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DAY ONE RECAP

AUSTIN, Texas — In six weeks, Akayla Anderson and Genna Settle could be right back where they were Saturday, as the Viking seniors put themselves in qualifying position for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds – set to be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium, the site of Saturday's Texas Invitational – with a pair of Big Sky-leading marks in the 100 hurdles and 100 meters, respectively. Settle lowered her own Big Sky-leading time in the 200 meters, as well, giving the Vikings three conference-leading marks on the day.
 
The Big Sky-leading marks for Anderson and Settle followed a Big Sky-leading performance from Ta'mara Richey Friday, when she took over the conference lead in the triple jump with a personal best of 40-11.50 (12.48m). The Vikings came into the Texas Invitational with only one Big Sky-leading mark to their name – Settle in the 200m – but will leave with four, barring standout performances elsewhere in the conference.
 
Anderson posted the first Big Sky-leading time of the day in the 100-meter hurdles, as she finished in 13.71 seconds to beat the previous leading time of 13.77 seconds by six-hundredths of a second. Anderson surpassed Weber State's Tawnie Moore for the Big Sky lead in the 100-meter hurdles, the same person who beat Anderson for the Big Sky title in the 60-meter hurdles in February.
 
Additionally, Anderson moved into a tie for 34th in the NCAA West region – based on times coming into the weekend – putting her in solid contention for a spot in the top 48, which would qualify her for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds at the end of May.
 
Settle, meanwhile, opened her day in the 100 meters, where she finished seventh overall in 11.51 seconds. Settle's time beat the previous best in the Big Sky this season by more than two-tenths of a second, and beat her own seasonal best by more than three-tenths of a second.
 
Professional athletes, or competitors from the SEC or Big 12 were the only athletes to beat Settle in the 100 meters Saturday, and Settle came within five-hundredths of a second of the personal best of 11.46 that she set at last season's Big Sky Outdoor Championships.
 
Like Anderson, Settle also made herself a qualifying contender for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds with her time Saturday, as her time would have ranked 23rd in the NCAA West region, based on times coming into the weekend.
 
Settle could also contend for a qualifying spot in the 200 meters, though she'll have to lower her time from Saturday. Settle finished the 200 in 23.91 seconds at the Texas Invitational, .06 ahead of the time of 23.97 seconds that she ran at the Trojan Invitational, but out of the top 48 of the NCAA West region for now at least.
 
In addition to the conference-leading marks, all the Vikings competing at the meet set seasonal bests Saturday, including two in the women's long jump for Richey and senior Brandi Williams. Richey finished ninth with a seasonal-best jump of 19-04.25 (5.90m), moving her up to second in the Big Sky this season. Williams, meanwhile, placed second in her flight and 14th overall with a Portland State personal best of 19-00.75 (5.81m) – a mark that also moves her up to ninth all-time at Portland State.
 
Richey now ranks second only to Northern Arizona's Shanice McPherson in the long jump, and McPherson ranks second in the nation off her Big Sky-leading jump of 21-02.00 (6.45m) at the Texas Relays.
 
Senior Ben Richardson added a sixth seasonal best for the Vikings in the men's 800 meters, and did so while posting the most dramatic improvement of the day. Richardson finished the 800 in 1:53.56, more than five seconds better than his first time in the 800 this season of 1:58.87, set at last week's John Knight Twilight.
 
Richardson has been recovering from an injury he suffered at the Big Sky Indoor Championships at the end of February, but looked closer to his two-time All-Big Sky former self Saturday.
 
The Vikings remain out of state for their next meet, as they head to the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif., April 21-22.
 
Texas Invitational
Austin, Texas
Mike A. Myers Stadium
April 14-15, 2017
 
Women's Results:
100m: 7. Genna Settle, 11.51. 200m: 14. Genna Settle, 23.91. 100H: 12. Akayla Anderson, 13.71. Long Jump: 9. Ta'mara Richey, 19-04.25 (5.90m); 14. Brandi Williams, 19-00.75 (5.81m). Triple Jump: 9. Ta'mara Richey, 40-11.50 (12.48m).
 
Men's Results:
800m: 13. Ben Richardson, 1:53.56.