RESULTS

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandal indoor track and field teams were in action on Thursday for the Idaho Open. The meet, held in the Kibbie Dome, featured some impressive performances by the Vandals, including 13 victories.

"It was a great meet for the Vandals. We started the season strong at the first meet, and I felt like we just built on that foundation today," said director of track and field/cross country Tim Cawley. "At this point in the season, we're starting to execute better and we're definitely moving closer to our goals."

Rechelle Meade continued her dominance in the long jump, winning the event with a jump of 5.92m (19-05.25). Vandals took the top three spots in the men's long jump standings. Zachary Nunis leaped 7.30m (23-11.50) to win the event, followed by Britt Ipsen, and Spencer Barrera.

Zachary Short once again won the shot put with a heave of 18.91m (62-00.50), with teammate Grady Leonard taking second. On the women's side, Hannah Ringel finished first with a toss of 14.55m (47-09.00), good for second in the conference.

In the mile, Vandals finished in the top-four spots, led by Malaina Thacker, who finished in 4:56.77, which puts her fourth in the Big Sky Conference this season. Kelsey Swenson, Faith Dilmore, and Nathalia Campos were the next finishers. On the men's side, Tim Stevens took second, while Caleb Seely finished fourth.

Ben Doucette won the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 7.90, which is the best time in the conference this season. Khalil Forehand was second in the 60-meter dash (7.04). On the women's side, Meade took second in the 60-meter dash in 7.82.

Lauren Paven won the 400-yard dash in 57.80, while teammate Camryn Crouch was fourth. Meanwhile, Kaizer Gillispie finished third in the event on the men's side.

In the 200-meter dash, Spencer Barrera was second (22.26) in the men's competition, and Aaryanna Kurucz was third (25.82) in the women's competition.  

Vandals were top-two in the women's 800-meter run, with Krista Story leading the way in 2:14.68, and Anna Pecha coming in second. Story's time is the best time in the Big Sky so far this season, edging out teammate Thacker's time from the Vandal Open.

In the men's 800, Dean Ellenwood took second (1:53.12), while Jenner Higgins, Ben Shaw, and Josiah Anderson were fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Ellenwood's time also puts him first on the BSC performance list.

Tim Stevens won the men's 3000-meter run, finishing in 8:41.41.

Both the women's and men's 4x400 relay teams took first place. On the women's side, Camryn Crouch, Aaryanna Kurucz, Anna Pecha, and Krista Story won in 3:59.89. The men finished in 3:19.94, with Dean Ellenwood, Josiah Anderson, Jenner Higgins, and Kaizer Gillispie running for the winning team.

In the men's weight throw, Grady Leonard took first (18.56m/60-10.75), while Cullen Williams was third. While in the women's high jump, Julia Hayes was second, clearing 1.67m (5-05.75).

Karina Moreland led the way in the triple jump, winning with a mark of 12.08m (39-07.75). Meanwhile, Tayler LyDay, Jordyn Rauer, and Greta Kühne finished second, third, and fifth, respectively, for the Vandals.

"The biggest thing I'm excited about is how we went out and competed today. We had 30 top-three finishes, and 13 of those were victories," said Cawley. "Our team is continuing to progress and get better as we move closer to championship season."

The Vandals will next be in action January 31-February 1 at the UW Invitational in Seattle.

To stay current on all Vandal Athletics visit GoVandals.com, or follow the Vandals on Twitter, @Idaho_Vandals.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho track and field/cross country by following the team on Twitter @IdahoTrack.