Myers Runs Fastest Mile Ever In Month Of January, Lowers Dempsey Record To 3:49.81; Maggi Congdon Wins 800/Mile Double; Jimmy Rhoads Breaks UW Pole Vault Record

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Ken Martinez photos

RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

Cam Myers stormed to a world lead in the mile in his Dempsey track debut on Saturday at the Washington Indoor Preview in Seattle.

The 19-year-old Australian outmatched his competitors in a race where eight men broke four minutes, running 3 minutes, 49.81 seconds to win by nearly five seconds. Americans Sam Prakel, 31, and Brannon Kidder, 32, finished second and third, respectively, in 3;54.21 and 3:54.62.

Washington's Reuben Reina Jr., an Arkansas transfer, finished as the top collegian in an NCAA No. 3 3:55.26 for fourth.

Myers' winning time lowered Yomif Kejelcha's meet record (3:52.61) by almost three seconds and Nathan Green's facility record (3:50.74) by less than a second. Myers' time is also the fastest indoor mile ever ran in the month of January.

Former Northern Arizona standout Maggi Congdon, now representing Nike's Swoosh TC, won the women's mile in 4:27.77 and the 800 meters in 2:00.93, setting two meet records in the span of two hours. Congdon held off both Taryn Parks (4:29.28) and former NAU teammate Alexandra Carlson (4:29.67) by two seconds in the mile and won the 800 by seven seconds.

Washington's Mia Cochran (4:30.98) and Stanford's Sophia Kennedy (4:32.13) rounded out the top five competitors in the mile.

Stanford's Juliette Whittaker and Washington's Chloe Foerster pushed each other to two of the top three 1,000 times in collegiate history, with Whittaker winning by a margin of 2:37.54 to 2:37.79. 

Washington's Tyler Bilyard won the men's 1,000 in the fourth-fastest collegiate performance ever in 2:17.96, breaking another meet and facility record held by Kejelcha in 2:18.34.

Washington's Evan Jenkins completed an epic come-from-behind win in the men's 3,000, out-leaning Washington State's Evans Kurui at the line, 7:51.42 to 7:51.44. Kurui led by as much as 50 meters with three laps to go. Stanford's Leo Young took third in 7:52.46.

Madelyn Eybergen of the University of Victoria (B.C.) posted the fastest time in the women's 3,000 in 9:08.90. High schooler Abigail Hennessy, a Washington commit who flew her own way to Seattle from Massachusetts, ran a US#1 time of 9:15.79 to finish fifth overall.

On the field, Washington's Jimmy Rhoads broke both a 22-year-old school record and facility record in the men's pole vault, held by current Washington pole vault coach Toby Stevenson (19-0.75/5.81m), clearing an NCAA leading mark of 19 feet, 1 inch (5.82m). 

Washington's Veronica Vacca and Sarah Borton finished 1-2, respectively, in the women's pole vault at 14-0.5 (4.28m).

Stanford's Alyssa Jones, one of ten The Bowerman preseason watchlist athletes, raised the meet record in the women's high jump to 6-3.25 (1.91m).