SEATTLE – The University of Hawai'i track and field team opened its indoor season at University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor facility on Saturday in the UW Indoor Preview, producing numerous personal bests and four top 15 finishes. 
 
Sophomore Lily Lowe tied for best among collegiate competitors in the high jump alongside Oregon's Ashlyn Hare, matching Hare's height at 5-07.00 (1.70m), jumpstarting a promising second season for the Rainbow Wahine. Both collegiate jumpers finished behind 2008 National Champion Arizona jumper Elizabeth Patterson, who competed unattached.
 
Junior Amanda Bowers topped her pole vault flight and reached a new career high of 12-04.00 (3.76m) to tie for 10th, while sophomore Megan Fereira tied for 17th with a new career best of 11-10.00 (3.61m). The pair moved into the ninth and 10th positions on the UH all-time top 10 list.
 
Throwers Haleigh Sudbeck and Michelle Altice were both able to record new top marks. A sophomore, Sudbeck added nearly two feet to finish 14th in the weight throw with a distance of 48-1.75 (14.67m). Her classmate, Altice also made a huge gain in the weight throw, reaching 8-1.25 (14.66m) to finish 15th. Altice also earned 13th in the shot put.
 
On the track, freshman Kristen LaCosse debuted in the UH 400m top 10 at No. 9 with a 59.54 to earn 16th place, while sophomore Tatiana Desender trimmed more than a second from her time to finish 21st with a time of 1:00.02.
 
The Rainbow Wahine closed out the meet with a new program top 10 in the 4x400m relay (composed of Lowe, Desender, Natasha Currence and LaCosse), finishing seventh in a combined time of 3:59.27, recording the best time for UH since 2013.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will return to competition on Jan. 26 back at Dempsey Indoor for two days of competition at the UW Invitational.