FULLERTON, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i track and field team got to stretch their legs and then some at the Ben Brown Invitational on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on Friday and Saturday. Junior Kristen LaCosse and freshman Hallee Layman led the way for the Rainbow Wahine with event wins on the weekend. 

"It was great to finally have a chance to compete," UH head coach Tim Boyce said. "We appreciate everyone who made this possible and look forward to opportunities to continue our season.

"We had some great efforts and a few very solid results in this first outdoor meet in 22 months; future meets will even better represent the talent our women have."

Hawai'i got the action going on Friday afternoon with the throwing events and pole vault. Three Rainbow Wahine made finals in the hammer with freshmen Montserrat Montanes i Arbo and Layman finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, both throwing more than 47 meters. 

Sophomore Kathryn Philpott finished third in the javelin with a 41.23-meter toss in the javelin. Philpott's best throw of her collegiate career is 41.31 meters. 

In the discus, Layman won the event on her final throw, a 47.77-meter throw, the seventh-best throw in school history. Junior Brittany Kamau finished eighth in the shot put. 

Freshman Sophia Lodigiani ran Hawai'i's 10th fastest 5,000 meters with a 17 minute 49.30 second time over 12 and a half laps. And junior Olivia Hill ran a seven second PR in the 1,500 meters with 4:44.72 time.

On Saturday, LaCosse got Hawaii started with a silver medal in the long jump, a 5.55-meter leap on her third attempt. 

Freshman Anna Marx and senior Calli-Ann Abbott each jumped 1.50-meters in the high jump.

In the 400-meter relay, Hawai'i's relay team of LaCosse, sophomore Imagine Patterson, freshmen Alyssa Mae Antolin and Tierra Sydnor finished third with a 47.44 second time. The 47.44 puts all four in Hawai'i record books with the fifth-fastest 400 relay time in UH history. 

LaCosse had enough time to rest during the men's 110-meter hurdles before racing in the women's 100-meter hurdles. The junior finished won the event with a 14.70 second time. She then turned around and finished second just a few races later in the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:1.88 second time.