SAN FRANCISCO – Some of the youngest University of Hawai'i track athletes produced some of the strongest finishes in competition Friday at both the Stanford Invitational and the SFSU Distance Carnival.
 
Getting things started for the Rainbow Wahine at the Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field, Murray, Ky. freshman Lily Lowe kept on pace with her steady rookie season, reaching 5-8.75 (1.75m) in the invitational high jump to finish second behind Olympian Elizabeth Patterson.
 
On the track in Stanford, Lowe's classmate, Powell River, B.C.'s Calli-Ann Abbott advanced to the nine-runner 100m hurdles final with a 14.69-second finish in her heat on Friday. Also in the hurdles, senior Courtney Andre' notched a personal best in the 400m hurdles with a 14th-place time of 1:03.18 – moving up to No. 8 on the UH all-time performances list.
 
Leading the throwers at Stanford, Burlingame, senior Sabrina Mendoza was competing about 20 miles from her hometown of Burlingame, Calif., placing sixth in the invitational shot put with a mark of 45-08.00 (13.92m). Joining her in the event, freshman Michell Altice earned ninth with a mark of 42-2.00 (12.85m), while senior Mary Kamau came in fourth in the collegiate shot put with a mark of 40-6.75 (12.36m).  

Sophomore Karen Bulger finished eighth in the invitational javelin with a 142-04 (43.38m) throw. 
 
In the pole vault, sophomore Amanda Bowers tied for seventh with a height of 12-05.50 (3.80m), reaching a new personal best and No. 9 on the UH all-time list, edging out seniors Amber Kozaki (10th, 11-11.75/3.65m) and Natasha Black (12th, 11-11.75/3.65m), who both added Big West qualifying performances today, as well as a PR for Black.
 
Further north, at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival at Cox Stadium, freshman Tatiana Desender logged a personal best of 10.21m to finish 12th in the triple jump. Meanwhile, in the distance portion of the day, senior senior Caitlyn Foss opened up at SFSU with a personal-best 38:19.65 (35th) in the 10,000m to place eighth on the UH all-time list. Sophomore Tristan Setzer also reached a new PR of 4:43.31 (52nd) in the 1,500m). Sophomore Piper McDonald finished 16th in her 3,000m steeeplechase section, dropping 30 seconds off her career best time for a mark of 12:13.55.
 
The Rainbow Wahine return to action on Saturday at both Bay Area meets.