No. 1 women’s and No. 21 men’s track and field teams shine at the third Friday Night Spikes

| Senior Sports Editor

WashU runners compete in a sprint event last season. (Photo courtesy of Jasmine Wright)

The third Friday Night Spikes meet, hosted by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, turned into another banner day for the No. 1 women’s and No. 21 men’s WashU track and field teams. Both the men’s and women’s squads delivered commanding performances, with the women’s team securing a dominant victory and the men’s team narrowly edging out tough competition. 

The women’s team stole the show in the sprints. Junior Jasmine Wright anchored the team’s dominance in the 60-meter dash, racing to victory in 7.73 seconds. Her preparation played a crucial role in her performance.

“For races, I think it’s really important to prepare physically by eating right,” Wright said. “Often during the meet, there isn’t time to have a full meal, so having a good dinner the night before along with breakfast and specific snacks throughout the day keeps me alert and ready to race.”

Senior Lauren Gay won the 200 meters with 25.64 seconds. Wright, first-year Hailey Weir, and senior Nicole Stewart rounded out the top four in the event. Wright credited her approach to carrying over momentum from her 60 meters performance. 

“I often try to repeat how I ran the 60 meters,” she said. “Getting out at the beginning of the race, like I had done for the 60 meters, is my focus. It sets me up for the second half of the race with good speed to finish strong.”

One of the biggest highlights was senior Yasmin Ruff’s pole vault performance, which set a meet record by clearing an astonishing 4.08 meters. Ruff’s performance not only earned the Bears critical points but also served as a testament to the program’s dominance in field events. Teammates senior Makenzie Stock and sophomore Meredyth Barr also gave solid performances, further bolstering the Bears’ stronghold in the event.

In the men’s events, the Bears performed solidly, placing first in two events. In the 800 meters, William Frohling turned in a stellar performance to claim first place with a time of 1:57.71. Another standout moment came in the pole vault, where senior Tommaso Maiocco shared first place with Millikin University’s Kyle Hensley after clearing 4.95 meters.

WashU’s strength wasn’t just in individual performances but in their ability to come together as a team. The women’s 4×400-meter relay teams were unstoppable, taking both first and second place. The winning squad, featuring junior Kylie Spytek, Weir, sophomore Cate Christopher, and sophomore Julia Coric, clocked a blazing 3:54.43. Similarly, the men’s team earned a hard-fought second-place finish, narrowly edged out by Millikin but finishing with an impressive 3:23.64.

With the third Friday Night Spikes behind them, WashU’s track and field teams will head to Illinois Wesleyan University for the Keck Select Invitational on Feb. 8.

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