SEATTLE, Wash. – Wil Smith and Caramia Mestler set the tone for the Zags on day one of the Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor on Friday, coming away with a new program bests in their respective events to lead a Zags showing that recorded five all-time Top 10 finishes.
Just a week after becoming the first Zag to dip under four minutes in the mile, Smith returned to the track to break another school record in the men's 3,000 as he clocked a personal best time of 7 minutes, 53.57 seconds to finish 10th overall a high-caliber field. The new time triumphs James Mwaura mark of 7:54.50 set back last season at the UW Invitational, and ranks No. 43 in the nation.
Yacine Guermali ran 8:02.47 in his section of the 3,000 to finish 26th overall, while Cooper Laird came short of his personal best, running a time of 8:16.83 to place 60th.
Mestler clocked in at 16:23.54 seconds to place 29th overall, besting the previous best time of 16:25.35 set by Shelby Mills at the 2016 edition of the Husky Classic.
Rosina Machu chomped down another 10 seconds in the women's 3,000 for the third time this season to run a personal best time of 9:35.01 to place 54th, moving her to No. 5 in program history. Brittney Hansen also cracked the school's top 10 with a personal best 72nd place run of 9:44.18 to move to No. 9. Trailing those two were Anna Grabowski (80th, 9:53.18) and Makenna Edwards (94th, 10:02.6) coming away with more personal best efforts to finish in the top 100.
Bryce Cerkowniak set a new personal best in the men's 5,000 with a time of 14:28.68 to place 56th, moving him into a tie for 10th best in program history with Kyle Radosevich. Aidan Baughan (58th, 14:29.65), Riley Moore (64th, 14:36.19) and Nicola DiMartino (72nd, 14:49.01) rounded out the Zag participants.
Men's 3000m
10. Wil Smith – 7:53.57
26. Yacine Guermali – 8:02.47
60. Cooper Laird – 8:16.83
Women's 3,000m
54. Rosina Machu – 9:35.01
72. Brittney Hansen – 9:44.18
80. Anna Grabowski – 9:53.18
94. Makenna Edwards – 10:02.06
Men's 5,000m
56. Bryce Cerkowniak -14:28.68
58. Aidan Baughan – 14:29.65
64. Riley Moore – 14:36.19
72. Nicola DiMartino – 14:49.01
Women's 5,000m
29. Caramia Mestler - 16:23.54
