Throwers Take Charge In Outdoor Opener

Friday, March 24

San Diego, CA

All Day

University of Washington

Aztec Invitational

March 25, 2023 | Track & Field

Complete Results

By: UW Athletic Communications

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Limited to just two events during the indoor season, the Husky throwers made the most of their chances but now outdoors, with four implements at their disposal, the throwers showed their sizable potential at the Aztec Invitational. It was the first outdoor action for the UW track and field squad.

All four throwing events saw the Huskies all but certainly secure spots for NCAA West Prelims late in the year. Washington also had a thrilling win from All-American Cass Elliott, who won the 400m hurdles in a time faster than he ran in all of 2022.

It started on Friday in the hammer throw, with Jayden White getting a strong season-opening toss of 221-7 to take third. Beatrice Asomaning had a PR on the women's side of 183-3 which moved her to No. 5 in school history. Yvonne Colson also had a best of 154-9.

The first event this morning was the women's javelin, and Tanya Simora came out of the early flight to wind up winning the event with a big collegiate best of 156-8, ten feet farther than her previous best as a Dawg. She also had a second-best throw of 152-8. That moved Simora into the UW top-10 for the first time at No. 8.

Not only that, but freshman Saydi Orange had an impressive collegiate debut in the javelin, going 155-3, typically in range of a Prelims qualifier, and just one inch out of the UW top-10. Natalie Holmer opened with a 144-6, near her personal-best, and Kathleen Horn went 135-8.

On the men's side, newcomer Chandler Ault got right down to business with a stellar season-opener of 232-feet, 8-inches. That would place the Princeton transfer seventh nationally based on marks entering the weekend. Redshirt freshman Jack Olsen made his official Husky debut going 195-11.

Cass Elliott leaving the field in his wake ??

He wins the 400m hurdles in 50.26, faster than he ran in all of 2022 when he won the Pac-12 ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/rrl65Z4hSK
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) March 25, 2023

Next for the throwers was their first work this year in the discus. Three-time First Team All-American Elijah Mason needed just one toss to show he's in midseason form, as he went 193-6 on his first throw of the year, which will land him somewhere in the NCAA top-20. Nolan Such also had a toss of 160-8, just missing the final by one spot.

The women had a trio over 170-feet in the discus. Redshirt freshman Kaia Tupu-South spun it 172-10, which will put her No. 7 in school history after her first collegiate discus competition. MaKayla Kelby went 171-7 and Asomaning threw 171-0.

In the shot put, it was Kelby leading the way with a big launch of 55-feet, 2.75-inches. That's the fourth career meet indoors or out where Kelby's gone 55-feet and change. Tupu-South had a best of 52-10, debuting her at the No. 3 spot on that respective Husky top-10 list.

The sprinters saw several PRs in their outdoor opener today. And while Cass Elliott's wasn't quite one of them, his 50.26 time winning the 400-meter hurdles was faster than he ran all of 2022, in which he won the Pac-12 title. It was his fastest since the 2021 West Prelim quarterfinals. On top of that, it looks to be the new No. 1 time in the NCAA this season.

Personal-bests came from Danielle Hunter in the women's 200-meters, as she clocked a 24.35, and Sam Baricevic in the 400-meters, running a 48.41. Freshman Jake Parnagian dipped under 22-seconds in the 200-meters, running 21.99. Freshman Anna Terrell led the efforts in the women's 400m in 56.31, and she also ran a 25.00 in the 200m.

The men had a 4x100m relay opener in 41.11, comprised of Jonathan Birchman, long jumper Prestin Artis, Parnagian, and Anthony Smith.

Coming off their NCAA Indoor podium finishes, Nastassja Campbell and Sara Borton weren't resting on their laurels as they got right back to work in the pole vault today. Campbell had a third-attempt make of 14-4, the No. 2 clearance in the NCAA so far this outdoor season, while Borton made 13-8 ¼, now No. 6 nationally. Campbell goes to fourth in school history outdoors.

Ashleigh Helms also made an outdoor PR of 13-2 ¼. Freshman Sarah Ferguson made 12-2 ½.

Jacob Englar, coming off a 13th-place finish at indoor nationals, made 16-6 ¾ today.

Prestin Artis was less than an inch out of the 10th spot in the Husky recordbooks in his outdoor season opener, as he leapt 24-7 to finish third in the long jump. Tim Luebbert was third in the triple jump at 47-9.

In the women's long jump, Lauren Heggen went 18-3 ¾, and she triple jumped 38-9. Freshman Rachel Bir had a triple jump PR of 38-4.