For each women’s individual event contested, including the heptathlon, the top 22 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 16 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted into the competition.

Headlining the travel party is freshman Javelin thrower Allie Hadley who currently holds the best mark in Division III this spring with a throw of 45.54m. She is following in the footsteps of Britlyn Garrett who was crowned the 2012 Javelin national champion last spring with a personal-best and CLU record final-throw of 47.14m.

The 4x100m Relay team of Kendall Sauter, Lauren Rohach, Amanda Hamilton and Amy Galipeau enter the meet ranked 15^th in a time of 47.83, which is actually a tie with the Texas Lutheran team in the final spot. Lauren Kennedy will travel as the alternate.

A trio of those Regals is double-dipping with both Rohach and Sauter competing in the Long Jump and Hamilton Triple Jumping. Rohach (5.72m) and Sauter (5.60m) enter the event ranked 13^th and 20^th, respectively. Hamilton is one of three freshmen competing in the Triple Jump. The CLU rookie enters the national meet with the 11^th longest jump this spring, a mark of 11.75m, which is 1.01m off the leading leap.

A pair of distance runners will don the Violet and Gold in Wisconsin. Recently named U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s West Region Athlete of the Year Melissa Skiba is running the 5K. The junior holds the fifth fastest time in the country this season at 16:47.17. Her time puts her roughly 13 seconds off the leader’s pace, though it is a CLU school record. Ashley Frese will run the 1,500m race after clocking a 4:34.30, which ranks her 17^th entering the meet.

The only events that CLU athletes will see Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition are the Long Jump (Ailene Nguyen, Pomona-Pitzer) and Triple Jump (Ellyn Erving, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps).

Kicking off the meet, the women’s Long Jump is set to take place on Thursday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m. (PST) and will be one of three women’s event finals on the opening day. On the track, the 4x100m Relay team will be the first race of the weekend at 2:00 p.m. with the preliminaries.

No one will compete on day two.

The third and final day of competition will feature four straight finals. The field events are the women’s Triple Jump at 1:20 p.m. (PST) and the women’s Javelin at 1:45 p.m. (PST). The 1,500m runners will line up for a finals race at 12:50 p.m. (PST) with the 5,000m final scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (PST).

Should the women’s 4x100m Relay team move into the top-8 after prelims, they will compete in the finals at 12:30 p.m. (PST) on Saturday prior to the 1,500m run.

All points earned by individuals and relays will also go towards the team total. The team awards presentation ceremony is set to being at 4:45 p.m. (PST). The top-8 finishers in each event will earn All-America recognition.

UW-L has hosted NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Nationals three times including 2013. It is the first time since 1997 with the first time taking place in 1986. Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex seats 6,250. The 2013 championships will feature nearly 800 competitors, making the three-day meet the largest single site for number of competitors in any of the championships hosted by the NCAA Division III.

Entries: 2013 NCAA Women’s Track & Field Championships
Schedule: 2013 NCAA Women’s Track & Field Championships Schedule
Meet Information: Wisconsin-La Crosse Website
NCAA Championships: 2013 NCAA Website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

A sophomore from Oak Park, Calif., Skiba is currently ranked fifth at 5000 meters in 16:47.17 and eighth at 1500 meters in 4:30.37. At the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships two weeks ago, she won the 5000 meters title in a time of 17:00.34, breaking a 28-year old SCIAC meet record by 25 seconds. Skiba also won the SCIAC title in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:36.23. The First Team All-SCIAC recipient was unbeatable all season, going undefeated at both 1500 and 5000 meters in SCIAC competition this season.

In only her first season as a Regal, Skiba also broke the school record for the 3000 meter race with a time of 10:05.91.

Skiba will be one of numerous Kingsmen and Regals participating in next weekend’s NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The national championship meet will run from May 23-25 and will be held in Lacrosse, Wis. hosted on the campus of UW-Lacrosse.

Release: USTFCCCA All-Region Awards
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

The highlight of the day for CLU was the 4x 100 meter relay team setting a new school record and recording the 11th fastest time in the country this season. Kendall Sauter, Lauren Rohach, Amanda Hamilton and Amy Galipeau breezed past the field, cruising to a record time of 47.83.

Also leading the way for CLU was Ashley Frese who broke a personal record by over two seconds in the 1500 meter run. The junior from West Hills, Calif. clocked a time of 4:34.30 to claim fourth in the race. Her new personal record was just a couple paces behind All-American teammate Melissa Skiba, who came in third after running a time of 4:32.68.

In the 100 meter race, Galipeau lowered her time by .03 of second, finishing the race in a time of 12.54. Sauter was a tenth of a second behind, clocking a 12.64 and Lauren Kennedy rounded out the CLU sprinters, registering a time of 12.98.

