Saturday, January 27
Seattle, WA
9:00 AM
University of Washington
vs
UW Invitational // Mile City
Dawgs Notch Three Top-10 Marks In NCAA History
January 27, 2024 | Track & Field
Complete Results PDF | Complete Results on TFRRS
SEATTLE – The "Mile City" portion of the UW Invitational did indeed deliver what it promised, as 15 men broke the four-minute mile barrier, a record for a single meet in the Dempsey Indoor, and they were led by NCAA Champion Luke Houser, who broke the School Record and Dempsey Record with a scintillating 3:51.73. But the thrills extended well beyond that signature event, as freshman Hana Moll and senior Carley Thomas each etched their names into the NCAA all-time top-10 in the pole vault and 800-meters, respectively.
The UW Invitational wrapped up its second day by 12 noon today, then the Dempsey turned into "Mile City," a new competition this year spotlighting the distance that has been such a centerpiece in the Dempsey over the past two decades, and even more recently with Washington's national championship success at the distance. More than 500 men and women from a wide range of age and experience levels ran the mile today, highlighted by several elite races in the middle of the event.
Houser led 15 total men, and five Huskies, to sub-four-minute miles today, outkicking his teammates and fellow NCAA Champions Joe Waskom (3:53.64) and Nathan Green (3:53.74) for the win. His time just edged out Waskom's UW and Dempsey record of 3:51.90, set a year ago, and ranks Houser as the fourth-fastest miler in NCAA history.
Breaking the 4:00 mark for the first time as Dawgs today was Ronan McMahon-Staggs, the UCLA transfer who went to No. 8 in school history in 3:54.61, and junior Leo Daschbach, who had broken four minutes as a high school star but got his first one in college today, with a PR time of 3:58.18. McMahon-Staggs and Daschbach bring the total number of Husky sub-four milers to 20, a staggering amount considering 14 of those have come since Head Coach Andy Powell took over the program in 2019.
Moll, one of the most heralded recruits in school history along with twin sister Amanda, took over the NCAA lead in the women's pole vault today with a clearance of 15-2 ¾. The Olympia, Wash. native and 2023 World Championships finalist made her home debut as a Husky a memorable one, going toe-to-toe with 2016 Rio Olympics Gold Medalist Katerina Stefanidi, and coming out on top in the tiebreaker, as both women finished clearing the same height.
The phenom, forget the "freshman" part, goes to No. 5 in NCAA history indoors, and No. 2 in school history, as 2020 grad Olivia Gruver sits second in NCAA indoor history with a 15-5 best, as UW now claims two of the five highest-flying women in collegiate history. Moll also is now 6th in the world thus far in 2024.
Not only did Moll wow the crowd, but returning All-Americans Nastassja Campbell and Sara Borton also went well over 14-feet, both making season-bests at 14-3 ¼, each on their first attempts, to move up into a tie for ninth nationally this season.
Thomas continued her torrid start to 2024 as she also shattered the Dempsey Facility Record in the 800-meters, while slashing her own School Record in a dominant first-place time of 2:00.95. That mark makes the Sydney, Australia native the 10th-fastest performer in NCAA history indoors, and she's the new current NCAA leader.
Along with Olympic Champion Stefanidi, the meet also featured 2016 Olympic Champion Matthew Centrowitz as one of the 15 men to break four minutes. And if that wasn't enough, 2023 U.S. 1,500-meter Champion Nikki Hiltz shattered the Dempsey Record in the 1,000-meters by over five seconds, running 2:34.09, the fastest 1k by an American woman since 1999 and fourth-fastest ever.
Women's Sprints
Sophomore Anna Terrell took the title in the 400-meter dash by a comfortable margin. She ran 55.52, well ahead of the second-fastest time of 56.30. Freshman Kapiolani Coleman ran 58.05 for 11th.
