The EWU track team returned from the Big Sky Indoor Championships in Flagstaff, Arizona last weekend with three newly crowned, title winning athletes. The women’s team finished the weekend fourth overall with 52 points, while the men’s team came in seventh with 39 points. Six athletes medaled overall for the Eagles.

“I feel the teams that placed between fourth and tenth are pretty evenly matched,” woman’s head coach Maria Mecklenburg said. “I am so proud of our crew for making it out of that indoor championship in that fourth place spot.”

The men’s and women’s teams both improved on their performances from last year, where both teams finished in eighth place.

“We felt there were points left on the board, but the team’s effort over the past few days was outstanding,” men’s head coach Stan Kerr said. “We are excited to wrap up the indoor season with numerous personal records.”

Defending long jump champion and Big Sky triple jump leader Keshun McGee missed out on what were expected points for the Eagles with a couple of disappointing results. His triple jump of 46-9 feet was five feet less than his season’s best and good for twelfth place. McGee led the Eagles with 18 points in the championships last season.

EWU’s pole vaulters swept the event, taking first place in both the men’s and women’s sides. Junior Elizabeth Prouty cleared a personal best of 13-3 feet for her Big Sky title and junior Larry Still won his second Big Sky title with a clearance of 16-8 1/4 feet.

“Larry Still showed why he is a champion today,” said Kerr. “Him winning the pole vault was one of those distinguished lifetime performances. We’re very proud of how Larry represented EWU today.”

Junior Aaron Pullin was another medalist for the Eagles in the pole vault, finishing third with a clearance of 15-8 1/2 feet.

“Going into this meet I said the pole vault was our bread and butter and that crew pulled it off again,” said Mecklenburg. “Elizabeth’s win was the third win a row at the Big Sky Championships in the pole vault for our EWU women.”

Anandae Clark won the pole vault for the EWU woman last season.

Senior EWU women’s sprinter Rebecca Tarbert came in first place in the 60 meters with a time of 7.42 seconds as freshman Alexis Rolan was right behind her in second place at a time of 7.45 seconds. Rolan earned herself another second place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 24.18 seconds.

“With the vault crew as our bread and butter, the meat and potatoes of the team at this meet were Rebecca Tarbert and Alexis Rolan,” said Mecklenburg. “They have done it all year long and they did it again at Big Sky’s.”

Rolan was named the Big Sky Conference Female Freshman of the Year by the league office on Monday.

The outdoor track and field season will begin on March 17, at the Whitworth University Buc Scoring Invitational in Spokane.