Huskies Break NCAA Record In 4x800m At Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA – For the second time this year, the Washington women have rewritten the NCAA recordbooks. The Huskies broke the distance medley relay NCAA Record indoors in February, and today they set a new NCAA Record in the 4×800-meter relay, in the process winning the program’s first ever Penn Relays Championship of America title.
 
Marlena Preigh, Wilma Nielsen, Samantha Friborg, and Chloe Foerster combined to win the 4x800m Championship of America at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, running a time of 8:17.28 that was just under the 8:17.45 time set by Villanova in 2013.
 
It was a dramatic finish fitting for a collegiate record, as UW and Providence were battling on the final lap. Providence had a half-step edge but dropped its baton with about 50 meters to go and was DQ’d. Duke in second-place was 11 seconds behind the Huskies, in 8:28.37.
 
Splits were 2:07.94 on the opening carry for Preigh, then 2:05.06 for Nielsen. Friborg had a massive 2:02.12 to bring the Huskies back into the front with Providence, and then Foerster anchored in 2:02.17.
 
Foerster and Preigh were both on the collegiate record-breaking DMR indoors as well.
 
Earlier in the day, the Huskies placed seventh in the 4×1500 Championship of America. The team of Haley Herberg, Julia David-Smith, India Weir, and Ella Borsheim ran 18:04.26.
 
Fresno State Invitational
 
Washington also had a stellar day at the Fresno State Invitational, highlighted by the No. 2 marks in school history in the men’s javelin and women’s discus, the No. 3 women’s triple jump in school history, and more event wins in the women’s pole vault, men’s triple jump, men’s high jump, and the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
 
Chandler Ault fired the best throw by a Husky in the javelin in 13 years, and No. 2 toss ever, becoming just the second Dawg to surpass 250-feet. Ault went 251-1 on his third attempt, just two feet shy of the School Record of 253-5 set by three-time All-American Kyle Nielsen in 2011. Ault now climbs up to No. 7 in the NCAA and the USA this season with that toss. Ault’s second-best today was also beyond his former PR, as he went 245-10 in round two.
 
In the women’s discus, Beatrice Asomaning moved up to No. 2 at UW with a new personal-best of 186-feet that she connected on her sixth and final attempt. Like Ault, Asomaning also had an earlier throw past her old best, as she went 185-9 in round three, initially bettering her old PR of 183-7 from the 2022 season. Asomaning, the…