2023 Spokane Indoor Challenge Results (Day 1)
SPOKANE, Wash. – Academy of Art track & field returned to The Podium on Friday evening for the start of the Spokane Indoor Challenge and it was the women's distance medley relay team of
Lina Hanich,
Britney Clark,
Michaela Andrews, and
Katharina Goetschl who stole the show.
Challenging only NCAA Division I Montana in the DMR, the Urban Knights were in front by nearly 10 seconds after Hanich's opening 1200m and though the teams were separated by three seconds approaching the final leg, Goetschl dominated in her ART U debut with an 18-second edge on the competition for a collective time of 12:05.39 across the finish line. More than 20 seconds in front of Montana's quartet, the mark rose Academy of Art to first in NCAA Division II while earning the team provisional qualification to Indoor Nationals.
Not far off the top mark in NCAA DII thus far themselves, the men's DMR team of
Vaughn Lacour,
Omodiaogbe Oboh,
Jaden Singleton, and
Conrad Heinemann turned in a collective time of 10:47.38 behind two contingents from Montana. Though not below the Indoor Nationals provisional standard, the effort was back of only Mississippi College as Lacour, Singleton, and Heinemann competed in their respective first collegiate track meets.
In the men's high jump,
Elijah Roberts finished tied for fifth overall after he cleared the bar at 6-4.25 (1.94m) then later attempted what would have been his new indoor-best of 6-7.50 (2.02m). Though he could not surpass that height, he was still able to better jumpers from NCAA DII Western Oregon as well as NCAA DI Stanford and Cal State Northridge.
Friday's running events began with three competitors in each of the women's and men's 5000m races which included
Audrey Rosencrans and
Hudson Lockette. The former battled a pair from NCAA DI UC Irvine, finishing with a time of 19:14.02 while the latter, up against a Lewis-Clark duo, delivered a 16:06.62 in his first collegiate indoor 5000m.
Academy of Art will return to The Podium tomorrow for a full slate of action to conclude the Spokane Indoor Challenge.
