Following a strong start of the 2016 outdoor season at the USC Trojan Invite, the WSU track and field teams went to back to work in Los Angeles at the Jim Bush Invitational on Tuesday.

The men’s hurdle team finished with speedy times that placed them for first and second. Junior CJ Allen finished in 50.55 seconds, a PR and fastest time in the nation, and placed first in the 400m hurdles. Sophomore Abu Kamara took second in the 100m hurdles.

The Cougs dominated the 3000m event against UCLA and Arizona by winning their events, while the men’s throwers muscled their way to the top by placing first and second in their respective events.

Senior CharLee Linton and junior John Whelan represented the Cougs 3000m run and won it for both the women and the men. Linton finished the 3000m in (9.35) and took first place for the women’s team on Tuesday. Whelan set the bar high this season by finishing with (8.28) for the men.

With winds at 1.2, freshman Jamaun Charles finished second with a time of (10.42) in one of the fastest races in track in field – the 100m dash. Charles was not the only Coug who beat the Sun Devils and Bruins, sophomore Zach Smith and senior Terrance Chambers took third and fourth, leaving two Bruins and one Sun Devil in the dust.

The women’s 4x100m relay team came together to take second in their event. Freshman Regyn Gaffney, junior Danielle Darden, senior Christiana Ekelem and senior Dominique Keel ran for (44.75) beating Arizona by a close (1.70).

The men’s throwing team threw for impressive distances in the hammer throw and the javelin. Junior Travis Pickett won his even and threw for 55.75m in the hammer throw, while sophomore Brad Steven launched the javelin for 62.06m to win his event.

The women throwing team made a huge thrust in their events by placing second in their events. Sophomore Katie Wardsworth tossed the hammer for 52.71m and senior Kelsie Taylor threw for 40.49m in the javelin throw.

The men’s 800m team swept in their events by placing first and second. Junior Matthew Swanson finished at (1.52), while freshman Reid Muller finished right behind him in second place with a (1:54) time.

For the jumpers, sophomore Greer Alsop by finished first in the women’s triple jump with 12.41m, beating the Bruins by only .03m. Junior Liz Harper also brought the heat by leaping for 6.01m in the long jump.

The Cougars will compete again at The Mike Keller Invite in Moscow, Idaho, on Saturday.

Reporting by Jamie Jones