LOS ANGELES -- Washington State track and field performers captured a trio of wins Saturday in the second day of the USC Trojan Invitational at Locker Stadium on the USC campus.
 
Sophomore Nick Johnson (Spokane, Wash.) won the men's 110m hurdles with a lifetime-best (non-wind-aided) time of 14.26 seconds, running into a 2.7 meters per second headwind.
 
The Cougars men's 4x100m relay of Zach Smith (senior, Bremerton, Wash.), Ja'Maun Charles (junior, Pleasanton, Calif.), Ray Littles (junior, Issaquah, Wash.) and Ethan Gardner (junior, Walla Walla) won with a time of 40.82 seconds. Charles also took third place in the 100m dash with a time of 10.53.
 
Jake Ulrich (freshman, East Wenatchee, Wash.) captured second place in the 400m dash with a solid time of 47.81.
 
In field events, Cole Smith (redshirt senior, Hoquiam, Wash.) threw the javelin 212-5 (64.74m) for second place. Peyton Fredrickson (junior, Ridgefield, Wash.) took third place in the men's high jump after clearing the bar at 6-8 3/4 (2.05m).
 
Redshirt senior Greer Alsop (Invercargill, New Zealand) won the women's triple jump with a leap of 40-feet, 5 inches (12.32m) with freshman Oyinlola Akinlosotu (Federal Way, Wash.) in second place with a distance of 38-9 (11.81m).
 
Marlow Schulz (senior, Whitefish, Mont.) was the runner-up in the women's 800m with a PR time of 2 minutes 8.05 seconds.
 
Stephanie Cho (junior, Vancouver, B.C.) ran the 400m hurdles in a PR time of 59.27 for third place.
 
The women's 4x400m relay team of Cho, Schulz, Alissa Brooks-Johnson (redshirt senior, Doty, Wash.) and Jelena Grujic (freshman, Novi Sad, Serbia) finished third with a time of 3:43.96 which is faster than the best time in 2017. The 4x100m relay of Jordyn Tucker (sophomore, Monrovia, Calif.), Regyn Gaffney (junior, Chehalis, Wash.), Tierney Silliman (redshirt sophomore, Yakima) and Brooks-Johnson ran a time of 46.47 for fifth.
 
In the women's field events, Molly Scharmann cleared 12-1 /2 (3.70m) in the pole vault for third place. Kelsey Kehl (sophomore, Baldwin City, Kan.) took third in the javelin with a throw of 147-2 (44.85m).
 
THEY SAID:
Wayne Phipps, WSU Director of Cross Country/Track & Field said, "I thought it was a great opener with a number of marks that should ensure an NCAA first round qualification. Brock (Eager) and Amani (Brown) got everything started on the right note with a great opening throw, a win by Brock and a huge PR by Amani. Greer (Alsop) also put up a great opening mark for her win in the triple jump. On the track, the men's 4x1 relay looked great for the first race of the season. Nick Johnson battled a huge headwind and an NCAA All-American for a big win. Stephanie Cho ran a huge personal best and a mark that should easily qualify for the first round of NCAAs. Cole Smith in the javelin and true freshman Jake Ulrich in the 400m were both very impressive; as were our women's 800m runners led by Marlow Schulz.
 
Greer Alsop, redshirt senior triple jumper said "Today was a great day to shake off the rust. Every jump I felt like I was getting a little closer to being technically sound. I gave Coach Ryan (Grinnell) a couple heart attacks from almost falling in the first jump, then fouling four jumps in a row, and finally pulling it together on the last jump. I had a lot of fun jumping with my teammates Brittni (Williams) and Lola (Akinlosotu). It's going to be a really good season jumping with these amazing girls."
 
ADDITIONAL COUGARS RESULTS FROM USC TROJAN INVITE:
MEN
100m - Zach Smith (5th - 10.78), Brandon Bains (13th- 10.93), Ethan Gardner (17th- 11.10)
200m - Zach Smith (6th - 21.45w), Ethan Gardner (21st - 22.07w), Brandon Bains (22nd - 22.08), Ray Littles (23rd - 22.18w)
110m Hurdles - Martin Moldau (3rd - 14.55), Christapherson Grant (10th - 15.08), Abu Kamara (11th - 15.38)
400m Hurdles - Christapherson Grant (5th - 55.18)
High Jump - Mex English (5th - 2.00m/6-6 3/4), Mitch Jacobson (6th - 1.95m/6-4 3/4), Keelan Halligan (7th - 1.90m/6-2 3/4)
Pole Vault - Sander Moldau (5th - 4.90m/16-0 3/4), Tucker Mjelde (NH), Martin Moldau (NH)
Triple Jump - Robby Flores (4th - 14.36m/47-1 1/2)
Javelin - Sander Moldau (8th - 46.69m/153-2)
 
WOMEN
100m - Regyn Gaffney (4th - 12.09), Jordyn Tucker (7th - 12.18), Tierney Silliman (11th - 12.39)
200m - Alissa Brooks-Johnson (13th - PR 24.69), Jordyn Tucker (20th - 25.16), Tierney Silliman (25th - 25.59)
800m - Zorana Grujic (8th - 2:10.44), Grace Victor (9th - PR 2:10.50), Natalie Ackerley (21st - 2:18.64)
100m Hurdles - Lindsey Schauble (7th - 15.33)
400m Hurdles - Jelena Grujic (6th - 1:02.19), Lindsey Schauble (8th - 1:04.13)
Long Jump - Lindsey Schauble (5th - 5.37m/17-7 1/2)
Triple Jump - Brittni Williams (ND)
Javelin - Atina Kamasi (4th - 44.26m/145-2), Madelyn Sirmon (7th - 41.46m/136-0), Alissa Brooks-Johnson (8th - 39.43m/129-4)
 
COUGARS MARKS FROM WHITWORTH BUC SCORING MEET:
MEN
400m - Jake Nienhuis (50.54), Cody Kjarmo (51.19), Ross Sherrer (52.25)
Shot Put - Drew Norvell (13.54m/44-5 1/4)
Discus - Drew Norvell (44.48m/145-11)
 
WOMEN
100m - Cordelia Olson (12.96), Imani Moronkola (13.09)
200m - Cordelia Olson (26.94), Imani Moronkola (27.73)
Pole Vault - Katelyn Frost (3.70m/12-1 1/2), Macee Erickson (3.70m/12-1 1/2)
Long Jump - Lauren Newman (5.34m/17-6 1/4)
Shot Put - Chrisshnay Brown (13.39m/43-11 1/4), Lovely Tukuafu (11.74m/38-6 1/4)
Discus - Chrisshnay Brown (44.48m/145-11), Kaitlin Krouse (42.40m/139-1)
 
NOTEWORTHY:

• This was 25th meet that Greer Alsop triple jumped 40-feet or further in her WSU career.
• The men's and women's middle distance and distance runners missed the USC meet due to being snowed in Saturday morning at Big Bear Mountain Resort where they had four days of high altitude training during this week of WSU Spring break.
• Chrisshnay Brown (junior, Lompoc, Calif.) won both the women's shot put and discus at the Whitworth Buc Scoring Meet.
• The next track and field competition for the Cougars is the Whitworth Sam Adams Classic meet in Spokane March 22-23.