NAMPA, Idaho – The Eastern Oregon University indoor track & field team continued to make impressive strides in the 2016 campaign, as the Mountaineers saw a new automatic qualifier in junior Harley McBride and a 26-year-old record vanish thanks to senior Megan Sullivan at the Jacksons Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
NAIA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
In the women’s high jump, McBride cleared 1.66m (5-5.25) to take third overall and register for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Although junior Hakeem Belle, junior Eric England, and Sullivan already qualified for nationals earlier this season, that didn’t stop the trio from meeting those standards a second time.
In the triple jump, England and Belle took first and second, respectively, to dominate the event. While England matched his national-leading mark of 15.61m (51-2.75), Belle tallied 14.50m (47-7.00).
Sullivan completed the 400m run in 57.58 seconds to take fourth overall behind three NCAA Division I athletes. In the process, she broke a 26-year-old record set by Mardee Potts in 1990.
SULLIVAN MEETS NAIA PROVISIONAL MARK
On day one of the meet, Sullivan recorded a provisional mark of 25.50 seconds and took second place in the prelims of the 200m dash. She was met in the 200m finals by three other Mountaineers in junior Kendall Current, freshman Andrea Lemus, and freshman Amie Zitterkob.
EOU RECORD BOOKS
In the prelims of the women’s 60m dash, Lemus moved to No. 6 all time in the EOU records with a mark of 8.12 seconds.
One day one, freshman Miriah Haro cleared 3.05m (10-00) in the pole vault to tally the sixth-best vault, while national-leader Talitha Fagen took third overall with a mark of 3.80m (12-5.50).
In the women’s distance medley, the foursome of freshman Amanda Welch, freshman Katie Emerson, freshman Caitlyn Rowe, and junior Rachel Roelle mustered the third-fastest time with a mark of 12:47.32.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Tanner Yarbrough earned fourth place in the weight throw with a tally of 16.07m (52.8.75), while senior Ryan Rosenau finished third in the finals of the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.48. In addition, freshman Jebari Cumberbatch qualified for the finals of the 60m dash and ultimately took fifth place.
NEXT MEET
The Mountaineers return to action on Feb. 13 for the BSU Team Challenge in Nampa, Idaho.