Two meets into the outdoor season, the men’s and women’s track-and-field teams have won two titles apiece.

One week after winning the Wash. U. Mini Meet, the Bears continued their dominance at home by capturing eight individual titles and one relay win on their way to a sweep at the Wash. U. Invite at Bushyhead Track this weekend.

Claire Komyati | Student Life

Sophomore hurdler Jack MacCarthy leaps over a hurdle in the 110-meter race on Saturday at the Washington University Invite. He recorded a time of 15.88 seconds and placed fourth in his heat.

In a field of 25 teams, the Washington University women’s team totaled 131 points to finish ahead of second-place Illinois Wesleyan University by 24 points, and the men’s team netted 128 points for a 26-point margin of victory over runner-up Wabash College to top the field of 27 teams.

Despite their early dominance, though, the Red and Green remain focused on building toward conference and national titles.

“In the [traditional] team sports where you have a win-loss record, every game you are playing to win that game,” head coach Jeff Stiles said. “In track and field, we’re utilizing each meet as a way to get better toward championship meets. So our goals are the [University Athletic Association] championship and the national championship.”

To prepare for these later competitions, the Bears worked on moving runners around to stretch their athletic limits.

“It’s a training tool. When you race over or under distance, it’s a tool used at all levels,” junior Josh Clark said. “Some guys who are distance runners work on a speed workout and some guys who are shorter distance work on a more endurance workout.”

One beneficiary of this strategy was junior Emily Warner, who is nationally competitive in the 800-meter race. However, Warner raced in the 200, individual 400 and the 1,600 relay, where she anchored a team also, which also included sophomores Kelli Hancock and Ashley Knudson and freshman Annalise Wagner, to capture first place (3:55.22).

“We had a lot of kids in their main events, but the great thing is when we have kids in quote ‘off events’ and still performing exceptionally well, and I think [Warner] was a great example of that,” Stiles said.

In addition to that relay win, the women’s team accumulated four individual titles.

Sophomore Daisy Ogede carried over her winter success onto the outdoor track, racing to a first-place finish in the 200 with a time of 25.34. Ogede also placed fourth (15.41) in her other event, the 100 hurdles.

The Bears also enjoyed three top-five finishes in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase. Freshman Alison Lindsay won the event with a time of 11:08.85, with freshman Audrey Western (11:52.34) placing third and junior Tori Cooke (12:11.11) taking fifth place.

In the 400 hurdles, Hancock seized first place with a career-best time of 1:03.38 while sophomore Molly Kuhs also rode a career-best time of 4:48.04 in the 1,500 to round out the individual accolades.

The men’s performance was highlighted by a first-through-third-place sweep of the 1,500. Clark led the pack with a time of 3:56.25 while sophomores Mike Sullivan and Dillon Williams rounded out the top three with career-best times of 3:59.08 and 3:59:68, respectively.

“I don’t think that was unexpected. I think [Sullivan and Williams] were both ready to run really well,” Clark said. “All they needed was a meet and a chance.”

After sweeping first through fifth in the pole vault in the Wash. U. Mini Meet last weekend, the men’s team captured first, fifth, sixth and seventh places in the event this weekend. Senior Nick Alaniva had the winning vault of 4.55 meters, equaling his season best.

Sophomore Ryan Becker and senior Brendan Stone provided the final two wins for the men, racing to first place in the 10,000 (31:03.83) and 400 hurdles (54.12), respectively.

The Bears will head on the road next week hoping to come home with two more team titles when they travel to Greenville, Ill., to compete in the Greenville Select Meet.