April 23, 2011
Complete Results
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Three Washington State track and field competitors broke meet records and 10 reached lifetime-best marks Saturday under sunny skies at the 11th Annual Cougar Invitational Track & Field meet held at the Mooberry Track Complex.
WSU All-American javelin throwers Marissa Tschida and Courtney Kirkwood opened the meet by both surpassing the meet record set in 2008 by Lynnea Braun, then at Spokane CC, of 161-feet, 7 inches (49.26m). Tschida, a senior from Missoula, threw the javelin 172-4 (52.52m) for the event win, and Kirkwood, a junior from Othello, threw a distance of 167-10 (51.17m) for the runner-up spot.
Courtney Zalud, WSU sophomore from Colbert, Wash., ran a meet record time in the women's 800m with a lifetime-best time of 2 minutes, 8.85 seconds, surpassing former Cougar All-American Alishia Booterbaugh's time of 2:09.94 run in the 2000 meet.
The Idaho women's 4x400m relay squad of Karlene Hurrel, Keli Hall, Lauren Schaffer and Liga Velvere also set a meet record with a time of 3:45.10, bettering WSU's 2008 record of 3:47.50 run by Lorraine King, Anna Layman, La Shawna Porter-Red and Veronica Elseroad-Wall.
Cougar alumni throwers made impressive returns to the Pullman campus. Drew Ulrick won the men's discus with a throw of 192-6 (58.68m), just five inches off Olympian and former All-American Ian Waltz's meet record of 192-11. In the men's javelin, Spokane CC coach Ryan Weidman won with a toss of 213-6 (6.09m), barely edging former WSU All-American Curt Borland who threw 213-3 (65.10m), and Coug alum Jon Jeffreys taking third after throwing 209-9 (63.93m).
Other WSU women winning events Saturday included Morgan Clem in the 200m dash (24.94), Ashlee Eskelsen in the 3000m (10:29.33), Elseroad-Wall in the 400m hurdles (1:02.18), 4x100m relay of Shaquana Logan, Chanel James, Cindy Robinson, and Clem (45.94), Christine Rice in the high jump (5-9 1/4 - 1.76m), Candace Missouri in the long jump (18-5 1/4 - 5.62m), Shantae Young in the triple jump (PR 39-10 1/2 - 12.15m), and Ashley Kenney in the discus (158-6/48.31m).
Cougar men winning events included Mack Young in the 800m (1:55.10), Jono Lafler in the 1500m (3:56.12), Rashaun Johnson in the 400m hurdles (PR 52.15), Richard Shroy in the 3000m steeplechase (10:04.61), the 4x100m relay team of Greg Hornsby, Nate Washington, Brett Blanshan, and Marlon Murray (40.79), Ryan Deese in the high jump (6-7 1/2 - 2.02m), and Daniel Blackledge in the long jump (21-10 1/4 - 6.66m).
"I was very happy with the outcome of this meet in that it gave some of our athletes a chance to compete and improve their marks while others had a chance rest before the next five to seven weeks of what we call our championship competition," Cougar Head Coach Rick Sloan said.
Washington State travels to Seattle April 29 for a dual meet against the University of Washington, the final track meet in Husky Stadium.
