SPOKANE, Wash. — Eastern Oregon kicked off a fresh indoor season in style at the Spokane Invitational held at The Podium on Saturday. One record fell and several Mounties etched their names in the top-10 record book for EOU Indoor Track and Field.
 
Next up for EOU Indoor Track and Field is the University of Idaho Lauren McClusky Invite on Friday, January 19, and Saturday, January 20. The Mounties will head up to Moscow, Idaho that weekend to kickoff 2024 action.
 
MEN
Eastern Oregon's Men's Track and Field team showed up in a big way to start the season.
 
Tanner Nett, a standout in shot put, added another feather to his cap by expanding upon his own indoor shot put record. Nett's throw of 17 meters shattered his previous record of 16.48 meters set in 2023. With his exceptional performance, Nett secured an "A" Standard mark and earned a coveted spot at the national competition scheduled for late February and early March.
 
In the 5000-meter race, Justin Ash demonstrated an outstanding performance, clocking in at 15:03.42. This achievement propelled him to a second-place mark in program history, trailing only behind DJ Flores, the all-time record holder with a time of 14:36 set in 2014.
 
The 60-meter race showcased several quality performances. Bryson Spears, who set a personal record with an impressive time of 7.08 seconds, earned the fifth overall position in program history for the event. Hot on his heels, Osman Osman finished with a time of 7.11 seconds, securing the sixth spot in EOU Indoor Track and Field history. Mason Nichols also worked his way into the top 10 achieving a personal record of 7.18 seconds.
 
In the highly competitive 60-meter hurdles, TJ Davis continued to assert his dominance by improving upon his second all-time mark with a time of 8.17 seconds. Despite falling short of the record set by Matt Kirkendall (8.14 seconds) in 2018, Davis's performance earned him an "A" Standard to open the year.
 
WOMEN
On the women's side, some fresh faces made a name for themselves early.
 
In the 60-meter race, freshman Taylor Joyce left a significant mark by clocking in at 7.99 seconds, earning her a spot in the top-10 in program history at ninth overall.
 
Freshman Jaiden Cochran demonstrated her ability in her first meet of the year in the 5,000-meter race, surging into third place all-time in program history with an impressive time of 19:07.31. Cohort Kaleah Hines joined the ranks of top performers, posting a notable time of 20:20.92, which now stands as the 7th best in EOU history in the event.
 
Taylor Joyce continued her stellar performance later on in the day by making her presence felt in the pole vault event. Joyce, with a mark of 10'4", not only secured a tie for sixth place in program history but also posted a personal record as well.