The UCSB women’s indoor track and field team competed in their first meet of the season as they traveled north to Seattle for the UW Invite hosted by the University of Washington over the last two days.
One of the biggest highlights for the Gauchos was Sarah Chaves, a redshirt sophomore from Sacramento. She tied the UCSB record for the 3,000-meter run, earning a time of 9:46.38 in the first meet of the season.
The Gauchos saw much success in jumps. Both Shay Hawkes and Jessica Swalve made the finals in the high jump as they each jumped a height of 1.55 meters. In the long jump, Emma Barthel and Kennedy Johnson each had great performances, going 5.40 and 5.39 meters, respectively. This gave Barthel an eighth-place finish while Johnson ended in ninth. Along with that, Johnson continued her success in the triple jump. The freshman finished fourth in this event, registering a distance of 11.86 meters. Jiana Boston also finished highly in eighth place with a 10.96-meter performance.
Not only were the Gauchos successful in the jumps, but the throws also resulted in success for the team. Amanda Spear competed in the weight throw, finishing fifth with a throw of 15.59 meters, a new PR. Swalve also competed in the shot put during this meet as she grabbed a seventh-place finish with a 12.85-meter throw.
UCSB will continue with their season next weekend as the Gauchos compete in the New Mexico Collegiate Classic hosted by the University of New Mexico. This will be the site of the NCAA Indoor Championships, giving them the chance to compete in the facility before the championships.
Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.
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