Results

STERLING, Ill. -- Jake Adkins and Morgan Pressley won individual golds and the HBU women's distance medley relay squad rolled to victory Saturday on the first day of the Great West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at Westwood Sports Center.

Adkins shattered the school record in the 35-pound weight throw on his final attempt to move from fourth to first with a massive 17.41 meters/57-1.5 toss that beat his previous best by almost three feet and toppled the HBU record set by Jarrett Gilliam last year.

In the women's long jump, Pressley also came from behind to grab gold with a 5.39m/17-8.25 leap that edged Seattle's silver medalist Katie Tougas by a quarter-inch. Pressley also won the long jump at last year's GWC Outdoor Championships.

Strong performances over all four legs carried the Huskies to gold in the women's distance medley relay at 12:26.97. Jessica Whitt led off with a stellar 1200 leg, followed by senior Candace Montgomery, who extended the lead on her 400 carry. Jamie Whitt maintained the margin on her 800 leg, with Hiba Kreidie holding off Seattle's anchor leg over the final 10 meters of her 1600 leg to win by .05.

The team's other medal on the first day came from the men's distance medley relay, which picked up a bronze based heavily on the sterling 1600 anchor carry by Matt Perri. Perri made up more than 20 meters on the leaders over the eight-lap leg as HBU finished at 10:27.13.

Other top scorers in Saturday finals for the Huskies included freshmen Michael Roberts and Brice Christian, who went 5-6 in the men's long jump, and Jade Penick (4th) and Ashleigh Alfaro (8th) in the women's 20-pound weight throw. Cassie Juarez ended up seventh in the women's pentathlon.

The 5000's saw two top-eight finishes, with Maximo Mendoza placing seventh in the men's race and Emily Shulik taking eighth for the women. Angela Rojas ran a season best to take 11th in that race.

PRELIMS

Two-time GWC 60 champ Brittane Gaines zipped to a championships record 7.50 in the prelims of the short dash, and will be joined by Skyla Williams and Amber Goodson in Sunday's final.

One of the strongest efforts for the Huskies came in the women's 400 prelims, where all six HBU athletes advanced to the final behind a pair of sub-59- second races by Pressley and Tramisha McGrew. Four HBU runners advanced to the final of the women's 200, led by fastest qualifier Joslyn Cooper.

Not to be outdone, three HBU men advanced to the final of the 400, topped by Brice Christian's 51.44, the third-fastest qualifying time. LaDarien Harris won his heat of the 400 to move on, and also sneaked into the 200 final.

Jessica Whitt and Anthony Aguinaga were easy qualifiers for the finals of the 800, and Gabe O'Neale made it to the final eight in the 60 and 60 hurdles. Montgomery and Kourtney Lofton will represent the Huskies in the women's 60 hurdles final.

Utah Valley leads both team title chases, and HBU is third in the team scoring behind North Dakota. Competition resumes Sunday morning at 8:30 with the triple jump.