Danielle Hunter made the 60-meter dash final and clocked a 7.70 in the final to finish eighth. Rhonda Newton ran a 7.94 in the prelims, and Coleman had a season-best 7.99, with Sophia McHenry going 8.06.
The Huskies then ran their best 4x400m relay of the season to easily take the win. Hunter, Terrell, Coleman, and Newton combined for a time of 3:47.69.
Women's Distances
While the women don't have the luxury of a famous mile time barrier to break, the competition was just as fierce as on the men's side. Top Dawg was Sophie O'Sullivan, in her first race since the fall, taking third in the top women's heat in 4:35.63, two seconds away from her PR.
Several Huskies came away with massive PRs. Chloe Foerster took six seconds off her mile PR finishing fifth in 4:36.04, good for the new No. 10 mark in school history. Wilma Nielsen crushed her PR by 10 seconds in 4:37.87. Yet that still wasn't as big a drop as India Weir, who won the second-fastest section in 4:37.98, a PR by more than 14 seconds.
Also finishing strong was Julia David-Smith in 4:41.77, Haley Herberg in 4:43.07, Tori Herman in 4:43.86, Ella Borsheim in 4:47.46, Perri Bockrath in 4:49.25, and Josephine Welin in 4:52.49, most of those women doubling back from racing a 3k on Friday.
The other big result in the mid-distances came from Marlena Preigh, who was third overall in the 800-meter race behind Thomas, and while her 2:03.68 time was not quite a PR, it ranks as the second-fastest time of her career and puts her at No. 11 in the NCAA this season.
Women's Jumps
Moll, Campbell, and Borton all put themselves in the NCAA top-10 today in the pole vault, but there were still more bars to go around. Sophomore Sarah Ferguson made 13-5 ¼ while Avril Wilson and Amanda Moll both got over 12-11 ½, and Delaney Ezeji-Okoye cleared 12-5 ½.
Freshman Ava Washburn was the top Dawg in the women's long jump, leaping 18-1 ½ to finish 10th overall.
Women's Throws
School Record-holder Kaia Tupu-South twice went beyond 55-feet to win the shot put today, getting a season-best of 55-2 ¾ in round five for the victory. That puts her currently at 14th in the NCAA.
Men's Sprints
The Dawgs dominated the 400-meters once again. Senior Daniel Gaik had an indoor PR of 47.21 to take the victory, moving him further up the Husky indoor top-10 list to No. 7. Close behind was Jonathan Birchman in a season-best 47.89 and third was Matthew Wilkinson in another season-best of 48.05. Freshman Jonathan Frazier had a season-best 48.38 to win his heat and take fourth overall and freshman Boden Hanley was fifth overall in 48.44.
Washington would place third in the 4x400m relay in a time of 3:14.23, with Frazier, Wilkinson, Hanley, and Birchman making up the quartet.
Men's Distances
Along with the five sub-four milers recapped up above, redshirt freshman Evan Jenkins put the mark on notice as well as he won his section in a career-best time of 4:01.84, one day after setting a freshman record in the 3,000-meters. Jamar Distel was another heat winner, taking his in 4:05.16.
Men's Jumps
Prestin Artis went to work once again two weeks after his big long jump PR of 25-10. Artis opened over 25-feet at 25-1 ¾. He jumped right about that distance twice more before connecting again on his sixth round jump and going 25-7 ½ to win the event by nearly two feet. That stands as his second-best jump of his career.
SEATTLE – The "Mile City" portion of the UW Invitational did indeed deliver what it promised, as 15 men broke the four-minute mile barrier, a record for a single meet in the Dempsey Indoor, and they were led by NCAA Champion Luke Houser, who broke the School Record and Dempsey Record with a scintillating 3:51.73. But the thrills extended well beyond that signature event, as freshman Hana Moll and senior Carley Thomas each etched their names into the NCAA all-time top-10 in the pole vault and 800-meters, respectively.
