Personal Bests A Plenty as Dons Compete in UW Invitational

Friday, January 26

Seattle, Wash.

TBA

University of San Francisco

UW Invitational (Indoor)

Photo by: Christina Leung

1/27/2024 10:24:00 PM | Track and Field

SEATTLE, Wash. – The University of San Francisco women's indoor track & field team kicked off the 2024 season when it competed in the UW Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington, on Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27.

Opening with competition on Friday, Natalie Hlusi and Mathilde Valadier set the tone for Dons in the 3,000-meter run. Hlusi and Valadier shined throughout the race, setting personal bests, as Hlusi earned 16th place with a time of 9:34.52 while Valadier grabbed 33rd with a time of 9:44.99.

San Francisco continued to the momentum heading into Saturday, starting with the 60-meter dash preliminaries. Noa Grochowski, Sophia Priester-Veasley, and Imani Wyatt set new bests in the event, finishing with times of 8.00, 8.02, and 8.20 seconds, respectively.

Wyatt also competed in the 400-meter dash, finishing in 23rd place and coming back to earn a personal-best time of 59.82 seconds.

Olivia Alexandre flourished in the 800-meter run, earning a sixth-place finish with a time of 2:09.36.

The Dons finished strong as Hannah Kehoe, Julia Morales, Kamilla Vanadzina, and Lily Mourer set personal bests in the one-mile run. Kehoe led the pack with a 25th-place finish with a time of 4:48.23. Morales (56th – 4:57.96), Vanadzina (66th – 5:00.95), and Mourer (147th – 5:32.58), followed suit.

In the field events, Grochowski set a new program record in the long jump, earning a fourth-place finish out of 28 competitors with a jump of 5.83 meters.

RESULTS:
Friday 3,000-meter run
16. Natalie Hlusi – 9:34.52
33. Mathilde Valadier

Saturday 800-meter run
6. Olivia Alexandre – 2:09.36

Saturday 400-meter dash
23. Imani Wyatt – 59.82

Saturday one-mile run
25. Hannah Kehoe – 4:48.23
38. Natalie Hlusi – 4:52.58
50. Mathilde Valadier – 4:55.98
56. Julia Morales – 4:57.96
66. Kamilla Vanadzina – 5:00.95
140. Marlee Kwasnica – 5:27.18
147. Lily Mourer – 5:32.58
154. Kaylee Noda – 5:38.76

Saturday Long Jump
4. Noa Grochowski – 5.83 meters

CATCHING UP WITH COACH RILEY:
"A great start for the Dons this weekend to open up the indoor season. Natalie and Mathilde really set the tone on Friday evening by running big personal bests in the one mile. The momentum kept rolling Saturday with Saffy, Imani, and Noa in the 60m, all setting person bests. Imani came back in the 400 meters to set a PB. In the women's 800 meters, Olivia ran a great tactile race to win the 800 meters and set a new indoor personal best. The milers finish out with day with a good race and a big personal best. 4:48.23 for a freshman is moving and is a USF freshman record. Last but not least, Noa in the long jump set a new USF record of 5.83 meter."

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the Pacific Northwest on Friday, Feb. 9 when it competes in the Husky Classic.

FOLLOW US:
For more information on the San Francisco men's and women's track & field programs, be sure to follow @donsxctf on Twitter, @donsxctf on Instagram and @donsxctf on Facebook.

MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.

SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.