Rainsberger, Rowe Charge Up NCAA 3k Lists

Friday, February 14

Albuquerque, NM

7:30 AM

University of Washington

Don Kirby Invitational

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

February 14, 2020 | Track & Field

By: UW Athletic Communications

DON KIRBY INVITATIONAL
Thursday-Friday, Feb. 13-14 | ABQ Convention Center
Final Results PDF

USATF INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
UW Entries on Saturday, Feb. 15 | ABQ Convention Center

Live Results

SEATTLE – Katie Rainsberger and Jack Rowe had already put down excellent times this season in the 3,000-meters, but wanted to leave little to chance today as they both set big new personal-bests and bolstered their odds for NCAA Championship qualification. The outstanding 3k races were the highlight of day one of the Husky Classic, as the Dempsey proved again to be the key destination for collegiate distance running.

Along with the late night in the Dempsey, most of the Husky sprinters, jumpers, and throwers finished up competition earlier today at the Don Kirby Invitational in New Mexico, highlighted by the fourth-best shot put mark in school history by redshirt freshman Makayla Kelby.

Husky Classic
Nine-time All-American Rainsberger had a five-second PR and became just the second Husky to break nine minutes in the 3k, running 8:56.24. She just missed Katie Flood's 2012 school record of 8:55.31 by less than a second, but it was her first PR at the distance since her freshman season in 2017.

"Mixed emotions to be honest," said Rainsberger. "I was super stoked to get under that nine-minute barrier. It's been a long time coming. It's my first PR since my freshman year, so that was great. At the same time, I know that 8:55 was the school record and I ran 8:56, so it was like 'Yes! But darn!' But I think it's a step in the right direction and it means all this work I'm putting in is paying off. And it still gives me something to chase."

It was also the first time Rainsberger raced in the Dempsey with her mother Lisa in attendance since that freshman season.

"Funny story," according to Rainsberger, "the last time my mom was here with me racing was when I was in an Oregon uniform and I have a picture of me in an O, with the W in the background, and I don't know if that was a little foreshadowing? It was fun to have her here today."

Rowe also cut five seconds off the PR he ran just two weeks ago, going to No. 3 in school history with a time of 7:51.00, a time that would have qualified for NCAA Indoors a year ago and will be top-16 after the dust settles on the weekend.

In the same heat as Rainsberger, Mel Smart put on a uniform for the first time on the track and she went right out and broke the Freshman Record in the 3k. Smart, the 2019 Pac-12 Cross Country Freshman of the Year ran a time of 9:06.52 to go to fifth in school history. It's the fourth Freshman Record so far this season, along with Carley Thomas in the women's 800-meters, Sam Tanner in the men's mile, and Luke Houser in the men's 3k.

Allie Schadler looked to be on track for a new top-10 mark in the 3k as well but suffered a fall late in the race. She still got up and finished in 9:14.39, which was still a five-second PR in spite of the spill.

Shona McCulloch also ran an impressive 3k as she led nearly the full race en route to a PR of 9:31.95, which was 25 seconds faster than her 3k time last month at the Indoor Preview. Freshman Andrea Markezich, running unattached, ran a 9:56.33 PR.

The 5,000-meters closed out the night, with senior Tanner Anderson turning in another strong time as he was seventh among collegiates in 13:46.19, a few seconds off his season-best.

Women's results at 5,000-meters included the new No. 10 mark in school history from Haley Herberg. She crossed in 16:30.45. Hannah Waskom ran her first indoor 5k in 16:45.70 with Kaitlyn Neal right behind in 16:48.74, and Kiera Marshall had a time of 16:51.77.

The Huskies went 1-2-3 in the women's 60m hurdles final, albeit all three unattached athletes. Ida Eikeng won in a time of 8.30 while Lyndsey Lopes took second in a PR of 8.46 and Darhian Mills also had a PR of 8.57 for third.

Freshman Beatrice Asomaning broke into the weight throw top-10 for the first time today as she had a new PR of 52-4 1/2 to take the No. 10 spot. One of UW's signed recruits, Jayden White, was 12th in the men's weight throw at 56-5 1/4.

Don Kirby Invitational
Down in New Mexico, another group of Huskies finished up action at the Don Kirby Invitational at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Redshirt freshman Makayla Kelby was the big highlight, as she climbed to No. 4 in school history in the shot put, while Hannah Rusnak and Cass Elliott grabbed some PRs and Chase Smith had a pole vault win.

Kelby, the Missouri native, went over 50-feet on all four of her legal throws, with the best one traveling 51-feet, 2.75-inches, less than three inches off the freshman record and No. 2 mark in school history, Gina Flint's 51-5 1/2 from 2015. Angel Nkwonta had a couple fouls in the shot put and just missed the final with a mark of 46-8 3/4.

Junior Hannah Rusnak lowered her 60m hurdles PR to 8.38 seconds and was sixth in the final. The altitude conversion makes that 8.40, which puts her up to No. 3 in school history. Aaliyah Wilson went 8.67 seconds in the prelims.

Senior Khalil Winfrey had a time of 6.87 seconds in the first round of the men's 60-meters. Jelani Heath matched her PR with a 7.92.

In the 400-meters, sophomore Cass Elliott led the way with a 47.94 time.

Senior Chase Smith moved into a tie for 16th nationally in the pole vault as he cleared a season-best of 17-7 1/4 to get the win. Zach Shugart made his first bar at 16-1 3/4 but did not get the next height. In the women's seeded pole vault, freshman Ashleigh Helms had a best make of 12-8.

Junior Jaylen Taylor took seventh in the triple jump, as he had two jumps that both measured 48-11 3/4.

The men's 4x400-meter relay posted a 3:16.83 time to close things out.