Cougars tally four podium finishes to close out split weekend

January 28, 2023 | By: Washington State Athletic Communications

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M/ SEATTLE/ Spokane, Wash. – Maribel Caicedo (8.14, first-place) and Micaela De Mello (8.29, third-place) each hit the podium in the women's 60m hurdles and the women's 4X400m relay team captured a first-place finish (3:43.26) to wrap up the second day for Washington State track and Field at the UNM Team Open Saturday at the N.M. Convention Center. With the Washington State distance squad finishing up their races at the UW Invitational from the Dempsy Indoor back in Seattle, WSU saw a combined 18 personal-best times to finish the weekend on Saturday.

Inland Northwest Invitational Recap

Senior De'Antae Choates posted a season best time in the 60m dash of 7.00 seconds to take fifth place, while adding a fourth-place finish in the 200m in a speedy 22.21.

New Mexico Team Open Recap

Battling the elevation in the Southwest, the Cougars won multiple events at the site of the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships while notching four total podium finishes.

The women's relay shattered their previous season-best time to secure a first-place finish with a time of 3:43.26.

Maribel Caicedo won her second consecutive 60m hurdles after notching her first win as a Coug at the Cougar Classic earlier this month. Caicedo posted a speedy time 8.14 in Saturday's finals to win the event while her teammate Micaela De Mello finished third at 8.29.

John Parades captured a silver medal in the men's 60m hurdles with a time of 8.05 seconds.

Skylar Walton finished in fourth-place in the women's 60m dash, setting personal record in her preliminary heat with a time of 7.49.

Both Cougar runners notched a personal best time in the men's 400m Ethan Willems took fourth in 47.75 seconds, and Jared McAlvey finished right behind in 47.87 seconds for fifth.

In the field events, Ronald Grueso Mosqquera (17.35m/ 56'-11") inched past his season-best mark in the men's shot put to place fourth while Audrey Hughes (13.62m/44'-8.25") hit a season-best mark to place seventh in the women's shot put competition.

Kolby Weiss also notched a season best jump of 3.82m to take seventh.

UW Invitational Recap

Alaina Stone Boggs hit the best 3000m time in the first time runnning the event this season for the Washington State women's distance group, finishing 10th overall at 9:25.73. Neema Kimtai (4:49.96) placed 21st as the only competitor in the women's mile field for WSU.

Brian Barsaiya led the men's distance pack with a personal-best 3000m time (8:09.87) to finish 10th overall.

Running the 3000m for the first time this winter, the men's veteran group of Barsaiya (8:09.87), Leif Swanson (8:18.45), and Sam Griffith (8:22.72) each ran the three fastest 3000m times, respectively, so far this season for the Cougs. Kelvin Limo (8:26.91) and Jacob Lawrence (8:37.89) also clocked their first 3000m times in competition so far this indoor season.

UP NEXT:

Washington State's two indoor track programs wrap up the UNM Team Open and the UW Invitational with day two of each meet on Saturday while four additional student-athletes get set to compete at the one-day Inland NW Invitational at the Podium in Spokane, Wash.

The full Cougar track teams return to the Podium next week to host the WSU Invitational on Thurs., Feb. 2nd, though Sat., Feb. 4th, in Spokane, Wash.

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