Senior multi-event athlete Ryan Bowen competes in the high jump Jan. 19 at the Kibbie Dome during the Idaho Collegiate. The Vandals won multiple events at the Cougar Indoor Jan. 26, hosted by Washington State University
The Idaho men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams won eight events and finished second overall Saturday at the Cougar Indoor meet hosted by Washington State University.
The Vandals met WSU and Montana in their first scoring meet of the season and their third meet overall. Both the Idaho men and women defeated Montana 59-51 and 79-42 respectively. The men lost to WSU 96-25 and the women fell to the Cougars 73-48.
Idaho received strong contributions from the throwers over the weekend. Idaho won the men’s and women’s weight throw events for the second time this season. Senior Kristine Leonard finished first in the women’s 20-pound event with a throw of 54-5.5 while senior Sarah Nutsch took second with a throw of 51-11.25. Junior Kyle Rothwell won the 35-pound event by throwing a 58-10 and Idaho sophomore Zach Trumbauer finished second with a throw of 54-10.25.
Idaho claimed the top two spots in the women’s shotput as sophomore Johanna Hocketstaller claimed victory with a throw of 46-09.5 and Leonard finished second with a throw of 46-02.5. Rothwell took second on the men’s side with a toss of 48-04.5.
Throwers coach Julie Taylor said there was extra motivation given the competition.
“It’s fun this weekend because it’s a scoring meet,” Taylor said. “It’s maybe a little bit more pressure to do well because of that and that’s a good thing for us because we need that experience at the WAC Championship.”
There were several highlights among the sprinters as well. Sophomore Ben Ayesu-Attah narrowly beat out WSU’s Jacob Sealby in a photo-finish 400-meter dash after trailing him for most of the race. He set the meet record with a time of 48.28, a hundredth of a second faster than Sealby’s time.
“(Sealby) got out really quick and I had to follow him,” Ayesu-Attah said. “I followed him throughout the 300-meter mark and I saw that he was dying a little bit so it was my time to kick it in and pass him right at the finish.”
In the women’s event, senior Liga Velvere won the 400-meter in 57.06 while Lauren Schaffer took second with a time of 57.29.
Junior Karlene Hurrel continues to improve after missing last season with an injury. She bounced back from a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter dash to win the 200-meter race with a time of 24.79.
“I didn’t really have the best start in the 60 meters, so I thought I would just forget about that race and just focus on my (200-meter),” Hurrel said. “My main focus was just to get out of the blocks and run fast and that’s what I did.”
Coach Wayne Phipps said Hurrel’s comeback was impressive.
“She’s been out for all of last year, so she basically hasn’t raced in almost two years,” Idaho coach Wayne Phipps said. “And for her to come out and run that sort of time this early is just amazing and she’s so excited about as well she should be.”
Hurrel, Schaffer, Velvere and senior Kelli Hall competed in the 4×400-meter relay where they finished second to WSU, but broke a school record with a time of 3:49.41. The men’s 4×400 relay team also finished second behind WSU.
Idaho earned a victory in the men’s pole vault thanks to sophomore Matt Sullivan’s vault of 16-1.25. Hocketstaller won the women’s long jump with a distance of 17-08.75.
Idaho’s distance runners competed for the first time this season. Junior Hannah Kiser finished second in both the mile and 800-meter. Her converted mile time of 4:48.34 is the best in the WAC so far this season.
Phipps said he was pleased with the team’s overall progress this early in the season.
“Even though it’s our third meet, we’ve only been in school for 11 or 12 days,” Phipps said. “So, coming back that soon after being away at Christmas time, this is still really early. We’re working hard, we’re training through these meets and so to get the performances that we’re getting this early and with how much volume we’re doing bodes well for the rest of the year.”
Idaho will compete at the Kibbie Dome Feb. 1-3 for the 37th Annual Vandal Indoor meet.
Anthony Kuipers can be reached at [email protected]