NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – With huge event-winning performances by a pair of Rainbow Wahine, the University of Hawai'i track and field team concluded team competition on Saturday at the Big West Championships, finishing ninth overall at the Matador Track & Field Complex.
 
"Couldn't be prouder of how the team competed the last two days. Huge for the Rainbow Wahine to have two Big West Champions, we're excited for the future of this program. Special thanks to our coaches and staff and especially to our departing seniors," first-year head coach Tim Boyce said.
 
Producing the first hammer throw conference winner for UH since 2005, sophomore Haleigh Sudbeck topped the field with a mark of 184-04 (56.20m), collecting the win by nearly a foot.
 
Joining Sudbeck as conference champion after finishing fifth last year, sophomore Lily Lowe matched set a new career high to earn gold in the high jump with a height of 6-00.50 (1.84m). With the new height, Lowe moves into a tie with Samantha Balentine for second place in the UH history books, while also moving into a tie for first in the NCAA West region and sixth in the nation.
 
In Saturday's 400m hurdles final, freshman Kristen LaCosse again achieved a new career best, finishing fourth in her first Big West final with a time of 1:00.56, moving up again to fourth on the all-time UH performances list.
 
LaCosse later joined the 4x400m relay as the opening leg, along with Natasha Currence, Tatiana Desender and Emily Stack, to reach the fifth-best UH total time of 3:53.35.
 
Rounding out the scorers for UH, junior Karen Bulger was eighth in the shot put with a toss of 42-08.00 (13.00m).
 
The Rainbow Wahine finished ninth overall in the team standings, but accrued 44 points to improve over 2017's score of 29. Now the top-tier members wait to see how the rest of the conference championships shake out to see if any will be joining the sure-fire qualifier, Lowe, at the NCAA West Regional on May 24-26 in Sacramento, Calif.