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Two athletes hit NCAA qualifying marks for second-straight week
The University of Idaho track and field team added four more NCAA qualifying marks to a new, but already successful outdoor season.
The team traveled to Cheney to compete in the 37th annual Peuller Invitational Thursday and Friday.
The team hit seven regional qualifying marks the previous week at the Stanford Invitational, leaving them just four shy of last year’s season
total.
Two of the athletes, K.C. Dahlgren and David Holmon, hit the qualifying marks for the second-straight weekend, while Matt Wauters had a qualifying hammer throw — his first attempt of the season — at 193 feet, 6 inches. Senior Russ Winger also qualified in the hammer throw, the second event he’s qualified in
this season.
Winger threw the discus at the Stanford Invitational a week ago — shattering the UI record with a throw of 199-6. He will try to accomplish a rare feat in track and field, as he only has to qualify in the shot put to meet the marks for three different throwing events.
In the women’s throwing events, true freshman Nikita Amy threw a personal best 141-9 in the hammer throw — an effort that was good enough for sixth place in the event.
Another true freshman, Gabriella Midles placed second in the hammer throw with her 166-9 effort.
The Idaho track team had a slew of athletes set personal bests during the meet as well.
In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, two Idaho athletes set personal bests. Steve Potratz placed third with his time of 9 minutes, 55.58 seconds and junior Matt Racine placed fourth in 9:57.08.
In the men’s triple jump, senior Matt Brady took third with his personal best effort of 47-3.5. Two more athletes, Beau Whitney and Jake Boling, hit personal bests with their efforts in the discus.
Other notable performances included Elvie Williams, who won the men’s long jump with a leap of 23-10 and teammate Heath Low took sixth in the event with his 21-05 effort.
Idaho coach Yogi Teevens said the meet is a good chance for the heptathletes to work on their game. While none of the athletes completed the multi-events competition, each fine tuned their events for next week's meet.
“It is very rare to do the heptathlon,” Teevens said. “You never want to do two in a row because the athletes get tired and there is a larger chance of injury doing two in a row.”
After the first four events in the heptathlon, UI athletes Molly Burt and Darcy Collins held the one and two spots in the standings. Alice Draser was in fourth and sophomore Lindsey Goodman withdrew from the competition after the first three events.
The track and field team will split its forces next week as they will attend two separate meets the Mt. Sac Relays and Asuza Pacific Multi-Events Competition.
“Eastern is a very relaxed meet,” Teevens said. “We look to improve at Eastern. The level of competition isn’t the same as it is at the Mt. Sac meet or the Asuza so it gives us a chance to improve.”
The Idaho track and field team travels to Walnut, Calif. for the Asuza Pacific Multi-events on Wednesday and Thursday and the Mt. Sac relays Friday through Sunday.
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