The Huskies headed into the Sun Angel Classic expecting good weather — but got a taste of home instead.

“We flew to Tempe, Ariz., to get Seattle weather,” said track and field head coach Greg Metcalf. “It was 60 degrees and rainy on Saturday.”

But the weather wasn’t a really big deal, Metcalf added.

Indeed, the Huskies performed just fine in spite of the rain and cold, netting eight new regional qualifiers in the meet.

The pole vaulters, however, didn’t fare as well in the weather.

“The pole vaulters were the most adversely affected because the winds really sucked,” Metcalf said. “It was just horrible.”

Luckily for the Huskies, their top pole vaulters already punched tickets to regionals in the first week of the outdoor season. Senior Jared O’Connor was even able to place second on the men’s side, clearing a height of 16-6 3/4 feet.

In his outdoor debut, five-time All-American Jordan Boase once again scored a regional qualifier with a win in the 400-meter run at the Sun Angel Classic.

“More importantly than the timing, he got a really big win,” Metcalf said. “He competed in a great field.”

Boase, ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 400, defeated two other top-10 sprinters in the event, including teammate Jeff Gudaitis, who also earned a regional qualifier.

Freshman Christine Babcock led the way for the women with a regional-qualifying run in the 800 meters, breaking the UW’s freshman record in the event.

“I couldn’t be more happy with her 800-meter college debut. It was awesome,” Metcalf said. “The field was loaded. She beat great athletes and ran great.”

Babcock already has All-American honors from cross country and indoor track, and she already qualified for regionals in the 1500-meter run earlier this season.

Distance runners Austin Abbott, Katie Follett, Kailey Campbell, Mel Lawrence and thrower Zack Midles round out the rest of the regional-qualifying Huskies this weekend.

Reach reporter Honsen Lin at sports@dailyuw.com.