The UW Invitational wrapped up its second day by 12 noon today, then the Dempsey turned into "Mile City," a new competition this year spotlighting the distance that has been such a centerpiece in the Dempsey over the past two decades, and even more recently with Washington's national championship success at the distance. More than 500 men and women from a wide range of age and experience levels ran the mile today, highlighted by several elite races in the middle of the event.
Added another room to Luke's House ???
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) January 28, 2024
Two weeks after breaking the UW and Dempsey Records in the 3,000-meters, Houser does it again, with the fourth-fastest Mile in NCAA history
?? 3:51.73#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/thD7NMC9Gw
Houser led 15 total men, and five Huskies, to sub-four-minute miles today, outkicking his teammates and fellow NCAA Champions Joe Waskom (3:53.64) and Nathan Green (3:53.74) for the win. His time just edged out Waskom's UW and Dempsey record of 3:51.90, set a year ago, and ranks Houser as the fourth-fastest miler in NCAA history.
Breaking the 4:00 mark for the first time as Dawgs today was Ronan McMahon-Staggs, the UCLA transfer who went to No. 8 in school history in 3:54.61, and junior Leo Daschbach, who had broken four minutes as a high school star but got his first one in college today, with a PR time of 3:58.18. McMahon-Staggs and Daschbach bring the total number of Husky sub-four milers to 20, a staggering amount considering 14 of those have come since Head Coach Andy Powell took over the program in 2019.
Moll, one of the most heralded recruits in school history along with twin sister Amanda, took over the NCAA lead in the women's pole vault today with a clearance of 15-2 ¾. The Olympia, Wash. native and 2023 World Championships finalist made her home debut as a Husky a memorable one, going toe-to-toe with 2016 Rio Olympics Gold Medalist Katerina Stefanidi, and coming out on top in the tiebreaker, as both women finished clearing the same height.
Forget freshman phenom. Just "Phenom" will do.
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) January 28, 2024
Hana Moll flies to #?5? in ???????? ?????????????? in her first home meet.
She takes the 2024 NCAA lead at 15-feet, 2.75-inches and ranks 6th in the ??#GoHuskies #VaultCity pic.twitter.com/NlpF2RajLw
The phenom, forget the "freshman" part, goes to No. 5 in NCAA history indoors, and No. 2 in school history, as 2020 grad Olivia Gruver sits second in NCAA indoor history with a 15-5 best, as UW now claims two of the five highest-flying women in collegiate history. Moll also is now 6th in the world thus far in 2024.
Not only did Moll wow the crowd, but returning All-Americans Nastassja Campbell and Sara Borton also went well over 14-feet, both making season-bests at 14-3 ¼, each on their first attempts, to move up into a tie for ninth nationally this season.
Thomas continued her torrid start to 2024 as she also shattered the Dempsey Facility Record in the 800-meters, while slashing her own School Record in a dominant first-place time of 2:00.95. That mark makes the Sydney, Australia native the 10th-fastest performer in NCAA history indoors, and she's the new current NCAA leader.
???????????? ???????????? ... ?????????????? ???????????? ... ???????? ???????????? ... casual Carley Thomas ???????
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) January 28, 2024
The Husky breaks Shelby Houlihan's Dempsey Record in the 800-meters in an amazing 2?:0?0?.9?5?#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/CNKmMF0aGW
Along with Olympic Champion Stefanidi, the meet also featured 2016 Olympic Champion Matthew Centrowitz as one of the 15 men to break four minutes. And if that wasn't enough, 2023 U.S. 1,500-meter Champion Nikki Hiltz shattered the Dempsey Record in the 1,000-meters by over five seconds, running 2:34.09, the fastest 1k by an American woman since 1999 and fourth-fastest ever.
Women's Sprints
Sophomore Anna Terrell took the title in the 400-meter dash by a comfortable margin. She ran 55.52, well ahead of the second-fastest time of 56.30. Freshman Kapiolani Coleman ran 58.05 for 11th.
