PROVO, Utah – Three BYU pole vaulters cracked the BYU track and field top 10 board at the BYU Cougar Indoor Invite on Saturday.
Junior Caleb Witsken cleared 5.52m/18-1.25, the fifth-best mark in school history, to take second place at the meet. Sophomore All-American Zach McWhorter won the event with a mark of 5.72m/18-9.25, nearly clearing 5.81m/19-0.5 in his final attempts. McWhorter currently ranks No. 2 in the NCAA (5.76m/18-10.75) and Witsken is now No. 6.
Freshman Hannah Richardson and junior Isabel Neal both moved up the BYU Top 10 list in the women’s pole vault. Richardson is now No. 8 with a clearance of 4.07m/13-4.25 while Isabel Neal is tied for No. 10 with a mark of 4.02m/13-2.25.
The Cougars went 1-4 in the women’s shot put with senior Sierra Freeland taking first place with a mark of 14.80m/48-6.75. Sophomore Jessica Thompson (13.70m/44-11.25), sophomore Gretchen Hoesktre (13.23m/43-4.75) and junior Bradina Anae (13.09m/42-11.25) went 2-3. In the men’s shot put, junior Austin Carter won the event with a toss of 16.14m/52-11.50.
Junior Sable Lohmeier El-Bakri took first place in the women’s weight throw with a season-best 17.16m/56-3.65. In the men’s weight throw, Brandon Anderton (17.06m/55-11.75) and Danny Bryant (16.88m/55-4.50) went 3-4 in the event.
Sophomore Annalise Hart won the women’s triple jump with a season-best 11.69m/38-4.25 while freshman Taye Raymond placed first in the women’s long jump with a distance of 5.68m/18-7.50. Junior Conner Kennedy took first in the men’s long jump with a mark of 6.82m/22-4.50.
Sophomore Cierra Tidwell-Allphin cleared 1.75m/5-9 to win the women’s high jump while sophomore Jacob Veres finished with a personal-best 2.08m/6-10 in the men’s high jump.
In the men’s 400m, senior All-American Michael Bluth clocked a season-best 46.66 to win the event while freshman Ransom Allphin took second with a season-best 49.24. Senior Brinn Jensen and junior Kayla Perry both ran career-best times of 55.64 and 55.93, respectively, to go 1-2 in the women’s 400m.
Junior Jaslyn Gardner won the women’s 60m with a time of 7.36 and Raymond ran a season-best 7.75 to finish third. In the men’s 60m, junior Easton Bianchi and senior Colten Yardley went 1-2 in the final with times of 6.76 and 6.85, respectively.
BYU track and field will wrap up the indoor regular season next week at the Husky Classic. The meet will take place Feb. 25-27 at the Dempsey Indoor Track Arena in Seattle, Washington.