After coming off back-to-back double digit first place events, and most recently scoring 10 at the Inland Northwest Invitational, the Idaho Vandals’ track and field team suited up for the Idaho Team Challenge meet, their last home meet of the season. This meet, which took place in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome on Friday, Feb. 6, saw an absolute Vandals beatdown, as the team won a total of 17 events, the most so far this season.
Track
Just like every other meet, tensions inside the Kibbie Dome were high. Players lined up ready to compete. The Vandals track team won a total of 10 events, while sophomore Keenan Kuntz, who had a superb last weekend at the Inland Northwest Invitational, achieved the first taste of success for the Vandals as he went on to PR and win the men’s 60 meters with a time of 6.61 seconds.
That time made Kuntz the 23rd best in all of thes NCAA. The women also won the 60 meters, as junior Jana Willems scored a PR and took first with a 7.43 second time, with Sophomore Adelyn Mitchell right behind her with her PR of 7.71 seconds.
Senior Griffen Parsells took the men’s 600 meters with a 1.19-minute time, while also scoring a PR. The Vandals also took the women’s 800 meter by storm as well. Junior Lydia Nance led the pack with a season’s best time of 2.14 minutes, as senior Lara Holzhauer finished second with a PR time of 2.15 minutes, and freshman Hannah Ward finished third with a season best 2.19-minute time.
The women continued to dominate as sophomore Maiya Brunoro won the 400 meter with a season best 57.50 second time, while Junior Blossom Omogor won the women’s 200 meters with a 24.29 time. The Vandals ruled the 3,000 meters as the top six male finishers all came from Idaho. Senior Zach Knapp led the charge with a 8.29-minute time.
In the women’s 3000 meter, junior Constanze Paoli took gold with a 9.36-minute time. The men’s 4×400 relay, which consisted of freshman Ryan Leclair, sophomore Myron Rethymniotakis, freshman Logan Peterson and senior Griffen Parsells, won gold with a season-best 3.16-minute time.
The women also won the 4×400 thanks to junior Lydia Nance, sophomore Adeline Wimer, freshman Mckenna Ritter and junior Blossom Omogor, who finished with a 3.48 minute time.
Field
The Vandals track team won a combined seven events to end the total at 17. Their first came in the women’s weight throw as the top three placers all achieved a PR. Junior Beatriz Marciano scored first with a 18.30-meter throw. In second came freshman Kathryn Burnette with a 16.96-meter throw. And finally, sophomore Tesse Kamps got the bronze with a 14.87-meter throw.
The men also won the weight throw thanks to junior Caden Hottman, who scored a 18.21-meter throw.
Junior Hannah Tait destroyed the women’s long jump with a 6.31-meter jump, making her the 28th best in the NCAA. The Vandals also won the women’s high jump as sophomore Cami Cvitkovich took gold with a 1.67-meter jump.
The men also won the high jump with freshman Bradley Giesen, who recorded a 1.93-meter jump. The men also won the shot put, as sophomore Evan Hartt took home first with a 15.96-meter throw. And finally, the Vandals won the women’s triple jump, due to senior Sydnie Zywina, who scored a 12.39-meter jump.
In front of their home crowd, the Vandals delivered one of their most complete performances of the season. With 17 total event wins and numerous personal and season bests, the team showed dominance across both the track and field events. As the season continues, this showing at the Idaho Team Challenge gives the Vandals strong momentum heading into the events to come.
The Vandals next track and field meet will be the Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington, on Feb. 13-14.