Gilbert, Padilla Among Standouts At Pepsi Team Invite

Saturday, April 7

Eugene, OR

All Day

University of Washington

Pepsi Team Invitational

Colby Gilbert wins the 1,500m at the 2018 Pepsi Team Invite

April 07, 2018 | Track & Field

Complete Results

By: UW Athletic Communications

EUGENE, Ore. – Washington got its full squad in the same place on the same day for the first time this outdoor season today at Oregon's Hayward Field, as UW made its return to the Pepsi Team Invitational. Rain and wind rarely ever let up today, making personal-bests hard to come by, but the Dawgs still competed tough in a talented four-team field.

Competing against the highly-ranked Ducks, rival Washington State, and BYU, the Huskies got wins early in the day from sophomore Jose Padilla in the discus throw and senior Colby Gilbert in an exciting 1,500-meter finish. The men's 4x400-meter relay then helped close out the day with a victory. Washington also had nine more runner-up finishes and 11 third-place finishes.

Oregon took both of the team titles. The UO women won with 185 points, WSU and BYU tied for second with 152, and the Huskies were fourth with 112 points. The Ducks scored 171 points on the men' side, BYU scored 160 for second, WSU had 157 for third, and UW was just four points back for fourth with 153 points.

Jose Padilla picked up the first victory of the day for the Dawgs in the men's discus, and freshman Jonah Wilson was right behind him in second for 16 points, the best a team can score in the Pepsi Team scoring format. Padilla was just a foot off his PR as he threw 178-6 on his fourth round throw. Wilson threw 162-8 on his second attempt to finish second overall.

Colby hangs on for the victory in the 1500 down a windy homestretch in 3:48! Nate Beamer 5th in 3:50.93 pic.twitter.com/7Te1ZNsf9P
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) April 7, 2018

When the track events kicked off, an early highlight was Gilbert's win in the 1,500m. Gilbert took the lead with just over a lap to go and had to hold off a kick from Oregon's James West. Gilbert had the inside spot around the final turn, just a couple steps ahead of West. Despite the Hayward crowd urging on West to make the pass, Gilbert never let up, and won in 3:48.64 to West's 3:48.92. Nate Beamer also scored with a fifth-place finish in the event in 3:50.93.

Next up was the women's 1,500-meters, featuring a loaded field of NCAA finalists and All-Americans. Senior Amy-Eloise Neale made her season debut and looked strong, as she held off an accomplished pair of Ducks down the homestretch. However, BYU's Anna Camp got the best of the Pac-12 standouts to win in 4:23.88 to Neale's 4:24.47 for second.

The steeplechases were big highlights for the Dawgs today, as one of the best races was the battle between Andrew Gardner and BYU's Clayson Shumway who separated themselves early in the men's steeple. Gardner tracked Shumway for the entire race until making a pass with two laps to go, but Shumway responded and won in 8:46.69, just ahead of Gardner's 8:48.52. That was just four seconds off Gardner's PR, and ranks 10th in the West so far this season, giving him a steeplechase Prelims qualifier. Sophomore Julius Diehr also had a nine second PR in the steeple to take fifth in 9:05.91, and freshman Thomas Nobbs made a solid steeple debut in 9:15.63.

In the women's steeplechase, junior Emily Hamlin took on the event for the first time in her career and showed plenty of potential. Her second-place time of 10:38.59 is the new No. 10 time in school history.

Other scorers in the women's distances included Hannah Derby, fifth in the 800-meters in 2:11.71, Allie Schadler in the 1,500-meters who was eighth in 4:30.34, and Camila David-Smith and Nikki Zielinski who were sixth and seventh in the 3k, both running 9:57 times.

The men enjoyed a return from Connor Morello who was fourth in the men's 800-meters in his first race of the year in 1:53.14 just ahead of Devan Kirk in fifth in 1:53.45. Fred Huxham took fifth in the 3k in 8:34.38 and Gavin Parpart was seventh in 8:40.50.

