While only one Coug is advancing to the Pac-12 Championship, many saw success last week at the West Preliminary round in Sacramento.

The Coug that advanced was Louie Hinchliffe, a true freshman sprinter from Sheffield, England. Hinchliffe has been a star for the Cougs this year, showing up at the start of the Spring semester and quickly setting freshman records in multiple sprinting events.

Now, he has gotten it done on the biggest stage yet and has earned a chance to do it again at the national championships. In the first heat of the 100-meter dash, Hinchliffe came in with a time of 10.17, tying the WSU program record and earning himself a trip to Austin for the NCAA nationals.

Success stories for the women’s team include Carolina Jerotich, who executed a remarkable race with a 10:07.70 in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Her impressive performance shattered the WSU program record previously set by Caroline Austin in 2013 (10:08.49). 

The women’s 4×100-meter relay team had a good race as well, as Elise Unruh-Thomas, Jada Van Staden, Jasneet Nijjar and Skyler Walton broke a school record that had stood since 1999 with a time of 44.38 seconds.

Elena Willems and Alaina Stone Boggs made their NCAA West Preliminary debuts, marking a memorable end to their respective outdoor seasons. Willems ran in the 800m, clocking in at a time of 2:08.13. Meanwhile, Stone Boggs showcased her endurance in the 5,000m, finishing with a time of 16:16.11.

Kelvin Limo ran the men’s steeplechase. Throughout heat two, he remained in the top three positions and finished the race with a new personal record of 8:40.22. Jared McAlvey competed in the 400m hurdles quarterfinal. Despite leading for much of the race he unfortunately fell six spots back on the last stretch, finishing in seventh with a time of 52.15. 

Closing the night for the WSU men’s team was Zach Stallings, making his first-ever appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary round in the men’s 5,000m run and completing the race with a time of 14:10.51. 

WSU also brought a few throwers to regionals.

In the javelin, Josh Farr delivered a solid performance, throwing for a distance of 58.42m (191′ 8″). His effort placed him 41st overall. 

Ronald Grueso Mosquera showcased his prowess in both the shot put and discus. In the shot put, he achieved a distance of 18.29m (60′ 0.25″), securing a commendable 23rd place overall. 

In discus, Grueso Mosquera achieved a distance of 53.48m (175′ 5″), placing him 36th overall.

This marks the end of the season for most of the team, but not everyone. Hinchliffe will be heading down to Austin for the national championships, starting on June 7.