CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Washington University in St. Louis women's track and field team started off the 2026 portion of their schedule on Saturday at the EIU John Craft Invite in Charleston.
No team scores were kept at the meet.
Top Finishers
- Weight Throw
- Seniors Jenae Bothe and Karyssa Mack finished sixth and seventh in the event with their best throws of 12.80m and 12.75m, respectively.
- Shot Put
- Bothe continued her success from last season with the win with a toss of 14.34m.
- Pole Vault
- First-year Campbell Pallera claimed the win with a clear of 3.51m.
- This is her second event win in her second collegiate meet.
- Senior Mackenzie Walker, junior Meredyth Barr, and first-year Talia West finished in third through fifth place.
- Walker (3.51m), Barr (3.36m), and West (3.21m).
- 3000m
- It was almost all WashU at the top of the event with the Bears claiming seven of the top 10 finishes.
- Sophomore Sofia Sheldon (1st - 0:24.88), first-year Leah Sekulich (2nd – 10:25.33), sophomore Sally Carrington (4th – 10:30.69), and sophomore Maddy Lee (5th – 10:39.98) each finished in the top five of the deep field.
- Mile
- Sophomore Lucinda Laughlin continued her success from the cross country course to the event, claiming the win with a time of 5:00.31
- Senior Katie Rector (5:05.16), first-year Taylor Buese (5:09.56), sophomore Mackenzie Raue (5:10.57) claimed third, fourth and fifth place, respectively with their times.
- 400m
- 60m
- 800m
- This was a WashU event. The Bears claimed the top 12 spots.
- Sophomore Ellie Cain (2:17.55) finished with the top time.
- Laughlin (2:17.67), senior Cate Stevens (2:18.48), senior Elizabeth Wagner (2:19.24), and junior Caroline Echols (2:19.67) rounded out the top five finishers.
- 200m
- Sophomore Hailey Weir won the event with the top time of :26.00.
- First-year Rebecca Winkler also finished in the top five with a fourth place time of :27.93.
- 4x400m
- The Bears finished with the top two teams.
- Christopher, Coric, Echols, and senior Kylie Spytek claimed the win with a time of 3:56.00.
- Wagner, Cain, Stevens, and Weir were runner-up with a time of 3:59.64.
WashU stays on the road with a split weekend on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24. Some members will travel to the Friday Night Spikes at Rose-Hulman on Friday evening while others will compete at the Bob Teel Invite hosted by Missouri on Saturday.
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