In one of the strongest fields of the day, Cal Lutheran had the seventh and eighth place finishers in the 200 meter race. Rohach led the way with a time of 26.08 and Galipeau was right behind her, crossing the finish-line in a time of 26.45.

The Regals took sixth and seventh place in the pole vault with Mary Case clearing 3.12 meters while teammate Emily Ginter got up and over 2.97 meters.

Cal Lutheran was all over the leaderboard in the long jump competition. Rohach once again paced the Regals with a final leap of 5.60 meters to finish in third. Sauter came in fifth after a jump of 5.41 meters and Case was seventh after recording a mark of 5.09 meters.

Brianna Panapa won the shot put event with a throw of 11.10 meters and her teammate Tori Dahl came in second after a final round mark of 10.52 meters. Panapa also finished third in the discus throw and fourth in the hammer-throw.

Kathi Kirkeby improved her personal best mark in the javelin by nearly two meters Sunday when her final throw said 25.21 meters and put her in second place. Taryn Thordarson also improved her season best throw by nearly two meters, improving from 21.08 to 22.82 meters on Sunday.

While several performers are on pace to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the rest of the Regals will now have to patiently wait for the field to be announced on Sunday, May 19.

Results: Oxy-Lu Last Chance Results
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., Sunday, May 12 will serve as the final opportunity for athletes to compete for qualifying marks.

Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. with field events. The official heats and flights are now available.  

Meet information has also been updated.

Heats and Flights: 2013 Oxy-Lu Heats and Flights
Meet Information: 2013 Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

With hundreds of athletes from all areas of the country and world and from all different levels, including former Olympians, Paralympians, Division I, II and III, NAIA, international and unattached athletes, the Regals were among those gathered at the Bill Henry Track for the event.

Freshman thrower Allie Hadley headlined the event by winning the Javelin with a throw of 45.54m (149-05) over an unattached athlete and UCLA team member as the top three finishers.

Junior distance runner Melissa Skiba lowered her school record 5k time by 12-plus seconds to 16:47.17 to place third and defeat SCIAC foe Lenore Moreno by more than 22 seconds.

For the first time in her career, Lauren Rohach lined up for the 100m dash and produced a time of 12.55 to put her sixth on the CLU all-time list. She now holds top-10 times in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay and is the school record holder in the Long Jump.

Also sprinting for the Regals today were Amy Galipeau (12.57), Kendall Sauter (12.76), Lauren Kennedy (12.98) and Taryn Thordarson (13.64). Galipeau went on to run the 200m in 26.33 and Kennedy ran the 100m Hurdles in 15.40 as the first Division III competitor to finish.

Sauter and Rohach finished back-to-back in the Long Jump. Sauter leapt 5.50m (18-00.50) while Rohach had a long mark of 5.39m (17-08.25).  Mary Case also jumped, going 5.05m (16-07.00) on her best jump of the day.

Audrey Dow competed in the 400m dash, turning in a time of 1:03.17.

As the top Division III finisher in 1500m, Ashley Frese crossed the line in 4:37.76 behind runners from Virginia Tech, Loyola Marymount, UC Irvine and UCLA.  

Also running the 5000m race were Chelsea Feller (18:33.59), Taelor Young (19:06.01) and Amanda Miller (19:20.35).

Joining Kennedy in the 100m Hurdles races were Scout Gibson (16.46), Rachel Maurer (16.82) and Danica Wolfe (17.12).

Jumping for Cal Lutheran, Masie Johnson and Kaylin Garcia competed in the High Jump, clearing heights of 1.53m (5-00.25) and 1.47m (4-09.75), respectively. Both Caseand Emily Ginter were successful Pole Vaulting 3.02m (9-10.75).

In her only event of the day, Amanda Hamilton Triple Jumped her way to fourth place behind two pro athletes and a Division I athlete. Her longest jump of the meet was 11.52m (37-09.50).

Throwing the Hammer for Cal Lutheran today was Brianna Panapa who had a best mark today of 43.32m (142-01).

With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., athletes will have a one more opportunities to compete next weekend on Sunday, May 12 at the Inaugural Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier co-hosted by Cal Lutheran and Occidental. Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. with field events.  

Results: 2013 Oxy Invitational
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

La Verne won their first title since 2005, and fourth in school history, by accumulating 162 points. Cal Lutheran pulled up in second (148.50) with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (134) earning the third spot. Rounding out the field were Redlands (87.50), Pomona-Pitzer (82), Occidental (64), Caltech (25), Whittier (22) and Chapman (14).  

