SEATTLE, Wash. – Junior J.T. Konrad tied for 6th in the pole vault with an NCAA Division II provisional-qualifying height and the Western Washington University women added five program top-10 marks as the Vikings track & field program competed at the UW Indoor Open on Sunday at Dempsey Indoor.
Konrad (Mead, WA/Mount Spokane) cleared 4.73m (15-6 ¼) to tie for 6th among a field of 33 placers and had the best height among Division II competitors. His season-best effort was above the NCAA II provisional-qualifying standard of 4.72m and ranks 5th in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference as well as tied for 38th nationally during the 2018 season.
He joined senior Jasmine McMullin (Sequim, WA) as Vikings to post provisional-qualifying marks during the current indoor season. McMullin recorded a provisional-qualifying and GNAC-leading mark in the triple jump of 12.00m (39-4 ½) at the season-opening UW Preview in January. Konrad, who did not compete during the indoor season last year but placed 2nd at the 2016 GNAC Indoor Championships in the pole vault, led three Vikings in the event with his effort.
The Vikings added five program top-10 efforts on the women’s side from one senior and four freshmen. Four of the marks came in track events and one in a field event. Through five indoor meets, the Vikings have 31 personal-best marks set during 2018 currently among program top-10 marks.
Freshman Claire Hansen (Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer) placed 6th of 51 in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.14 to post the 3rd-best time in WWU top 10 history, bettering her previous personal-best of 9.26 (had ranked No. 5 on WWU top-10 list). Her time ranks 6th in the GNAC during the season.
WWU’s lone competitor in the 800m race, freshman Shawnee Konrad (Mead, WA/Mount Spokane) added a program top-10 time by placing 21st (2:23.25) to rank No. 7 on the WWU list.
Freshman Jane Barr (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) led five Vikings in the mile with a time of 5:09.14 to place 15th of 54 finishers and record the No. 9 time on the WWU top-10 list.
In the 3,000m, senior Alexandra Laiblin (Oak Harbor, WA) finished 34th of 71 with a program top-10 time of 10:15.09, leading three Vikings in the race. Her time ranks No. 8 on the WWU top-10 list and bettered her previous personal-best of 10:30.41, which had ranked 10th.
The WWU women had five pole vaulters competing and freshman Hannah Dodson (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale) was the top Viking placer in 23rd (3.39m, 11-1 ½) with the 10th-best height on the WWU top-10 list. Her height is 4th-best on the GNAC performance list in 2018.
The UW Open marked the fourth meet at Dempsey Indoor for WWU during the season and last competition date for the Vikings before the GNAC Indoor Championships next weekend, held Feb. 16-17. WWU travels to Jacksons Indoor Complex for the conference meet, hosted by Northwest Nazarene University, in Nampa, Idaho. The WWU women were 6th while the men placed 7th at the GNAC Indoor Championships last season.
Meet Details:
Event: UW Open (Host: University of Washington)
Site: Seattle, WA (Dempsey Indoor)
Date: Sunday, February 11, 2018
