The Cougs competed in three different meets across the country last weekend. WSU competed at the Husky Classic in Seattle, the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Whitworth Invitational in Spokane.

The Husky Classic

In Seattle, the Cougs won the 60-meter hurdles and had four members set top-10 program records. 

“We had an awesome trio of meets, featuring a huge number of personal bests, event wins, WSU all-time marks and national marks,” WSU head coach Wayne Phipps said. “It’s very exciting to see the improvement from week to week with this team.”

Once again, graduate students Sam Brixey and Nick Johnson finished in the top three in the 60-meter hurdles. Brixey finished the event with a time of 7.71 seconds for first place. Brixey was just 0.01 seconds behind his personal record. Johnson finished with a time of 7.81 seconds for third place. Johnson’s time is the 20th-fastest time in the NCAA this season.

Graduate student Colton Johnsen recorded another record-breaking time this weekend, running the second-fastest indoor time for the 3000-meter race in WSU history. His time of 7:45.80 got him a fourth-place finish and also was the seventh-fastest time in WSU history in the event, including both indoor and outdoor times. Johnsen is ranked eighth in the NCAA for the 3000.

Moving on to the women’s competition, sophomore Neema Kimtai had a great day on the track with two top-10 times in WSU history. She ran the mile in 4:45.43, which is the fourth-fastest indoor time for the Cougs. Kimtai also recorded the fifth-fastest time in program history in the 3000-meter event with a time of 9:31.47 seconds. *delete -TD Kimtai now holds the ninth-fastest time in WSU program history, including both indoor and outdoor times.

Freshman Micaela De Mello also cemented her name in the WSU record books with her performance in the 60-meter hurdles. She had a time of 8.34, which was a third-place finish and the fifth-fastest indoor time for the Cougs in program history.

Whitworth Invitational

The Cougs had three top-10 finishes and won five events in Spokane. 

Junior Daylon Hicks had a great day in the high jump, winning the event with a season-best 2.01 meters, or 6-feet-7-inches. 

Junior Skyler Walton had two top-three finishes — one in the 60-meter dash and one in the 200-meter dash. Walton’s time in the 60-meter was a season-best 7.55 seconds. She also placed second in the 200-meter with a time of 24.96 seconds. 

Fellow junior Mackenzie Fletcher placed first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.76 seconds, which was also her best time this season.

Freshman Kolby Weiss posted her first career win in the crimson and gray. Weiss had a mark of 3.82 meters in the women’s pole vault. This was also Weiss’ personal record in the event.

Sophomore Audrey Hughes and freshman Alexandra Payne each had a win in their respective throwing events. Hughes took first in the shot put with a mark of 14.27 meters. This was also her personal best in the shot put. Payne placed first in the weighted throw with a mark of 17.35 meters. 

The women’s 4×100-meter relay placed first with a time of 3:45.57. Fletcher, Jasneet Nijjar, Elise Unruh-Thomas and Elena Willems all took part in the win for the Cougs to round out the meet at The Podium. 

Don Kirby Elite Invitational

The Cougs set more WSU all-time records in Albuquerque, N.M.

Graduate student Mitch Jacobson had another first place finish in the high jump, tying his indoor season-best 2.15 meters. Jacobson has finished in the top two at every meet he has competed in this season.

Senior Jacob Englar set a new personal record in the pole vault event at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Englar had a mark of 5.28 meters. He finished sixth-overall for the 25th-best mark in the NCAA for the indoor season. Englar now holds the fifth-highest mark in WSU history. 

The Cougs have another three-meet weekend beginning on Friday. WSU will be heading to the South for a meet in Arkansas, one in Texas and one in North Carolina. 

For more information, check out the WSU Athletics website.