The day started with CLU freshman Allie Hadley making her SCIAC debut after battling injuries for much of the spring. She came out healthy and threw a league best Javelin mark of 41.71m (136-10) for the top spot, winning by more than 16 feet. Second went to Christina Coughlin (LV) who recorded a throw of 36.64m (120-02) with Caltech’s Sarah Wright earning third after throwing 35.00m (114-10) on her second attempt.

Senior Losa Akauola (LV) claimed her second victory in as many days by winning the Shot Put, for the second year in a row, with a mark of 13.11m (43-00.25) that came on her first time in the ring. Paige Logan placed second for the Beavers with her 12.06m (39-07.00) final throw. Kayla Cribbs earned another six points for the Leopards with her third place finish by recording a distance of 11.59m (38-00.25), which also came in her first attempt of the event.

On the track, the opening 4x100m Relay went to the Cal Lutheran quartet of Kendall Sauter, Lauren Rohach, Amanda Hamilton and Amy Galipeau with a time of 48.18. CLU won the event last year as well. The Redlands team of Alexandra Blalock, Christina Donovan, Ashley Lively and Vainayaki Sivaji went a 48.30 for second with the La Verne team of Ebony Williams, Nasjua Palmer, Kyaundra Davis and Nicole Crutchfield crossing the line third in a time of 48.50.

The distance events belonged to Cal Lutheran’s Melissa Skiba who won both the 5,000m and the 1,500m races. Skiba who ran a 17:00.35 and Lenore Moreno (LV) who ran a 17:10.50 each broke the previous meet record set back in 1985 while setting school records for their respective institutions. For the Athenas Sara Mostatabi was third in 17:36.22.

Earlier in the day Skiba outkicked teammate Ashley Frese for the 1,500m crown in a time of 3:46.23 with Frese clocking in at 4:39.42. Occidental senior Deanna Dupuy was ecstatic at the finish line after running a 4:40.09 to claim third.

Frese went on to win the 800m dash, cruising down the final straight away with ease to win by more than two seconds in 2:16.05. Second went to Laura Wyatt (CMS) in 2:18.76 with Stassja Sichko (2:20.35) earning the third spot by seven tenths of a second over Whittier’s Christina Dedios.

The trio of Sivaji, Rohach and Samantha Tucker (LV) raced each other twice and the result was the same both times. Sivaji ran the 400m in 55.70 for first place followed by Rohach and Samantha Tucker in 57.81 and 58.17, respectively. In the 200m Sivaji earned 10 points for the Bulldogs with her 25.10 clocking. Rohach crossed the line in 25.52 and Tucker finished in 25.83.

LV added 16 points in the 100m dash by taking first and third. Crutchfield was named the fastest woman in the SCIAC for the second consecutive year with her 12.25 run followed closely by Lively in 12.31 and teammate Williams in 12.42.

Reny Colton (CMS) was crowned the SCIAC champion in the 100m Hurdles after going a 15.16 in her final league hurdles race. Senior Lauren Kennedy (CLU) was second in 15.25 with Occidental freshman Rachael Hinkel taking third in 15.39.

Pomona-Pitzer looked to sophomore Katie Barton for a 10-point performance in the 400m Hurdles, as she ever so slightly out ran Lively (63.14) in 63.10. CMS sophomore Cora Miller was third in 64.83 for the Athenas.

Redlands leapt to the first and third positions in the High Jump with sophomore Maddie Smith winning the event for the second straight season. Smith cleared 1.67m (5-05.75), the same height that won a year ago. Though Monique Nguyen (CMS) and Blalock each jumped 1.62m (5-03.75), Nguyen did so on her first attempt to steal second, leaving Blalock in third.

The final event of the evening on the track was the 4x400m Relay, which went to the UR squad of Lihini Weerasinghe, Blalock, Sivaji and Lively in 3:53.93. LV racked up more points with a second place finish from Lili Bolanos, Jasmin Gonzalez, Alysse Thummel and Tucker who combined to run a 3:58.92 as the only other team under the four-minute mark. CLU placed third, clocking in at 4:03.89 with Daniella Sullivan, Hamilton, Audrey Dow and Rohach teaming up.

With everyone watching as just two events remained incomplete, Hamilton set a new CLU Triple Jump record with her final jump of 11.75m (38-06.75) to edge Meet Record holder Ellyn Ervin (11.73m – 38-06.00) from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by ¾ of an inch. Ailene Nguyen (PP) and Krystal Gutierrez (LV) shared the third spot with jumps of 10.93m (35-10.50).

Prior to the start of competition on day two all members of all teams with coaches and support staff met on the infield and joined hands to honor Whittier senior Alyssa Sialaris, who lost her life earlier this month, with a moment of silence. As the teams spread out they unknowingly created a shape resembling a heart as Dixon Farmer, the public address announcer spoke about the gathering of heavy hearts and her love for competing in the SCIAC. Many athletes, from WC and other schools, donned ribbons with her initials.

