Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Northern Arizona And Many Others Seeking NCAA Qualifying Marks At Dempsey Indoor

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

The final regular-season collegiate meet at the Dempsey Indoor in Seattle begins Friday and rolls into Saturday as Washington hosts its fastest competition of the 2023 indoor season for the Husky Classic.

A talented distance lineup headlines the meet as the second-ranked Husky men and fifth-ranked UW women welcome powerhouses Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Northern Arizona, Colorado, and more for a final tune-up heading into championship season.

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Defending NCAA champion in the 3,000 meters, Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State, enters the event with teammates Natalie Cook and Billah Jepkirui as they’ll face off against another top trio in New Mexico's  Gracelyn Larkin, Samree Dishon and Stefanie Parsons.

Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell and Grace Fetherstonhaugh are among top competitors who’ve both produced sub-9 minute performances already this season.

Other notable names include Lauren Gregory from Arkansas, Ella Baran of Colorado, Laura Pellicoro of Portland and Annika Reiss of Northern Arizona in the invitational section.

Arkansas’s Mia Cochran and Furman’s Abigail Robertson match-up in the next-to-fastest section.

Montana State’s Duncan Hamilton, the NCAA runner-up in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, will look for a bounce back win in the men’s 3,000 after losing in the mile last weekend in Spokane. The junior is ranked fifth in the country with a time of 7:43.27 and will race Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi and Ryan Schoppe, Arkansas’ Lexington Hilton and Washington’s Luke Houser. Gonzaga’s Wil Smith, who became the Zags’ first sub-4 miler in school history last weekend in his win against Hamilton, rounds out the field of top competitors.

Section six features three runners apiece from NAU, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. NAU’s Santiago Prosser, Brody Hasty and Theo Quax are just some of the notable names.

Saturday’s racing features the four Washington women who last weekend in Boston set the collegiate record in the DMR of 10:46.62. 

Sophie O’Sullivan, who ran a 3:16.24 1,200 split to kick off the record-setting event, will race in the mile against OK State’s Roe and Cook, OSU’s Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh, New Mexico’s Parsons and Dishon and UP’s Pellicoro. 

NAU’s Reiss will also race the mile in section eight with Washington’s Chloe Forester.

Carley Thomas, Marlena Preigh and Anna Gibson are slated to run in the 800. Kentucky duo Sydney Steely and Jenna Schwinghamer will face the Husky trio, along with Oklahoma State’s Gabija Galvydyte. 

UW’s Forester will also run in section five, facing Ella Nelson of Oregon and Deanna Martin of Kentucky. 

Washington’s Aaron Ahl, one of eight Huskies to run under four minutes in the mile two weekends ago, leads the men’s mile field featuring seven other sub-4 milers in the invitational section. Oklahoma State’s Juan Diego Castro and Iowa State’s Nehemia Too are the only other athletes to dip up under four this season.

NAU freshman Colin Sahlman and Quax are also on the entry list. 

Another Washington sub-4 miler, Nathan Green, is entered in the men’s 800 with teammate Sam Ellis, running unattached, Idaho’s Lorenz Herrmann and New Mexico’s Ethan Brouw.

A few high school standouts are among the field competing. Oregon City OR’s Sophia Beckmon will race the women’s 200, followed by an appearance in the long jump. Central Catholic OR’s Wes Shipsey will race in section four of the men’s mile and Carter Cutting of Wilsonville OR is entered in section four of the men’s 800.

Friday night action begins with the women’s 5,000 as Arkansas’ Sydney Thorvaldson, San Francisco’s Ruby Smee and New Mexico’s Amelia Mazza-Downie face off. Utah duo Emily Venters and Keelah Barger and Colorado’s India Johnson make up a Pac-12 trio that will be in the mix as well for a fast time.

Washington’s Leo Daschbach will race for the first time since cross country season and teammate Isaac Green will join him in the 5,000. Furman’s Carson Williams and Dylan Schubert are also in the men’s 5,000.