The Evergreen State College and Saint Martin’s University track and field programs enjoyed successful track meets this weekend.
The Geoducks and Saints competed at the Oregon State PNW Invite in Corvallis and the Brad Moore Invitational at Pacific Lutheran University.
Ryan Doidge, a Rainier High School graduate, led the way for the Saints at the PNW Invite, placing first overall in the men’s collegiate pole vault with a height of 4.50 meters. In the women’s 800 meters, Kekaihulali Halpern placed third overall with a time of 2:15.57, which ranks fourth all-time in the Saint Martin’s program record book.
Gage Pedro, a Timberline graduate, earned a fourth-place finish in the men’s hammer throw with a mark of 53.72 meters, ranking fifth all-time at Saint Martin’s. He also placed eighth overall in the discus with a throw of 43.55 meters.
Janess Blackburn, another Rainier graduate, continued her stellar start to her collegiate outdoor career, finishing as the top Division II athlete in the women’s discus. She took fifth overall with a throw of 43.55 meters. She also placed ninth in the hammer throw with a mark of 45.70 meters.
In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Matthias White placed ninth with a career-best time of 9:56.34.
Evergreen’s Dani Buttrell set a personal record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at Oregon State as she registered a time of 11:54.26. She lowered her time by nearly 55 seconds from a week ago at the PLU Open and moved into second on Evergreen’s all-time list.
At the Brad Moore Invitational on Friday, March 20, Evergreen’s Claire Ryan broke her own school record in the women’s hammer throw. Her new record toss covered 43.83 meters — or 143 feet, 9 inches — to place fourth out of 15 athletes. One week earlier, Ryan set the previous Evergreen record with a mark of 42.25 meters.
Saint Martin’s Taylor Ames, a Pope John Paul II graduate, recorded a podium finish at the Brad Moore Invitational in the women’s 5,000 meters, clocking in at 21:31.35 to place third overall. In the men’s 800 meters, Jack Beck placed fourth with a time of 2:02.60.
Reid Crumley, a Tumwater product, placed fourth in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 59.66 seconds. Garrich Lindley placed seventh in a field of 21 runners in the men’s 1,500 meters, clocking in at 4:22.86.
Alberta Samuela, a North Thurston product, placed eighth in the women’s hammer throw with a mark of 40.22 meters.
Saint Martin’s and Evergreen will next compete at the Peyton Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma on March 28.