With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., athletes will have a few more opportunities to compete at last chance qualifiers prior to the announcement of the national qualifiers in early May.

Results: SCIAC Championships Day Two
Results: SCIAC Championships Day One
Championship Central: 2013 SCIAC Championships       
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

Joining the Cowboys in contacting the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Duarte, Calif. native were the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As a Cowboys fan for the last decade, today was absolutely a dream come true for Rogers.

“I am definitely floating up with the stars right now,” he shared as he made an appearance at the 2013 SCIAC Track & Field Championship Meet. “Everything I have worked for has paid off and I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to prove myself on the football field.”

In two weeks he will travel to Dallas to take part in a Rookie Mini Camp. From there it will be on to an all-team camp and if all goes well, which is the plan, Rogers will return to Southern California in August for summer training camp in Oxnard.

On March 11, Rogers performed for scouts from nearly a dozen of the 32 NFL teams during the CLU Pro Day held in William Rolland Stadium and the Forest Fitness Center.

Over the last four years Rogers rewrote the CLU record books for both single-season and career records, breaking seven different Kingsmen marks en route to earning 2012 SCIAC Player of the Year, First Team All-West Region and All-America accolades.

This year he grabbed 61 catches for 868 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 124 yards per game through the air and 14.2 yards per catch. He also added four rushes for 57 yards, to average an identical 14.2 yards per carry. The versatile senior also threw a pair of passes, one for a 26 yard touchdown.

Overall, he became the Cal Lutheran all-time leading receiver with 91 catches for 1,298 yards and 18 touchdowns, pushing his career total to 45 TDs, breaking the old scoring record by 34 points.

The four year letter-winner earned First Team All-SCIAC honors in 2011 and 2010 while earning Second Team in 2009. Rogers was part of four consecutive SCIAC championships teams and the Kingsmen never lost a league contest during his career.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

After the opening day of events La Verne took an early team advantage with 57 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who sits in second with 39 points, is positioned to earn a good amount of points tomorrow. Cal Lutheran (36.50) clings to the third spot followed by Pomona-Pitzer (24), Occidental (16), Redlands (14.5), Whittier (5) and Caltech (3).

The first scoring of the day came in the Hammer with La Verne’s Deanna Doss earning the first individual title of her SCIAC career with a throw of 48.73m (159-10). Briana Panapa (CLU) was the other thrower to surpass 150-feet, recording a mark of 46.95m (154-00), which came on her first attempt of the day. Rounding out the top-three was another Leopard in Losa Akauola who threw a distance of 43.38m (142-04).

LV went on to take the top two spots in the Discus with Akauola earning 10 points and a SCIAC crown with her throw of 36.47m (122-11) followed by Doss who recorded a mark of 36.30m (119-01) for second. Tori Dahl (CLU) took the final spot on the podium with a throw of 33.63m (110-04) for third.

In the Long Jump pit Pomona-Pitzer freshman Ailene Nguyen set a new school record with her SCIAC best jump of 5.69m (18-08.00) on her fourth attempt of the day to win the event. Kendall Sauter saved her best jump, 5.60m (18-04.50), for last to claim second place with Ellyn Erving (CMS) taking third in 5.55m (18-02.50).

Redlands earned their first points of the evening when Merritt ten Hope won the Pole Vault by clearing 3.51m (11-06.25) on her final attempt at the height. A tie for second saw Allison Krugman (CMS) and Katie Yeagar (LV) split points after each vaulted 3.36m (11-00.25).

With mostly preliminary events taking place on the track the only scoring event of the meet came in the final event of the evening, the 3000m Steeplechase. Allison Barnwell (CMS) and Andrea Acero (LV) ran stride for stride throughout much of the race before Barnwell took a lead with two laps to go to cross the line first in 11:11.65. Acero was next in 11:13.62 with Tara Saxena pulling up in third in 11:25.21 during the final SCIAC Steeplechase race on her home track.

Following a number of exciting preliminary races the stage is set for tomorrow’s finals, which are set to begin at 1:00 p.m. in the field. On the track, the 4x100m Relay will kick off the running events at 5:00 p.m. before the always exciting 4x400m Relay closes the meet out.

At the completion of all competition the 2013 SCIAC Champions will be recognized.

Results: SCIAC Championships Day One
Championship Central: 2013 SCIAC Championships       
Day Two Heats and Flights: Day Two Information
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

The championship meet follows a regular season mix of SCIAC dual meets and open competitions, where strong marks have been recorded with regularity. SCIAC records established in this 2013 season include the Whittier quartet of German Fabela, Andres Vega, Kevin Curbelo and Kimble Tillman running 40.72 in the men’s 4 x 100 meter relay at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on April 13.  Additionally, La Verne’s Lenore Moreno established a new SCIAC record in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 35:00.43 set at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 18.

