Pole Vaulters shine at Arkansas

PROVO, Utah — BYU track and field athletes recorded two event wins and a top-10 mark at the John McDonnell Invitational in Arkansas and the Sun Angel Classic in Arizona on Friday.

John McDonnell Invitational Results
Sun Angel Classic Results

Men's Recap

Pole vault stole the show for BYU men’s track and field on Friday. Zach McWhorter (5.55m/18-2.5) and Caleb Witsken (5.30m/17-4.5) finished first and second, respectively in the men’s pole vault at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

McWhorter’s winning clearance tied him for No. 3 nationally with Kyle Rademeyer of South Alabama and Christyan Sampy of No. 20 Houston. In just his first vault of the outdoor season, McWhorter has already landed himself in a solid NCAA preliminary qualifying position. Friday marked a homecoming of sorts for McWhorter, who grew up 20 minutes north of Fayetteville in Springdale, Arkansas.

Nathan Burnett also competed in the pole vault, taking seventh at 4.85m/15-11.

Easton Bianchi came just 0.04 seconds from a personal-best when he clocked a 10.75 to finish eighth of 25 in the men’s 100m at McDonnell Field. Bianchi later ran a 22.07 and finished 12th in the 200m. Jacob Veres rounded out BYU’s competition in Arkansas with a sixth-place finish in the high jump.

Returning All-American thrower Dallin Shurts took third of 24 in the men’s discus throw at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona. Shurts’ mark of 60.08m/197-1 was just 0.27m off his personal-best and came against one of the nation’s premiere throwers in No. 11 Arizona State’s Turner Washington. The Sun Devil thrower is listed as a candidate for The Bowerman by the USTFCCCA.

The Cougars closed the competition day at Sun Angel Stadium with the men’s 200m. Three BYU sprinters finished in the top-10 of 36, with Dallin Draper at sixth, Landon Maxfield in eighth and Jared Davis at ninth. Davis set a new personal-best at 21.35.

Women's Recap
In Tempe, Leah Thompson jumped from No. 9 to No. 7 all-time in the discus throw with a new personal best mark of 52.00m/170-7. The mark was good for a sixth-place finish in the event.

Adaobi Tabugbo represented the Cougars at Arkansas, winning the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.56. Annalise Hart set a new personal best in the 400m with a time of 55.95, placing third in the event.

Also placing third was Kayla Perry in the 400m hurdles, running a 1:01.87. Cierra Tidwell-Allphin finished second in the high jump with a mark of 1.78m/5-10.

BYU will continue the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe on Saturday with the javelin at 12:30 p.m. PDT and will also compete at the Aggie Invitational in Logan beginning with the long jump at 11 a.m. MDT.