Danielle Hunter made the 60-meter dash final and clocked a 7.70 in the final to finish eighth. Rhonda Newton ran a 7.94 in the prelims, and Coleman had a season-best 7.99, with Sophia McHenry going 8.06.
The Huskies then ran their best 4x400m relay of the season to easily take the win. Hunter, Terrell, Coleman, and Newton combined for a time of 3:47.69.
Women's Distances
While the women don't have the luxury of a famous mile time barrier to break, the competition was just as fierce as on the men's side. Top Dawg was Sophie O'Sullivan, in her first race since the fall, taking third in the top women's heat in 4:35.63, two seconds away from her PR.
Several Huskies came away with massive PRs. Chloe Foerster took six seconds off her mile PR finishing fifth in 4:36.04, good for the new No. 10 mark in school history. Wilma Nielsen crushed her PR by 10 seconds in 4:37.87. Yet that still wasn't as big a drop as India Weir, who won the second-fastest section in 4:37.98, a PR by more than 14 seconds.
Also finishing strong was Julia David-Smith in 4:41.77, Haley Herberg in 4:43.07, Tori Herman in 4:43.86, Ella Borsheim in 4:47.46, Perri Bockrath in 4:49.25, and Josephine Welin in 4:52.49, most of those women doubling back from racing a 3k on Friday.
The other big result in the mid-distances came from Marlena Preigh, who was third overall in the 800-meter race behind Thomas, and while her 2:03.68 time was not quite a PR, it ranks as the second-fastest time of her career and puts her at No. 11 in the NCAA this season.
Women's Jumps
Moll, Campbell, and Borton all put themselves in the NCAA top-10 today in the pole vault, but there were still more bars to go around. Sophomore Sarah Ferguson made 13-5 ¼ while Avril Wilson and Amanda Moll both got over 12-11 ½, and Delaney Ezeji-Okoye cleared 12-5 ½.
Freshman Ava Washburn was the top Dawg in the women's long jump, leaping 18-1 ½ to finish 10th overall.
Women's Throws
School Record-holder Kaia Tupu-South twice went beyond 55-feet to win the shot put today, getting a season-best of 55-2 ¾ in round five for the victory. That puts her currently at 14th in the NCAA.
Men's Sprints
The Dawgs dominated the 400-meters once again. Senior Daniel Gaik had an indoor PR of 47.21 to take the victory, moving him further up the Husky indoor top-10 list to No. 7. Close behind was Jonathan Birchman in a season-best 47.89 and third was Matthew Wilkinson in another season-best of 48.05. Freshman Jonathan Frazier had a season-best 48.38 to win his heat and take fourth overall and freshman Boden Hanley was fifth overall in 48.44.
Washington would place third in the 4x400m relay in a time of 3:14.23, with Frazier, Wilkinson, Hanley, and Birchman making up the quartet.
Daniel Gaik led a UW sweep of the top ??? spots in the 400-meters.
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack) January 27, 2024
Daniel ran an indoor ???? of 47.21 to climb to #?7? in school history.
Next four spots:
?? Birchman, 47.89
?? Wilkinson, 48.05
?? Frazier, 48.38
?? Hanley, 48.44#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/GaMu2Ce5rY
Men's Distances
Along with the five sub-four milers recapped up above, redshirt freshman Evan Jenkins put the mark on notice as well as he won his section in a career-best time of 4:01.84, one day after setting a freshman record in the 3,000-meters. Jamar Distel was another heat winner, taking his in 4:05.16.
Men's Jumps
Prestin Artis went to work once again two weeks after his big long jump PR of 25-10. Artis opened over 25-feet at 25-1 ¾. He jumped right about that distance twice more before connecting again on his sixth round jump and going 25-7 ½ to win the event by nearly two feet. That stands as his second-best jump of his career.
Players Mentioned
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PV
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