Washington's Anthony Smith Runs PR 21.28 To Win 200

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

SPOKANE - Year two of indoor track and field at The Podium in Spokane, Wash., kicked off Saturday as the Spokane Invitational was highlighted by a few early season NCAA top-five marks. 

Washington’s Anthony Smith repeated as champion in the men’s 200 meters, clocking a personal-best 21.28 seconds. His new lifetime best effort ranks first in NCAA Division 1 after the second weekend of college competition. 

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The Huskies also ran the second-best time in the men’s 4x400 relay this season in 3:11.67 behind the leading efforts of Smith, Cass Elliott, Daniel Gaik and Matthew Wilkinson.

Elliott, a former All-American in the 400 hurdles, won the men’s 800 for the second consecutive year in 1:50.82.

Freshman Sarah Ferguson made her collegiate debut for the Huskies, vaulting the fifth best height in the country at 13 feet, 9.25 inches (4.20m), with freshman teammate Avril Wilson placing second at 13-5.25 (4.10m).

Prestin Artis rounded out the winners for Washington, taking the men’s long jump in a mark of 24-3.50 (7.40m).

Stanford had a pair of top five marks as men’s pole vaulter Garrett Brown cleared 17-8.50 (5.40m) for the win to rank fourth in the country and freshman Alyssa Jones landed at 20-6.25 (6.25m) in the women’s long jump, placing third. 

Max McKhann and Sam Liokumovich also put together winning efforts in the throws for the Cardinal. McKhann threw a mark of 68-7 (20.90m) to win the men’s weight throw while Liokumovich won the men’s shot put at 58-9.50 (17.92m). 

The Cardinal women won the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:46.63.

Former Stanford sprinting standout Cheetah Burrell made her return to the track and field scene after stepping away from competition the past eight years as she went on to win the women’s 60 in 7.45 seconds.

Emily Costello of Nevada won the women’s 400 in 54.06 seconds, placing her second in the NCAA behind Iowa State’s Rachel Joseph at 53.74. Costello’s time is also a new Nevada school record as she passed Karoline Sauer’s previous all-time best effort of 54.48. Costello is also the school-record holder in the indoor 200.

Halyn Senegal picked up a win for the Wolfpack as she won the women’s 600 in 1:32.14 and Emily Clarke won the women’s 5,000 in 17:16.44.

Reigning Conference USA 60 and 100 hurdles champion Maribel Caicedo debuted for Washington State with a win in the women’s 60 hurdles in the nation’s fifth-fastest time of 8.29 seconds. Cougar teammate and runner-up at the Pac-12 championships in the 100 hurdles, Micaela De Mello, was second in a time of 8.32 – eighth fastest time in the country.

Washington State swept the men’s and women’s titles in the 300 as Ethan Willems won on the men’s side in 33.92 and Elise Unruh-Thomas won for the women in 39.41.

Daylin Hicks won the men’s high jump for the Cougars, going over 6-6.75 (2.00m).

Gonzaga came out on top in three of the men’s distance races, led by Wil Smith setting a facility record in the 5,000 in 14.01.31. Cooper Laird won the 3,000 in 8:22.14 and Jackson Lyne won the mile in 4:25.48 for the Bulldogs. 

Grace McLaughlin, a recent Gonzaga transfer running unattached, won the women’s 3,000 in 9:22.51. 

Hawaii’s Lilian Turban cleared 5-10.75 (1.80m) to win the women’s high jump to put her fifth best in the country. Teammate Alyssa Mae Antolin won the women’s 200 in 24.38 seconds.

Fresno State’s Jordyn Bryant and Cierra Jackson completed a throws sweep with Bryant taking the women’s shot put in 47-11.25 (14.61m) and Jackson winning the women’s weight throw in 57-9.50 (17.61m). 

Boise State’s Trent Missamore won the men’s 600 for the Broncos, running 1:21.16. 

Benjamin Doucette, a former Idaho hurdler, won the men’s 60 hurdles in 7.94 seconds as an unattached competitor. 

Academy of Art out of San Francisco had a full day of top NCAA Division 2 efforts.

Duncan Agyemang and Mathieu Tshani came away with victories in their respective events, as Agyemang won the men’s 400 in 48.46 and Tshani prevailed in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 49-6.25 (15.09m).

Marie-Jeanna Ourega also won the triple jump on the women’s side with 40-2.75 (12.26m) and Lina Hanich won the women’s mile in 5:05.42. 

Seattle Pacific’s Vanessa Aniteye ran a Division 2 leading 2:13.04 to win the women’s 800. 

Donte Sol from Multnomah won the men’s 60 in 6.77 seconds.