Brooks Beasts' Drew Windle bursts out of nowhere to make men's 800m finals...

SACRAMENTO—Drew Windle (left/photo by Paul Merca) of the Brooks Beasts borrowed a page from the Nick Symmonds school of 800 meter running and somehow found his way into Sunday’s finals.

In the second of two semi-final heats, Windle, who was in last through 500 meters, worked his way back into the race, to get near the top four spots with 100 meters to go.

Beasts teammate Shaq Walker, who was near the front of the group as they came off the final turn, could not hang on to one of the four positions to advance to Sunday’s finals, as he faded to sixth in the heat, running 1:47.02.

Windle ran 1:46.69 to take second overall in the heat, as Abraham Alvarado of BYU took the win in 1:46.62.

Hannah Fields of the Beasts was fifth in her semi-final in the 800, running 2:03.01, while Washington alum Baylee Mires was sixth in her heat in 2:03.62.

Both recent Washington State grad CJ Allen (49.91) and Cougar alum Jeshua Anderson (50.30) advanced to Saturday’s semis in the 400 hurdles.

In the one final involving an athlete with Washington ties, Squalicum HS alum David Elliott was 15th in the men’s 5000, running 14:09.69.  Former Puyallup resident Hassan Mead, who was entered in that event, didn’t start after winning the 10000 Thursday night.

Saturday, Camas’ Alexa Efraimson and UW alum Eleanor Fulton go in the finals of the women’s 1500. In the men’s 1500 finals, Auburn/Riverside Jordan McNamara will race in that event, while Washington alum Mel Lawrence and Pasco HS grad Marisa Howard will contest the finals of the women’s steeplechase.  Reigning national champ Devon Allen starts his quest for another national title in the men’s 110 hurdles.


In the USATF Junior championships, Washington freshman Khalil Winfrey finished eighth in the finals of the men’s 100 meter dash, running 11.06.

In the women’s 100 finals, Aliya Wilson of Tahoma HS was also eighth, running 11.88.

Cass Elliott of West Seattle HS missed the finals of the 400 hurdles by one spot, running 52.07 to take third in his heat.

Seattle Pacific freshman Alyssa Foote was eleventh in the women’s 5000 in a time of 17:40.65.  In the women’s shot put, Washington’s Angel Nkownta was 16th with a best of 44-6.25 (13.57m).

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