SPOKANE / SEATTLE, Wash. — The Eags are ready for the Big Sky Indoor Championships.
On Friday and Saturday, they finished up their indoor regular season schedule with a split squad meet weekend — some competing in Seattle at the University of Washington's Husky Classic while others stayed in Spokane for the Whitworth Invite.
Headlining all Eagle competitors was redshirt junior transfer Egypt Simmons, who annihilated two EWU school records to zoom to the top of the Big Sky leaderboard in both the triple jump and long jump. Simmons won both events at the Husky Classic, clearing 12.55 meters (41' 2.75") in the triple on Friday before jumping 6.09 meters (19' 11.75") in the long jump on Saturday.
"Wow, what a weekend," said Director of Track and Field Erin Tucker. "Egypt has arrived."
"To open her EWU season breaking the triple jump school record five times and long jump school record twice tells us everything we need to know about her. I told you all Coach Jo (Brinson) was cooking up something in the jumps and man, ending the weekend with the top marks in the Big Sky in the long jump and triple jump says it all.
"Watch out for the rest of the jumpers. They are not done!"
Simmons' new triple jump mark is over a foot and a half longer than Morena Mannucci's previous EWU standard from 2015 (12.03m). The long jump was a closer shave over the standing Eastern mark as Simmons bested Shene Davis' 6.02m from 2010. Simmons, who transferred to the Eagles from Hawaii this season, was previously second in Eagle history at 5.95 meters, a mark she set in her last competition on Dec. 9.
Also in Seattle, senior Lilly Fetzer set a new PR in the women's 3,000 meters, crossing at 9:54.62 to move up to 7th in EWU history. Freshman Sara Sanders also moved up to 7th on an EWU all-time event list, setting a new PR in the mile at 5:00.43.
"Distance, jumps, vault and throws took their talents to Seattle and had some really good marks," Tucker continued. "It's really great to see them all step up against great competition and plug away like they have done all year."
In Spokane, Kristian Phennicie moved up two spots to 2nd in EWU history with a 6.74 in the 60-meter dash, good for 2nd at the meet and 1st in the Big Sky this year. Sophomore Dalton Wild set a new PR in the prelims, running a 6.95 to reach 9th on the EWU all-time list. Phennicie also set a lifetime best in the 200, bolting straight to 6th in EWU history with a 21.67.
"In the 60 meters, (Phennicie) now sits behind only Assistant Coach Joe Gauthier, who has been doing a phenomenal job with the short sprinters. It is great to have a school record holder coaching these athletes up… I know they appreciate it."
Takiyah Blue set personal bests in the 200 and 400, moving up on the EWU list in both — to 4th in both — and reaching the Top 15 in the conference as a true freshman. Fellow true freshman Owen Higgins won the men's 800 at The Podium, running a 1:51.38 to move into 6th in the Big Sky this year and 2nd in the EWU books.
The Eagles will be off next weekend before they host the rest of the conference's best for the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships at The Podium Powered by STCU in Spokane on Feb. 22-24.
"It is championship time, the best time of the year! Now we must protect our house. Everyone knows the mission and it is time to execute. If we perform the way we, as a staff, know we should, no one will walk away unhappy in two weeks. No one!"
Tickets for the Big Sky Championships are available via TicketsWest. The Big Sky Championships will also be available streaming on ESPN+.
(pictured above: Egypt Simmons approaches the jump pit at The Podium in Spokane on Dec. 9, 2023.)
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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