In the sprints, senior Michael Thomas had an impressive day showing he's nearly all the way back from a nagging injury indoors. Thomas zoomed past Oregon into the lead on his third leg of the 4x400-meter relay, and Ryan Croson held on for the win in 3:13.31, after Evan Mafilas and Jason Palmer had led off. Thomas and Croson were also second and third, respectively, in the open 400-meters. Thomas ran 48.19 and Croson 48.63 in the wet conditions.

Michael Thomas motored to the lead in the 4x4 relay and Ryan Croson closed it out for the win in 3:13.31! pic.twitter.com/yuCtHWLX6l
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) April 8, 2018

The Husky men's 4x1 took third in a time of 41.14 seconds with Jordan Lucas, Kemuel Santana, Croson, and Khalil Winfrey getting the stick around in the rain. The women came through in fifth-place, fourth in team points, in 45.95 seconds with Jelani Heath, Iman Brown, Imani Apostol, and Olivia Ribera, all but Apostol being true freshmen.

Ribera had a fourth-place finish in the 100-meters in 11.73 with a big 4.9mps tailwind, while Imani Apostol was ninth in the 200-meters in 24.95 with a 3.3 tailwind. Senior Carolyn Birkenfeld took third overall in the 400-meters in 56.43.

In the hurdles, the women went 2-3-4 in the 400-hurdles as Hanna Tarleton crossed in 59.55 seconds and Darhian Mills was third in 1:00.63. Morganne Hill enjoyed one of her best days of the year despite the conditions, as she was just .03 seconds off her 400m hurdles PR, finishing fourth in 1:00.95 today. Hill also ran well in the 100m hurdles, taking second in the first of two heats in 14.15 seconds with a +2.9 tailwind. Mills looked to have run well in the second heat, but the Oregon timing system malfunctioned and that heat was lost, so Hill ended up being awarded second-place overall. In the men's 400m hurdles, Oscar Herrera was seventh in 56.57 seconds and he was also eighth in the 110m hurdles in 15.55.

In the pole vaults, both of which were moved indoors due to the conditions, sophomore Zach Shugart and redshirt freshman Taylor Barnes both cleared 16-2 ¾ for third and fourth, respectively. Blaise Black and Jacob Bowler made 15-9 and Parker Kennedy 15-3. The women finished second and third, with Tory Franzen and Annika Dayton both making 12-5 ¼.

Jelani Heath earned third-place in the long jump, battling the winds to get a legal mark of 17-9 on the board while Hannah Rusnak was sixth at 17-1 ½. Mayson Douglass finished fourth for the Dawgs in the high jump at 5-3, and Elinor Jones Toutant was eighth at 4-11.

Jaylen Taylor took third in the men's triple jump with a wind-aided 47-10 ½ and in the long jump, Barnes and Kennedy stepped out of their comfort zones and picked up some points, Barnes going 21-9 ½ for fifth and Kennedy making 21-5 ¼ for sixth.

The first events of the day were the men's hammer and women's discus. Redshirt freshman Connor Jost was eighth in the hammer, just inches off his PR with a best of 168-0. In her first meet as a Dawg, redshirt freshman Zoe Roberson was seventh in the discus at 117-7.

Jose leads the discus with this toss at 171-3 pic.twitter.com/qEUAOmrXBH
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) April 7, 2018

In the women's hammer, senior Katie Wardsworth went 169-4 on her first attempt, and that would stay as her best as the rain picked up and conditions became very difficult. That wound up placing her third overall. Sophomore Angel Nkwonta was eighth with a throw of 151-2.

After their 1-2 discus finish, Padilla and Wilson also scored in the shot put. Wilson delivered a best toss of 54-10 ¼ on his sixth attempt for third, and Padilla threw 52-2 ¾ for fourth. Nkwonta took fifth in the women's shot at 42-5 ½.

In the javelin, freshman Draven Nevarez improved on his season-opener of 202-feet from a week ago, as he threw 205-feet today for second-place. Redshirt freshman Jacob Wachtendonk was fifth at 190-1, a season-best of one inch. Daisey Newman was sixth in the women's javelin at 133-11 and Emmy Engle was ninth at 119-9 as the wind gave the throwers some troubles.

Next week the Huskies will be off before they head back to California to take part in the Mt. SAC Relays as well as the Beach Invitational from Apr. 19-21.