AZUSA, Calif. – She has been working toward it … coming close … and waiting for it.
On Friday night, it finally happened.
Call it a Madison's Magical Moment.
Seattle Pacific senior pole vaulter
Madison Licari got over a 12-foot bar for the first time in her career, clearing exactly that height on the final day of the Bryan Clay Invitational track and field meet.
Licari, who had gone as high as 11 feet, 10½ inches – that as a freshman in 2019 at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships – made it on her first attempt.
"At the last meet (the PLU Invitational, at which she cleared a season-best 11-8), the bar went from there to 12-3. I had a really good look at 12-3, so I definitely felt it was coming soon," Licari said.
She passed on Friday's first two bars, coming into the competition at 10-6¼. Licari cleared that one on her first try, then needed a second attempt to get over 11-0¼. She then got 11-6¼ on her first attempt.
From there, the bar moved up to 12 feet even.
Not only did Licari get over it, she did so with room to spare.
Madison Licari
"I was surprised because I had quite a decent amount of height on it," she said. I was like, 'Wait – I didn't even touch the bar. Is it still up there?'"
It was still up there.
"Everything was going great today," she said. "I was running really well, and I actually got on the biggest pole that I've been on this season."
She and four others cleared the 12-footer. The next height was 12-6, but all five missed at that one. Her first-attempt clearance at 12-0 gave Licari second place in the Open A Division.
"I had a good look at 12-6 on the second attempt. But on the third attempt, I definitely needed a bigger pole," Licari said.
Heading into the final month of her career, Licari is hoping Friday's performance will be just the confidence boost she needs to go another bar or two higher.
"This is great timing, for sure," she said. "I'm feeling good about it."
Kainoa Lee
ANOTHER 'W' FOR LEE
Kainoa Lee kept his successful season going in the men's pole vault. He won the men's Open B Division by getting over at 14 feet, 8¼ inches.
That was Lee's second-highest mark of the year – and his second win in a row. His only higher clearance came last Saturday at PLU when he went 14-10 to claim the win.
AND THAT'S NOT ALL
Libby Michael
--
Libby Michael smashed her personal-best in the women's 1500 meters. Racing in the Open A Division, Michael came across the finish line in 4 minutes, 37.30 seconds. That was a drop of nearly nine seconds from her previous best of 4:46.13, which she set on April 1 at the West Coast Relays in Clovis, California. Michael came into the year with a PB of 4:58.39 from March 2021. Since then, she has lowered it four times, to 4:53.29, then 4:48.51, then 4:46.13, and now 4:37.30.
--
Julius Shepherd logged a personal-best time of 56.66 seconds in the men's 400-meter hurdles. His previous best was 56.73 on April 30, 2021 at the Buc Scoring Invite in Spokane
--
Jenna Bouyer kept the sub-25s going in the women's 200-meter dash. She posted her third one in as many races this spring, going 24.76.
-- In that same event,
Aniya Green went a PB 25.71. beating her previous low of 25.80 from the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational on March 26.
-- SPU's men's highest placer of the day was
David Njeri in the men's triple jump. He took ninth with a leap of 48 feet, 4½ inches.
-- Isaiah Archer went sub-50 in the 400-meter dash for the second week in a row, this time at 49.95. He had a 49.58 last Saturday at Pacific Lutheran.
UP NEXT
The Falcons head to Ellensburg next Saturday, April 23, for the
Wildcat Invitational. Competition at the Central Washington Recreation Sports Complex begins at 10:00 a.m. in the field and at noon on the track.
NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Bryan Clay Invitational
Thursday-Friday, April 14-15, 2022
Cougar Athletic Stadium / Azusa, Calif.
Team scores – Not kept.
SPU EVENTS ONLY
Thursday
800 – 1, Katy-Ann McDonald (LSU) 2:00.98.
SPU – 128,
Ellie Rising 2:16.17.
Friday
100 – 1, Kyla Richardson (Fresno Pacific) 11.39.
SPU – 33,
Jenna Bouyer 12.09!.
200 – 1, Hannah Heise (Capital City TC) 23.83.
SPU – 26,
Jenna Bouyer 24.76; 53,
Peace Igbonagwam 25.15; 90,
Aniya Green 25.71.
1500 (Open A Division) – 1, Jessica Furlen (Excel Athletika) 4:23.26.
SPU – 70,
Libby Michael 4:37.30; 98,
Ellie Rising 4:40.87; 119,
Kelsey Washenberger 4:47.42.
1500 (Open B Division) – 1, Anna Shults (Colorado) 4:33.47.
SPU – 46,
Nicki Yorges 4:52.36.
Pole vault – 1, Sydney McCann (UC Davis) 12-0 / 3.66m.
SPU – 2,
Madison Licari 12-0 / 3.66m! (McCann gets higher place on fewer misses); T10,
Lizzy Daugherty and
Charlie Hill 11-0¼ 3.36m!.
Long jump – 1, Aasha Marler (Unattached) 20-5 ¼ / 6.23m.
SPU – 47,
Peace Igbonagwam 17-3 ½ / 5.27m.
Mt. Sac Relays
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Hilmer Lodge Stadium / Walnut, Calif.
SPU EVENTS ONLY
10,000 (Elite Division) – 1, Andrea Ramirez (JMRC) 32:37.62.
SPU – 12,
Annika Esvelt 34;20.76#!.
NCAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Bryan Clay Invitational
Thursday-Friday, April 14-15, 2022
Cougar Athletic Stadium / Azusa, Calif.
Team scores – Not kept.
SPU EVENTS ONLY
Thursday
800 – 1, Thomas Staines (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC) 1:45.28.
SPU – 140, Isaiah Archer 1:54.58.
10,000 – 1, Lloyd Young (St. John's – Minn.) 30:24.02.
SPU – 23, Colin Boutin 31:11.10!.
Friday
100 – 1, Dennis Johnson (Texas El Paso) 10.37.
SPU – 87, Jeff Gordon 11.15
200 – 1, E.J. Floreal (Unattached) 20.65.
SPU – 114, Jeff Gordon 42.26.
400 – 1, Jevaughn Powell (Texas El Paso) 46.56.
SPU – 55, Isaiah Archer 49.95; 68, Evan Carpenter 50.50.
1500 (Open B Division) – 1, Evan Bates (Gonzaga) 3:51.17.
SPU – 100, Jon Owen 4:03.80.
400 hurdles – 1, Deyondre Davis (Idaho) 51.60.
SPU – 42, Julius Shepherd 56.66.
Pole vault (Open B Division) – 1, Kainoa Lee (SPU) 14-8 ¼ / 4.48m. No other SPU.
Long jump – 1, Josh Hopkins (Washburn) 26-1 / 7.95m.
SPU – 48, David Njeri 22-1 / 6.73m.
Triple jump – 1, Shyrone Kemp (Montana State Moorhead) 51-8¼ / 15.75m.
SPU – 9, David Njeri 48-4½ / 14.74m.
