SPOKANE, Wash. – The Eagles split competition this week between the Riverfront Invite & Multis at The Podium and the Idaho Team Challenge in Moscow, Idaho, turning in a weekend full of personal bests, season bests, and all-time marks.
"We were a split squad this weekend, but we got a lot done," said Director of Track & Field / Cross Country
Erin Tucker. "The team GroupMe was on fire as we supported each other from afar. We had a lot of PRs, more top-10 entries, and a ton of season bests."
Riverfront Invite & Multis
Ella Seelhoff opened the weekend with a fifth-place finish in the pentathlon, totaling 3,181 points. Her strongest performance came in the final event, where she placed third in the 800m with a time of 2:29.80. Seelhoff also recorded fourth-place finishes in the 60m hurdles and high jump, along with a seventh-place showing in the shot put and a 12th-place finish in the long jump.
Saturday highlighted an impressive EWU debut from
Jordyn Grady, who finished second in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.45 to move into second all-time in program history. She followed it up with another strong showing in the final.
"Welcome to EWU,
Jordyn Grady," Tucker said. "Wow is all I can say. To have a two-tenth PR in the 60 hurdles after not running them for two years, then come back in the final and drop another tenth is crazy. She jumped into No. 2 all-time at EWU, trailing only Maddie the Magnificent, and I believe she's now top four in the Big Sky. We're not done, she'll get faster."
Cerea Mahabeer placed third in the 60m hurdles at 8.75, ranking fifth all-time, while
Sara Sanders recorded a new No. 4 mark in EWU history in the 800m, finishing in 2:13.31.
"The 60 hurdles and 60m group all had season bests and moved up that Big Sky ladder, which is extremely important for the team," Tucker added. "Coach K's group had a great weekend at The Podium as well. On Friday night, Sara jumped into the top three on the all-time 800 list, that was outstanding to see. Watch what she does next in the mile."
In the field events,
Suzi Woodall continued her strong season in the pole vault, winning the event with a clearance of 3.90m (12-9.50), while
Frania Barba-Romero placed third.
Lexi Meyer finished second in the 600m in 1:34.55, followed by a fourth-place finish from
Ifechi Okoye. The women's 4x400m relay team of
Charlotte Terry,
Rhiannon Davies, Meyer, and Okoye capped the meet with a fifth-place finish in 3:58.67.
On the men's side,
Henry Nelson earned third in the 800m with a personal-best time of 1:53.22.
Marcus Lemon led the Eagles in the 5,000m, finishing fourth in 14:49.72, while
Alex Blecha placed second in the pole vault after clearing 4.95m (16-2.75).
Idaho Team Challenge
Down south in the Palouse, the jumpers and throwers delivered a strong showing in Moscow.
"The jumpers and throwers took a trip down 195 and had a great meet," Tucker said. "Coach Jo, Coach Maj, and that group love that venue—from the elevated runway to the wooden throw circles. They always perform well there, and this weekend was no different."
Merci Migani led the way with a win in the long jump, posting a mark of 7.25m (23-9), and added a second-place finish in the triple jump at 14.75m (48-4.75).
Nic Cunningham recorded a personal-best jump of 7.19m (23-7.25) to finish fourth.
In the throws,
Jason Nwaka placed second in the shot put with a mark of 15.93m (52-3.25) and added a fourth-place finish in the weight throw.
Cort Gebbers finished third in the shot, followed by
Koda Woodard in fourth and
Bryson Chase in fifth with a personal best.
On the women's side,
Manthita Wague finished second in the long jump with a mark of 5.90m (19-4.25), moving into fourth all-time in EWU history.
"Chita was at it again," Tucker said. "She jumped into fourth on the all-time list in the long jump. She's on a tear, and we're really happy with her transition to EWU. I like the direction the jumps and throws are going, and Friday was a great day for EWU."
Shai Gray followed closely with a leap of 5.80m (19-0.50) to move into eighth all-time. In the high jump, Anne Ship placed second and
Lenah Martin finished third. Martin also earned third in the triple jump at 11.77m (38-7.50), while
Zoe Dunn finished fourth and
Azaria Purdy fifth.
Hannah Petrillo rounded out the meet with a sixth-place finish in the weight throw.
Looking ahead, Tucker emphasized the excitement building toward championship season.
"This is the best time of the year," Tucker said. "One regular-season weekend left and we'll split the teams again. Distance, jumps, and throws head to Seattle, while sprints and hurdles hold down the fort at The Podium. Championship season is almost here, we'll head to Pocatello in three weeks, but first we need to stay focused and close out next weekend strong. Go Eags!"
New EWU All-Time Top Ten
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