In the team races, the University of La Verne’s women’s squad went undefeated in the dual meet portion of the regular season, and the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’s men’s team went undefeated as well. A combination of dual meet wins and a team’s final placing in the SCIAC Championship will determine overall final standings in SCIAC.

The entire conference mourns the loss of Whittier senior Alyssa Sialaris, who ranks first in the discus and javelin, and third in the shot put and hammer – but who tragically lost her life in early April. All teams will gather at the start of Saturday’s competition for a moment of silence.

Visit the Championship Central site for participating team information, heats and flights and a link to live results.

MEN

Whittier junior Kimble Tillman and Occidental senior Jonathon Padron will likely renew acquaintances in the 100 meter dash to vie for the title of “Fastest Man In SCIAC.”   Padron, the two-time defending champion in the 100, enters with a best this season of 10.64 while Tillman, last year’s runner-up, holds the conference’s top time this season at 10.59. Others to watch are Redlands’ Taylor Browning (10.77), La Verne’s Nick Gonsalves (10.78) and Cal Lutheran’s Halahaino Aholelei (10.79).

La Verne junior Chancise Watkins, ranked 4th nationally, has blazed to a SCIAC best of 21.56 in the 200 meters with CMS senior Jeff Macdonald (21.78) and Bulldog sophomore Browing (21.79) looking to challenge for supremacy in the half-lap event.

One of the most anticipated events on the championship schedule is the men’s 400 meters, where four men have already run under 48 seconds, and SCIAC athletes have recorded five of the top seven marks nationally.  CMS’s Macdonald has recorded the fastest one-lapper in Division III to date this season with a lifetime best of 47.34 on April 6.  La Verne’s Watkins (47.75) along with the Whittier’s trio of La Serna High alums Kevin Curbelo (47.92), German Fabela (47.93) and Andres Vega (48.03) will provide strong competition in the one of the marquee events this weekend. 

Whittier has registered the nation’s fastest 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter relay times this season.  The Poet 4 x 100 meter clocking of 40.72 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on April 13 broke a 17-year old SCIAC record.  The Poets also lay claim to the top time in the 4 x 400 meter relay with a season best of 3:15.73, ranked sixth nationally.

The middle distance and distance events, perennially a stronghold for the CMS Stags, appear very formidable again this season.  CMS senior Rafer Dannenhauer has posted the top times in both the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:30.02) and the 5,000 meters (14:30.80, ranked sixth nationally).  In the steeple, Dannenhauer  - who took first place at the SCIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships in October- could get competition from the likes of La Verne sophomore Cristobal Gutierrez, who has run 9:31.98. 

CMS also boasts of the top two performers in both the 800 and 1500 meter races.  Justin Jones (1:52.76, ranked tenth nationally) and Jeff Vignos (1:53.86) top the leaders in the 800 with Bennett Naden (3:50.92, ranked ninth nationally) and Evan Molineux (3:56) holding the top positions in the metric mile.  Naden is the defending league champ in the 1500.

In the 110 meter hurdles, three athletes to watch include conference leader Erik Fruth of Cal Lutheran (15.09), last season’s runner-up Alex Jungsten of Whittier (15.12) and defending champ Michael Anderson of La Verne (51.21).   The 400 meter hurdles also features a competitive field, which includes Occidental’s Jesse Wong (54.76) along with the CMS duo of sophomore Matt Espy (55.30) and freshman Hiroki Butterfield ( 55.45).

La Verne’s Paul Turner looks to become the first athlete in SCIAC history to capture four individual titles in both the long jump and triple jump.  The five-time All-American has recorded season bests of 23-3 ¼ in the long and 47-5 ¼ in the triple jump to lead both events. He is ranked sixth nationally in the triple jump.  In the high jump, both Redlands junior and defending league champion Darron Usher and Pomona-Pitzer freshman Joe Knight hold top honors, with each clearing 6-6 ¾ this season.  Bulldog senior Bryan Artmann heads into this weekend’s competition as a prohibitive favorite in the pole vault with a season best of 16-1 ¼, more than a foot above the next highest mark in that event. He ranks third nationally.

