Washington State University Athletics
Photo by: Paul Merca
De Mello Advances to 60m Hurdles Final at NCAA Indoor Championships
March 14, 2025 | Track & Field
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 14, 2025) – Washington State redshirt-senior Micaela De Mello matched her personal best in her 60m Hurdles semifinal and easily advanced to Saturday's final at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday at the Virginia Brach Sports Center.
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De Mello, from Palhoca, Brazil, blazed to a third-place finish in her semifinal, matching her personal best and just 0.01 seconds off the WSU program record. It marks the second time in less than a month that De Mello has run 8.00, the first coming while winning the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor title in late February. De Mello had the fourth-fastest time in the semifinal round and will run out of lane 2 in the final.
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Friday began with sophomore pole vaulter Tatum Moku finishing 11th in her specialty, clearing 4.25m (13' 11.25"). Moku was successful on her first attempt but could not clear the next height of 4.40m (14' 5.25'). Moku completed her first NCAA Indoor Championship event with Second-Team All-America honors.
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In the men's 5000m, freshman Evans Kurui capped a record-setting freshman campaign with a 10th-place finish at the distance. Kurui crossed in a time of 13 minutes, 12.28 seconds after being near the front of the pack the majority of the race. The school indoor record holder in the event, Kurui captured Second-Team All-America honors, the second All-America certificate for the native of Eldorat, Kenya after earning All-America accolades in cross country last fall.
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Junior sprinter Mason Lawyer was the lone Cougar competing in multiple events Friday as he qualified for both the 60m and 200m events. In the 60m, Lawyer ran 6.62, finishing 14th overall. In the 200m, he finished third in his heat and 10th overall in a time of 20.79 second, picking up Second-Team All-America honors in both events.
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The 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships conclude Saturday, with De Mello running the 60m Hurdles final at 12:40 p.m. PT.
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De Mello, from Palhoca, Brazil, blazed to a third-place finish in her semifinal, matching her personal best and just 0.01 seconds off the WSU program record. It marks the second time in less than a month that De Mello has run 8.00, the first coming while winning the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor title in late February. De Mello had the fourth-fastest time in the semifinal round and will run out of lane 2 in the final.
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Friday began with sophomore pole vaulter Tatum Moku finishing 11th in her specialty, clearing 4.25m (13' 11.25"). Moku was successful on her first attempt but could not clear the next height of 4.40m (14' 5.25'). Moku completed her first NCAA Indoor Championship event with Second-Team All-America honors.
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In the men's 5000m, freshman Evans Kurui capped a record-setting freshman campaign with a 10th-place finish at the distance. Kurui crossed in a time of 13 minutes, 12.28 seconds after being near the front of the pack the majority of the race. The school indoor record holder in the event, Kurui captured Second-Team All-America honors, the second All-America certificate for the native of Eldorat, Kenya after earning All-America accolades in cross country last fall.
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Junior sprinter Mason Lawyer was the lone Cougar competing in multiple events Friday as he qualified for both the 60m and 200m events. In the 60m, Lawyer ran 6.62, finishing 14th overall. In the 200m, he finished third in his heat and 10th overall in a time of 20.79 second, picking up Second-Team All-America honors in both events.
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The 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships conclude Saturday, with De Mello running the 60m Hurdles final at 12:40 p.m. PT.
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