PULLMAN, Wash. -- The Washington State track and field teams fell to their cross-state and Pac-12 rivals, University of Washington, in dual meet competition under cool showers and blustery conditions Saturday at Mooberry Track in Pullman. In the 97th dual meet of men, the Huskies won 95-68, and in the 37th dual meeting of women, UW won 100-63.
Cougars did find personal improvement during the meet, with WSU men registering 12 lifetime-best marks and the women recorded 11 personal records.
Junior Liz Harper (Missoula, Mont.) led the WSU women with a trio of wins in the long jump, and both hurdles races. Harper, an intermediate hurdler who moved into the heptathlon this year, long jumped 19-feet, 8 1/4 inches just 1/2 inch under her PR mark. She won the 100m hurdles in a PR time of 13.80 seconds, a time tied for 10th-best in school history. She also claimed a win in the 400m hurdles with a time of 59.80.
“I definitely feel like I've gotten better in both the 100m hurdles and long jump,” Harper said. “I believe that I can definitely jump farther in long jump being that I've only picked it up this year and still have so much to work on. For the 100m hurdles I just have to work on snapping down my lead and trail leg and perfect the run over the hurdle so I could go faster in that event as well! I'm hoping to shave down my 400m hurdles time come Pac-12's and Regionals next month.”
It was slim pickings on the oval with the only other track win for the Cougar women in the 4x100m relay with the team of Regyn Gaffney, Danielle Darden, Christiana Ekelem, and Dominique Keel runnig a time of 45.55.
In field events, Lateah Holmes led a points sweep in the women's high jump with Holmes winning with a PR height of 5-8 1/2 (1.74m). Kiana Davis and Audrey Ketcham tied for second after both cleared 5-5 (1.65m). Cougars also swept the scoring in the triple jump with Greer Alsop winning leap of 41-2 1/2 (12.56m). Davis was the runner-up with a jump of 40-11 (12.47m), just edging out Kayla Warren who placed third with a leap of 40-10 1/4 (12.45m). Kelsie Taylor won the javelin with a season-best throw of 151-1 (46.05m).
Ja'Maun Charles and Zach Smith finished one-two in the men's 100m, both running PR times of 10.44 and 10.58, respectively. Terrance Chambers won the 200m in a season-best time of 21.19 with Smith clocking in another PR of 21.44 for third place. Charles, Smith and Chambers were joined by Jonnie Green to win the 4x100m relay in a season-best time of 40.17.
Matthew Swanson and UW's Derrick Daigre had a battle to the wire of the 800m with the Husky taking the win in 1:50.59 and Swanson second in a time of 1:51.03, a mere 4/100s of a second later.
CJ Allen won the 400m hurdles in a time of 50.74 and then looped back to be joined by Ray Littles, Dino Dodig and Swanson on a gutsy winning 4x400m relay in a season-best time of 3 minutes, 12.13 seconds, just edging the Dawgs with a time of 3:12.28.
Thane Pierson won the high jump after clearing a height of 7-1 (2.16m) and had three solid attempts at 7-3 (2.21m). Adam Mahama won the discus throw with a PR distance of 173-1 (52.77m) and Travis Pickett won the hammer throw with a PR heave of 195-7 (59.61m).
UW had a trio of double-winners: Kennadi Bouyer in the women's 100m and 200m; Gina Flint in the women's shot put and discus; and Colby Gilbert in the men's1500m and 3000m. The Huskies women's 4x400m relay (Derby, Ford, Birkenfeld, Mires) won with a meet record time of 3:39.30, breaking the Cougars' 1999 time of 3:41.13.
“Today was all about getting out there and competing hard in preparation for the championship part of our season and I thought we did a great job of doing that,” WSU's Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Wayne Phipps said. “People were stepping up all over and reaching PRs in conditions that were not ideal. We were forced to hold out a couple of people and hopefully we'll get a little healthier for Pac-12s. Obviously we want to beat the Huskies but it was all about competing hard. The Huskies bring that out in us and having a scored meet brings out in us. It was a great preparation for Pac-12 Championships and the first round of the NCAAs.”
The next competition for the WSU track and field team is Saturday, April 30, hosting the Cougar Invitational Meet at Mooberry Track.