MOSCOW – Whether they were in the Kibbie Dome or Midwest America, University of Idaho track and field athletes looked to be near the top of their game Saturday, as the men’s and women’s teams hosted the McDonald’s Collegiate and a pair of big-time throwers traveled to the Husker Invitational.

Senior thrower Russ Winger successfully defended his shot put title at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational with an NCAA-leading throw of 65-1½ to beat out his nearest competitor, the nation’s second-ranked shot putter, by more than three feet.

Winger wrapped up an impressive weekend at the Husker Invitational, where he also took third in the weight throw on Friday. Along with his top ranking in the shot put, Winger is also now ranked in the top 10 in the 35-lb. weight throw.

“It’s a great meet and a great performance for him,” Idaho throws coach Julie Taylor said. “His attitude is that he wants to do anything he can to help his team.

“We don’t end up investing a huge amount of time into the weight, because he wants to do so well in the shot put, so having him do so well in both events is pretty amazing.”

The Nebraska meet staff took notice of Winger’s efforts, too. He was awarded the meet’s Outstanding Performance Award at the conclusion of the meet.

Junior thrower Matt Wauters was slightly disappointed with his second-place finish in Friday’s weight throw, so “he kind of took it out on the shot put today,” according to Taylor. Wauters threw a lifetime-best 55-10½, nearly a foot better than his previous best, to take sixth.

“When Matt came to Idaho, we actually recruited him as a shot putter, but the weight and hammer have turned into his best events,” Taylor said. “He was very happy, because that now puts him second in the conference and I know he really wants to help the team.”

Back at Moscow, Vandals and former Vandals put up some of the Western Athletic Conference’s and world’s best times of the season.

Former Vandal athlete and current assistant coach Angela Whyte blazed her way to a facility record and a top-five world ranking with a 7.96 in the women’s 60m hurdles.

A pair of Idaho vaulters raised the bar in the WAC on Saturday. K.C. Dahlgren cleared an NCAA provisional qualifying mark for the third straight meet and hit a lifetime best of 13-3¾ to win the women’s vault by more than a foot. After sliding to 13th in the NCAA after not competing last weekend, Dahlgren climbed back up into the top 10 with the nation’s ninth-best vault of the season.

Lucas Pope easily cleared the competition on the men’s side as he went a lifetime-best 16-0¾ and took the WAC lead away from teammate Mike Carpenter, who didn’t compete. Pope is the only vaulter in the conference this season to have cleared 16 feet.

“Our vaults coach Jason Graham has been talking about how Lucas has just been money in practice for the past few weeks, so it’s great to see him transfer that into competition today,” Idaho co-head coach Wayne Phipps said. “To finally go over 16 feet is fantastic. I’m really proud of him.”

Phipps and fellow co-head coach Yogi Teevens, the prospect of being at home for a meet is great for the athletes, because they are familiar with the track and because they have the support of fans and family.

“I think always when you’re at home you have an advantage,” Teevens said. “They have a lot of friends out here and we have a lot of parents who came out to support their kids.

“You’re sleeping in your own bed and you’re competing in your home facility where you practice every day, so it’s really good.”

The Vandals will try to ride the wave of this week’s momentum into next weekend, when they host the Vandal Indoor, sponsored by Runner’s Soul of Spokane. The meet will take place on Friday, Feb. 9 and will be followed on Saturday by the McDonald’s Open. Both events will be held at the Kibbie Dome.