MOSCOW, Idaho - Idaho Track and Field is prepped for the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Eastern Washington University at The Podium in Spokane, Washington running Thursday through Saturday.

The men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon are set for Thursday at 10 AM PT while all other events begin Friday, February 23rd.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch:

Thursday, February 22nd: ESPN+

Friday, February 23rd: ESPN+

Saturday, February 24th: ESPN+

LAST YEAR
At last year's indoor championships hosted by Idaho, the Vandal men finished second with 113 points while the women took third scoring 70.5 points. 

Spencer Barrera (400m), Lorenz Herrmann (800m), Joseph Ruddell (High Jump), Zach Nunis (Long Jump), and the men's 4x400m relay team of Deyondre Davis, Alex Ayers, Herrmann, and Barrera all took home gold medals for the men. Four of the six men earning titles remain on the roster in 2024.

Mia Sylvester captured the lone Idaho women's gold medal in the shot put, throwing 15.75m and eventually earning 2023 Big Sky Indoor Female Freshman of the Year honors.

THIS YEAR
Freshman Hanna Tait opens the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Championships for the Vandals competing in the women's pentathlon beginning Thursday morning at 10 AM PST with the 60 meter hurdles. Tait earned Big Sky Female Field Athlete of the Week honors on January 22nd after winning the women's pentathlon at the 2024 Lauren McCluskey Memorial with 3728 points, the most ever recorded by a Vandal freshman. Her 3728 points stand at second in the conference heading into the championships this week.

Landon Peterson will compete in the men's heptathlon for the first time this season in the nine-man field starting with the 60 meter hurdles at 10:15 AM on Thursday. 

The men's long jump and weight throw are set to begin at 3 PM Friday. 

Simone Fedel and Cash Jones are slated to compete in the men's long jump ranking 13th and 14th, respectively. 

Weston Jeffries opens with the tenth-best mark in the men's weight throw at 17.38m. Freshmen Gioele Tengattini and Loudan Hicks will also compete in the weight throw. 

Jurrian Hering enters the men's 60 meter hurdle prelims (3:20 PM) with the No. 2 mark at 7.87. Deyondre Davis's 8.20 mark is the eighth-fastest going into the weekend. The men's 60 meter hurdle finals are slated for 12:30 PM on Saturday.

The women's 400m prelims are set for 3:55 PM. Senior Prabhasha Wickramaarachchi holds the fifth-fastest time in the Big Sky this year with her school record of 55.37. Franziska Stoehr will also compete, seeded ninth at 55.76.

The men's 400m will follow as Spencer Barrera looks to defend his 2023 title. Barrera earned gold last year crossing the tape at 47.04, his personal record. He enters this year with a 47.74 mark, the third best in the conference.

Senior Olivia Martin enters the women's 60 meter preliminary rounds with the fourth-fastest time in the Big Sky at 7.52. Camryn Crouch (7.56) and freshman Jana Willems (7.61) will also compete with the sixth and seventh best marks, respectively. 

The men's 60 meter prelims will follow as Hering holds the No. 3 mark at 6.79 followed by Jemini Archer at fifth (6.83).

Hannah Russell's 2:13.60 stands tenth in the Big Sky entering the women's 800m prelims.

Herrmann enters the men's 800m prelims as the reigning champion. The senior, of Landau, Germany, ran a 1:48.84 at the 2023 Big Sky Championships. He also claims Idaho's indoor 800m record of 1:47.39 from the 2023 Husky Classic. This year, Herrmann holds the second fastest mark in the conference (1:48.12) while junior Zac Bright ranks third (1:48.92). Bright finished second (1:50.13) at last year's Big Sky Championships.

In the field, the women's long jump and shot put are slated to kick off at 6 PM Friday. 

Tait will compete in the women's long jump ranked eighth at a 5.70m entry mark.

Sylvester enters the shot put at No. 3 holding a 15.27m mark this year. The sophomore won the 2023 Big Sky Championship throwing a personal best, 15.75m. 

The women's 200m prelims follow at 6:05 PM where Idaho's Crouch holds the conference's fifth fastest time this year (24.29). The graduate student from Boulder Creek, California ran an Idaho record of 24.13 in the prelims at the 2023 Big Sky Championships before finishing second (24.16) in the finals. Vandal freshman Tait, will compete with the No. 6 entry time of 24.44. 

Jemini Archer is slated third (21.57) in the men's 200 prelims. Archer, a senior from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, ran his personal record 21.57 capturing first at the 2024 Lauren McCluskey Memorial. Freshman Jake Hisaw enters with the No. 9 time of 21.82.

The women's high jump kicks off at 6:30 PM. Vandal junior Ellie Grant jumped a personal best 1.66m at the 2024 Riverfront Invitational. She opens the weekend with the seventh-best mark in the conference this year. 

Freshman standout McKenna Kozeluh will be the lone Vandal in the women's 5000m race. Kozeluh has earned three medals this indoor season including a second-place finish in the mile (5:01.40) and a third-place finish in the 3000m (10:02.69), both personal records. 

Montanan senior Sam Fulbright is set to compete in the men's 5000m. 

Saturday's action begins with men's high jump at 10 AM. 2023 Big Sky champion Joseph Ruddell enters the weekend with the No. 11 mark of 1.93m. Junior Dante Cox stands at seventh (1.98m) and sophomore Joe Reiber ninth (1.95m).

Following at 10:30 AM, are the men's triple jump and women's weight throw prelims and finals. 

Sylvester holds an Idaho school record of 20.03m after taking first at the 2024 Riverfront Invitational. The mark places her at the top of the conference entering the 2024 Big Sky Championships. 

Fedel returns on Saturday in the men's triple jump with the fourth-best mark in the conference at 14.35m. The sophomore from Casalino, Italy took fourth at the 2023 Big Sky Championships at a 14.50m mark, his personal best. 

Beginning the day on the track, Katja Pattis and Abigail Thomas will compete in the women's mile at 11 AM.

Four Vandal men will compete in the mile at 11:20 AM. Tim Stevens holds the 12th entry time of 4:05.45.

The 60 meter hurdles, 400 meter, 60 meter dash, and 200 meter finals will all be completed in that order with women preceding the men in all events. 

Beginning at 1 PM, Noah Culbertson enters atop the conference in the men's shot put with a 17.79m mark. The junior has earned three titles this year and most recently threw his personal best, 17.79m placing third at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. 

The women's triple jump also begins at 1 PM highlighted by Grant and Tayler LyDay who enter the weekend at eight and nine, respectively. 

The women's and men's 4x400m relays will conclude the championships as the Vandal women are slated third while the men enter at fifth as the reigning champions. 

The award ceremonies will take place following the conclusion of all field events on Saturday. 

The NCAA 2024 Indoor Track and Field Championships will be hosted by Boston College and University of Massachusetts Lowell at The Track at New Balance on Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th in Boston, Massachusetts. Meet participants will be announced Tuesday, February 27th. 

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho Track and Field by following the team on Instagram and X, @IdahoTrack.