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The University of Idaho track and field team will head to Seattle this weekend for the Husky Indoor Classic, a meet that produced 14 personal bests last year.
The Vandals will look to build on outstanding performances from an exciting Vandal Indoor meet. Idaho athletes set 16 personal bests and 13 Western Athletic Conference top-five marks including freshman Paul Dittmer’s effort in the 60-meter hurdles. Dittmer won the event with a time of 8.01 seconds.
“I think that it’s just a matter of time before he goes well under eight seconds,” Idaho coach Wayne Phipps said.
Reigning 800-meter indoor and outdoor champion Bastien Tardy was awarded the WAC track athlete of the week for the week of Feb. 4-10. Tardy ran a WAC leading 800-meter time of 1 minute, 53.58 seconds, an effort that was good enough for a victory at last week’s Vandal Indoor. Idaho athletes have won the track and field athlete of the week award three of the last four weeks.
Idaho thrower Russ Winger will be defending his NCAA leading shot put throw of 65 feet 8 1/4 inches for the fourth consecutive week. Winger will also compete in the men’s weight throw and looks to improve on a fourth place finish in the event.
The men’s distance team expects to have another strong showing at the meet. Last year every distance runner competing set a personal best. The meet also produced WAC leading times in the 3,000-meters, mile run and 800-meters.
Three UI pole vaulters — K.C. Dahlgren, Lucas Pope and Mike Carpenter — return to Seattle, as they competed in the Husky Indoor Preview earlier this year. Dahlgren took second in the meet, and competed against 50 other athletes, while Pope and Carpenter are the only two vaulters in the WAC to break the16-foot mark.
“I feel really good,” Phipps said. “We’re in a position where we have people who can score in every event, from the 60 through the 5k and in the relays. I don’t think there will be any surprises.”
Idaho will look to add more top performances to an already impressive list this weekend.
The Husky Indoor classic will run Friday and Saturday.
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