Waskom, Campbell, Elliott Post Huge Marks For Track

AZUSA, Calif. – Joe Waskom, Nastassja Campbell, and Cass Elliott all achieved major new benchmarks and kept their phenomenal 2023 seasons rolling right along today as Washington finished its productive stint at the Bryan Clay Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays.
 
Waskom, the defending NCAA 1,500-meter Champion, who broke the indoor mile school record this year, leapfrogged two of his current teammates on the Husky record lists tonight as he dropped the 1,500-meter school record down to 3:35.86 at the Bryan Clay.
 
Waskom was third in the elite heat, and second among collegiates, as Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi ran 3:35.16, making him the fourth-fastest in NCAA history. Waskom will rank second in the NCAA this season, and he is now one of just a dozen collegiates to go under 3:36.00 in the 1,500m outdoors.
 
At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., Campbell and Elliott both posted the No. 2 marks in in Husky history in their events.
 
Campbell soared into the NCAA lead with a new lifetime-best in the pole vault, as she cleared 14-11 to win the invite section. Campbell had previously made 14-9 during the indoor season, before she finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor meet. She now ranks behind only Olivia Gruver, the collegiate outdoor record-holder, in Husky history. It also puts her up to No. 3 in Pac-12 Conference history.
 
Elliott finally broke through the 50-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles today, taking second in the elite section behind only Rai Benjamin, the 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist and the second-fastest man ever in the event. Elliott came into the season with a 50.07 PR, and ran 50.05 at the Texas Relays, but today he got easily under the 50-second mark, crossing in 49.65. That made him the fourth Husky ever under that mark, and the second-fastest in school history. It should also put him back up into the top-10 nationally this season.
 
There were plenty more highlights for the Huskies on Saturday, including more top-10 marks in the 1,500m and 400m hurdles.
 
Jonathan Birchman had his own 400m hurdles milestone as he won his section in a PR of 50.61, his first time under 51-seconds. That moved Birchman up to No. 5 in school history.
 
While Waskom got the record, several more Huskies knocked out West Prelim qualifiers in the 1,500-meters. Indoor NCAA Champion Luke Houser went 3:39.41 today, less than two seconds off his PR. Aidan Ryan did earn himself a PR, by six seconds, as he went 3:39.72. That puts Ryan at No….