Whittier sophomore Timothy St. Marie owns the top mark in the shot put at 46-9.  Favorites in the discus include leader Jorge Cervantes of Redlands, who has thrown 156-10.  Others to watch in the event include Cal Lutheran freshman Stephen Shay (148-6).  The hammer looks to be a battle between CMS’s Nicholas Hobbs (170-11), Cal Lutheran’s Roy Diaz (166-4) and La Verne’s Ryan Gann (166-3).  In the javelin, Leopard junior Matt Rehder is the lone competitor to exceed the 200-foot barrier as he comes into the championships with a best of 201-6. The field also includes CLU’s Justin Puccinelli (189-1), Redlands’ Gilbert Navarro (188-3) and defending champ Chris Bode from Redlands.

WOMEN

In the 100 meters, La Verne Nicole Crutchfield looks to repeat upon last year’s win; the junior comes in with the fastest time in the conference at 12.41.  Challengers include CMS senior standout Reny Colton (12.50) along with last year’s runner-up Ashley Lively (12.51) from Redlands.  The Bulldogs feature senior Vainayaki Sivaji, the SCIAC leader at both 200 and 400 meters.  Sivaji has posted a conference leading 25.15 in the 200 with Cal Lutheran junior Lauren Rohach having run 25.57.  A two-time champ in the 400, Sivaji looks to add a third crown as she enters the weekend with a best of 56.78, which ranks eighth nationally.

Colton and teammate Rose Lewis are among the favorites in the 100 meter hurdles.  Lewis is the defending champion and comes in with the fastest time at 14.36, ranked fourth nationally.  Colton, the 2011 SCIAC Champ in the 100 hurdles, has run a season best of 14.54.  In the 400 meter hurdles, the trio of Pomona-Pitzer’s Katie Barton (62.80, ranked ninth nationally), CMS’s Lewis (62.88) and Redlands’ Lively (63.03) will be the athletes to watch, along with defending champion Meg O’Keefe representing the Athenas.

Relay leaders include Cal Lutheran (47.87, ranked sixth nationally) in the 4 x 100 and Redlands (3:54.60) in the 4 x 400.

The Athena squad will look to their potent corps of middle distance and distance runners to provide a bevy of points throughout the weekend.  Allison Barnwell is the SCIAC leader in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:42.45, ranked second nationally), and is also among the contenders in the 5,000 meters.  Laura Wyatt has run a conference best of 2:19.13 in the 800 and will be challenged by the likes of Pomona-Pitzer’s Isabelle Ambler (2:20.26) and teammate Aubrey Zimmerling (2:20.40).  Cal Lutheran will counter with its dynamic duo of sophomore Melissa Skiba and junior Ashley Frese.  Skiba owns the conference’s fastest times this season in both the 1,500 (4:30.37, ranked sixth nationally) and 5,000 meter races (17:15.57). Frese ranks behind Skiba in the 1,500 and will be a contender in the 800 having run a best this season of 2:20.45.

The Athenas are poised to excel in jumping events with Colton as their primary catalyst.  A two-time league champion in both the long jump (2010, 2011) and triple jump (2009, 2011), Colton owns the conference’s leading marks in both the events with a season best 18-11 ¾ (ranked ninth nationally) in the long jump and a 41-8 (second nationally) effort in the triple jump. The latter mark stands as the second-best mark in conference history.  Teammate Ellyn Erving is the defending league champ in the triple jump and has a season best of 39-3 3/4.

In the high jump, CMS sophomore Monique Nguyen holds the season’s top mark of 5-5 ¾ (ranked ninth nationally) and should receive a challenge from a competitive field that includes defending champion Maddie Smith of Redlands, who has cleared 5-5 this season.  La Verne junior Katie Yeager looks to defend her title from a year ago in the pole vault, having cleared 12-0 this season to top all conference competitors.

In the throws, La Verne senior Losa Akauola has posted the marks of 43-11 ¾ in the shot put and 132-10 in the discus, topping the list of competitors in the two events.   Leopard teammate Deanna Doss, who posted a season best of 164-3 in the hammer throw, leads the field in that event and is also among conference leaders in the shot put, discus and javelin events.  Looming among hammer competitors is Cal Lutheran junior Brianna Panapa, who comes in with a best of 153-10.  Among conference leaders in the javelin, Caltech senior Sarah Wright has thrown a season best of 127-7.

By Will Darity, University of La Verne

Cal Lutheran will be looking to repeat as championships after capturing its first title in 2012. The Regals return seven athletes that earned All-SCIAC honors last season at the championships. So far this season, CLU is 6-2 and is coming off a strong performance at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational where four personal-best times were set.

Sprints
Cal Lutheran boasts one of the deepest sprinting groups in the conference. Leading the way is the 100 meter dash trio of Amy Galipeau, Kendall Sauter and Taryn Thordarson. Thordarson finished fifth at the SCIAC Championships last season after clocking a time of 12.56. This season, Galipeau has run a personal-best of 12.61 while Sauter is right behind her, clocking a 12.69 earlier this year.

