(top-3 at meet, top-10 Big Sky this season, top-50 NCAA Division I this season or EWU top-10 all-time marks)

Bryan Clay Invitational

• Women's 1,500m Open B
  • Kaylin Sheley, 1st (4:33.62)
    • 9th EWU all-time
• Women's 10,000m Open
  • Lilly Fetzer, 33rd (36:43.55)
    • 8th EWU all-time
• Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
  • Kaylin Sheley, 73rd (10:46.49)
    • 5th Big Sky, 5th EWU all-time
  • Nattie Ruzauskas, 94th (11:02.65)
    • 7th EWU all-time
• Men's 800m Open
  • Alec Kness, 29th (1:52.73)
    • 9th Big Sky 
• Men's 10,000m Open
  • Noah Hasselblad, 21st (30:06.06)
    • 8th Big Sky, 6th EWU all-time
• Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
  • Cameron Stuard, 86th (9:13.68)
    • 10th Big Sky
• Men's Decathlon
  • Cody Teevens, 8th (5,998)
    • 2nd Big Sky
• Men's Decathlon
  • Elijah Conley, 10th (5,838)
    • 4th Big Sky

Beach Invitational (April 14-15)

• Women's 100m Hurdles
  • Madelyn Knight, 31st (14.27)
    • 8th Big Sky, 4th EWU all-time
• Women's Pole Vault
  • Hally Ruff, 10th (4.07m, 13' 4.25")
    • 1st Big Sky, 43rd NCAA D-I, 7th EWU all-time
  • Savannah Schultz, 12th (3.92m; 12' 10.25")
    • 2nd Big Sky
• Women's Shot Put
  • Carissa Stovall, 25th (13.96m)
    • 4th Big Sky
  • Dyvhine Fonoti, 31st (13.78m)
    • 6th Big Sky
• Women's Discus
  • Dyvhon Fonoti, 34th (43.48m; 142' 8")
    • 8th Big Sky
• Women's Hammer
  • Carissa Stovall, 34th (51.29m)
    • 10th Big Sky
• Men's 4x400m Relay
  • Camden Phelps, Liam Bracken, Alec Kness, Lucas Robert; 3rd (3:17.09)
    • 4th Big Sky
• Men's Triple Jump
  • Bobby Say, 3rd (15.61m, 51' 2.75")
    • 1st Big Sky, 31st NCAA D-I, 5th EWU all-time
• Men's Discus
  • Bradley Fillis, 39th (49.01m; 160' 9")
    • 9th Big Sky
• Men's Javelin
  • Ryan Rieckmann, 8th (67.49m, 221' 5")
    • 3rd Big Sky, 47th NCAA D-I, 5th EWU all-time

Pacific Coast Invitational (April 13)

• Women's Shot Put
  • Dyvhine Fonoti, 31st (45' 2.5")
    • 6th in Big Sky
• Men's 400m
  • Liam Bracken, 2nd (47.80)
• Men's 800m
  • Alec Kness, 3rd (1:55.12)
• Men's Pole Vault
  • Zach Klobutcher, 7th (5.17m, 16' 11")
    • t-1st in Big Sky, 54th in NCAA D-I this season, 2nd in EWU all-time
  • Lucas Couron, t-27th (4.71m, 15' 5")
    • t-10th Big Sky
  • Corbin Luce, t-27th (4.71m, 15' 5")
    • t-10th Big Sky
• Men's Long Jump
  • Bobby Say, 4th (7.51m, 24' 7.75")
    • 2nd in Big Sky, 5th in EWU all-time
• Men's Javelin
  • Ryan Rieckmann, 2nd (64.06m, 210' 2")
    • 3rd in Big Sky (subsequently bested by his own mark at the Beach Invitational)

Several other Eagle student-athletes who didn't make the trip to California competed locally at the Whitworth Twilight Meet in North Spokane on Thursday.

Whitworth Twilight Meet (April 13)

• Women's 200m
  • Emma Glanzer, 3rd (27.38)
• Women's 5000m
  • Maddie Drennen, 1st (18:07.52)
• Women's 4x400m Relay
  • Anna Harrison, Emma Glanzer, Amanda Nygard, Rhiannon Davies; 1st (4:26.15)
• Women's High Jump
  • Grace Bruno, 2nd (1.53m, 5' 0.25")
• Women's Hammer
  • Vatoria Keyes, 2nd (46.69m, 152' 6")
• Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
  • Jamie Christner, 1st (9:36.63)

 

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