MOSCOW, Idaho - Rhyan Madden ran the fourth fastest 400 in Vandal history at the Whitworth Indoor Invite, and many of Idaho's middle-distance runners posted big personal best times at the Husky Classic, to close the final indoor meet weekend on Idaho's schedule before the Big Sky Championship.
HEAR FROM COACH
"It was a great weekend for our teams as we had strong performances at two different meets in Washington," Director of Track and Field
Tracy Hellman said Saturday. "At the Husky Classic, it was great to have multiple wins and numerous personal bests. Then in Spokane, our sprinters had another tremendous weekend and hit some impressive marks. Overall, this was a very positive result before we switch gears and enter championship season."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Madden's time of 54.73 is the fastest by a Vandal this season and ranks sixth in the Big Sky. The current record holder, Blossom Omogor, finished just a tenth behind the Spokane native and now takes the number seven spot in this season's conference rankings. Madden and Omogor now both hold top-10 Big Sky placements in three events: the 60, 200, and 400, as the league heads into the final week of competition before the conference meet.
After his season-best 200 performance in the Lilac City, Mateo Ganje now finds himself in the top eight among Big Sky athletes. The freshman crossed the line in 21.56, the seventh fastest time ever by an athlete in Black and Gold. Five Vandals set mile personal bests, led by James Hodgson's 4:18.06, a time that beat his previous record by over two seconds.
A trio of Vandal men worked their way into the Big Sky top 20 for the 800 with strong showings in Seattle. Griffin Parcells paced the group, completing the distance in 1:51.47, the ninth fastest time in the conference this season, as Ethan Studivant and Jan Bremer followed behind. Hanna Tait posted a career best 56.04 400 time on the Dempsey Indoor track. Cami Cvitkoich claimed sole possession of the second spot in the Idaho record book with a 1.76m high jump, beating her previous best from this season's Lauren McCluskey Invitational by a single centimeter. A college best shot put throw from Kathryn Burnette, a 14.46 meter heave that now takes the Big Sky's fourth spot, has the freshman knocking on the door of the UI record book, and capped a strong showing from the Black and Gold's contingent in the Emerald City.
UP NEXT
Idaho will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championship in Pocatello, which begins on February 26.
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