The Regals will look to defend their 200 meter dash crown after Julea Juarez won in 2012. Galipeau and Lauren Rohach are poised to contend for a spot on the podium after strong 2013 seasons. Galipeau finished fourth at the Championships last season and has a clocked a low of 26.54 this season. Rohach won the SCIAC No. 1 200 meter race earlier this year and has recorded a season-low time of 25.57 seconds in 2013.

Also expect to see Audrey Dow and Lauren Kennedy compete for a medal-finish. Dow ran a 26.38 this season and Kennedy gives CLU another runner that can clock a sub 27 seconds time.

Rohach will also contend in the 400 meter dash after finishing seventh at the Championships last season. The versatile junior recorded a time of 58.86 earlier this season which was the sixth fastest time in CLU history.

During the hurdles portion, CLU will expect to see strong performances from Kennedy and Amanda Hamilton. Kennedy has recorded a personal-best time of 15.51 seconds in the 100 meter hurdle race while Hamilton already holds the school record in the 400 meter hurdle race in her first season as a Regal.

Cal Lutheran will also look to defend its 4x 100 and 4x 400 meter relay race titles from a year ago. Sauter, Rohach, Galipeau and Hamilton will make up the 4x 100 meter team. During the SCIAC No. 3, the quartet set a school record with a time of 47.87 seconds. Amy Falahat, Hamilton, Katie Kirchner and Rohach will compete as the 4x 400 meter relay team.

Distance
In addition to its sprinting prowess, Cal Lutheran also has a number of distance record holders. Ashley Frese won the SCIAC No. 3 800 meter race earlier this season and has recorded a personal-best time of 2:19.15.

Frese will combine with Chelsea Feller and Melissa Skiba to form a competitive group in the 1500 meter race. Skiba is the favorite heading into the race already holding the school record by more than three seconds. Frese recorded a season-best time of 4:36.52 during the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational while Feller finished third at the SCIAC No. 3

Skiba will also look to capture the 3000 meter race title after breaking the school record earlier this season in a time of 10:05.91.

In the 5000 meter race, Cal Lutheran looks to five runners vying for All-SCIAC honors. In addition to Feller and Skiba, Natalie Bullock, Amanda Miller and Taelor Young have each recorded times in the top ten all-time at CLU this season.

Field Events
Mary Case, Emily Ginter, Sheyenne Machida, and Laurel Skinner will all compete in the pole vault. Case, Ginter and Machida have all cleared 3.0 meters in their careers with Case leading the way with a personal best of 3.15 meters.

Rohach and Sauter will compete in the long jump. Rohach holds the school record with a leap of 5.71 meters and will look to improve upon her second place finish at the SCIAC Championships last year. Sauter finished right behind Rohach in third with a leap of 5.35 meters.

Hamilton will look to bring home All-SCIAC honors in the triple jump. The freshman had a leap of 11.57 at the SCIAC No. 3 which took home first place and set a new CLU record.

Briana Panapa and Tori Dahl will be in all four throwing events at the Championships while teammate Allie Hadley will participate in the javelin. All three own school records in their respective events.

For more information and specific times of events, please go to the 2013 SCIAC Championship page.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

Rohach figured she got enough functional work done during practices for volleyball, basketball and track and field at Moorpark High.

But once Rohach arrived at Cal Lutheran, she realized it would take a more intense training plan to be a multisport athlete at the collegiate level.

Rohach has managed to keep her body in prime shape to balance the demands of volleyball and track and field at CLU.

The junior’s efforts were rewarded last week when she was named an All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

CLU football player Chris Cabrera was honored on the men’s side.

“It was exciting because I feel I have been kind of working hard and staying dedicated,” Rohach said. “It’s nice after three years to be noticed for something like that. I definitely take it more seriously now than I did at first.”

After helping CLU’s volleyball team capture the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in the fall, Rohach has extended her run of success on the track.

She set a school record in the long jump last month with an NCAA qualifying mark of 18 feet, 9¼ inches. Last week, Rohach helped Cal Lutheran’s 4x100 meter relay team break the school record with a winning time of 47.87 seconds.

“Lauren is one of those special athletes that very rarely come around and into your program,” CLU track and field coach Matt Lea said. “She is an incredible person to work with. Her personality and attitude on and off the track are what I aspire all my athletes to be like. She carries herself in such a way that her teammates are always looking up to her.”

In setting the program’s long jump record, Rohach edged CLU teammate Kendall Sauter (18-1½).

“It was really just a matter of time before me or Kendall broke it,” Rohach said. “We’ve both been pushing each other every single week, so the camaraderie on the team as well as the competitiveness is really nice.”

