ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Junior Katharine Lotze (Benton City, Wash./Kiona-Benton HS) set the meet, stadium, and Central Washington University school record in the women's triple jump, highlighting a successful day for the Wildcat track and field teams at the 19th Spike Arlt Invitational at Tomlinson Stadium on Saturday.
The CWU men won their eighth consecutive Spike Arlt Invitational -- and 13th meet crown overall -- with 256 points, while the Wildcat women were second with 156 1/2 points. The men's winning total was their highest point total in the meet since 2008.
Lotze had a best leap of 12.06 meters (39 feet, 7 inches), winning the triple jump by nearly two full feet. She topped her previous best mark -- a mark she established in last year's Spike Arlt Invitational -- by 26 centimeters (10 1/4 inches) on Saturday. Her win in the triple jump was one of two victories on the day, as she also claimed the women's long jump by clearing 5.01 meters (16 feet, 5 1/4 inches).
Two other meet records were set on Saturday, as men's hammer thrower Jordan Stray, competing unattached, had a throw of 62.56 meters (205 feet, 3 inches), and Sierra Brisky of Western Washington University won the women's 10,000-meter run in a hand-held time of 38:34.5.
Joining Lotze as event champions for the CWU women were sophomore Connie Morgan (Hoquiam, Wash.) in the 800-meter run, junior Kelsey Kreft (Lake Stevens, Wash.) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and sophomore Chelsea Genther (Bow, Wash./Burlington-Edison HS) in the 100-meter hurdles).
Overall, only two competitors -- Lotze and Eleanor Siler of Western Washington -- won more than one individual event in Saturday's meet. Siler claimed victories in the 200 and 400 meters for the Viking women, who finished with a 70-point team victory over CWU (226 1/2-156 1/2).
Although they did not have any multiple winners, Central Washington won nine of 20 events with eight different individual winners and a victory in the 4x400-meter relay. The Wildcats had wins -- and strong overall results -- in the 400, 800, and 5,000 meters, especially in the 800 where they swept the top three places while adding a fifth-place time. Junior Andrew Venema (Bickleton, Wash.) had a sub-15-second time to win the 110-meter hurdles.
In field events, the Wildcats had at least three top-eight finishes in all but the triple jump and pole vault, highlighted by a 31-point accumulation in the long jump, in which CWU had the top four places including a win by freshman Will Hallberg (Langley, Wash./South Whidbey HS) with a mark of 6.74 meters (22 feet, 1 1/2 inches). Central Washington also had four of the top six places in the men's high jump, led by junior Brennan Boyes (Puyallup, Wash.) at 2.00 meters (6 feet, 6 3/4 inches).
Junior Scott Morrison (Hoquiam, Wash.) tied for the most individual points in the meet for the men, accumulating 18 points with his win in the 400-meter dash (49.58) and a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash (22.71).
Aside from the wins by Venema, Hallberg, Boyes, and Morrison, other individual winners for the Wildcat men were as follows: sophomore Nathan Power (Burlington, Wash./Burlington-Edison HS) in the 800, senior Manuel Santos (Yakima, Wash./A.C. Davis HS) in the 5,000, junior Matt Nodine (Ellensburg) in the 3,000 steeplechase, and junior Mike Jensen (Tenino, Wash.) in the shot put.
Central Washington is scheduled to have next weekend off from team competitions, although a handful of student-athletes are expected to travel to southern California to compete in various meets. The Wildcats have two team meets remaining on the schedule prior to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on May 11-12.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
WEST REGION
SPIKE ARLT INVITATIONAL AT ELLENSBURG, WA
Women's Team Scores: Western Washington 226 1/2, Central Washington 156 1/2, Northwest Nazarene 148, Northwest University 82, Green River CC 26 1/2, Eastern Washington 25, Seattle Pacific 10.
Men's Team Scores: Central Washington 256, Western Washington 218 1/2, Northwest Nazarene 105, Green River CC 32, Whitworth 18, Northwest University 18, Skagit Valley College 5, Eastern Washington 4.