Rohach has managed to excel in track while still juggling offseason volleyball workouts and academics.

“I have been working with the coaches about cutting down on some workouts so I am not as tired,” Rohach said. “I think there is an understanding between the coaches now that if I want to do big things in both sports we have to cut down a little bit of the time. It’s pretty much day by day on how my body feels.”

Rohach believes switching from outside hitter to middle blocker in volleyball has benefited her in track.

“I think jumping all the time might have something to do with my marks improving,” she said. “Overall I am getting stronger physically and mentally knowing what I can do even on a semi-bad day. I think it’s just been a growing process with my body and the mental aspect of track.”

Cal Lutheran will be participating in the SCIAC Championships in Los Angeles on April 26-27. Then, the Regals are hoping to have a large contingent traveling to the Badger State for the NCAA Championships on May 23-25.

“Everyone wants to go to Wisconsin,” Rohach said. “We talk about it every day at practice now. We just have to keep getting better every single weekend and keep our rankings up.”

Melissa Skiba was Cal Lutheran’s top finisher during the meet Saturday. The junior distance runner took fourth place in the 1500 meter run in a time of 4:30.37, shattering her school record time by more than two seconds.

Skiba wasn’t the only record-setter of the race as Ashley Freese ran a personal-best 4:36.52, which was good for fourth-best in school history.

During the sprint competitions, Amy Galipeau just missed a personal-best time in the 100 meters, clocking a time of 12.64 to lead the Regals. Lauren Kennedy was right behind, finishing with a time of 13.03 and Taryn Thordarson rounded out the Regals in the 100 meters, completing the race in a time of 13.41.

Kennedy also clocked the seventh fastest 100 meter hurdles time in CLU history when she crossed the finish line at 15.90. Teammate Scout Gibson just missed recording a CLU top ten time, finishing in a time of 16.6. Fellow Regal Rachel Maurer was next in line, finishing in a time of 16.90.

Lauren Rohach continued the strong sprinting showing for the Regals as she nearly eclipsed her personal-best time in the 200 meter race, crossing the finish line in a time of 25.67, good for fourth best in CLU history.

Freshman Amanda Hamilton furthered her strong debut season, recording a time of 1:07.18 in the 400 meter hurdle race which was also the sixth-fastest time in school history.

After Skiba and Freese both set records in the 1500 meter race, Chelsea Feller was nearly the next Regal distance record to etch her name into the school record books Saturday. The sophomore just missed getting into the top ten by one second when she recorded a time of 4:57.56 in the 1500 meter race.

During the relay events, the 4x 100 meter team of Kendall Sauter, Rohach, Galipeau and Hamilton were second off their school record time, finishing in sixth with a time of 48.69.

As the meet transitioned to the jumps portion, Hamilton took fourth place in the triple jump after tallying a jump of 11.28 meters, second best in school history. Mary Case continued the strong showing when she finished 12th in the long jump after recording a mark of 5.15 meters.

Once the throwers got underway, Brianna Panapa came in fifth in the hammer-throw after she had a mark of 46.49 meters during her first throw. During the shot-put, Panapa had her second throw of the day travel 10.86 meters, good for 11th place.

Freshman Allie Hadley rounded out the throwers by taking eighth place in the javelin after recording a mark of 37.87 meters which was also third best in school history.

Cal Lutheran now turns its attention to the SCIAC Championships which begin Friday, April 26 at Occidental College. The Regals will look to repeat as conference champions after earning their first SCIAC Championship in school history.

Results: Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Results
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

Student-athletes at both the collegiate and high school levels are recognized for athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength training and conditioning, as determined by the strength and conditioning coach at the given institution. Honorees are also selected based on academic and personal accomplishments as well as overall integrity as student-athletes. 

Cabrera earned First Team All-SCIAC honors at linebacker this past season after being selected to the Second Team in 2011. The Los Angeles, Calif. native finished with 55 tackles including 27 solo tackles as Cal Lutheran captured its fourth consecutive conference title and advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Cal Lutheran strength and conditioning coordinator Dr. Pat Holmberg said of Cabrera, “Chris is a tireless worker and relentless competitor. Everyday he shows up ready, willing, and excited to put in the work needed to improve.”

Also honored was Rohach, a standout two-sport athlete in track & field and volleyball. The Moorpark, Calif. native received All-SCIAC honors for her second place finish in the long jump and third place finish in the 200 meter dash at the SCIAC Championships last spring. She also ran the third leg of the 4x 400 meter relay team that broke a 14-year old SCIAC conference meet record. Currently, Rohach holds the school record in the long jump, 4x 100 meter relay and is second in the 200 meter dash. During the fall, Rohach developed into one of the top middle-blockers in the SCIAC, finishing eighth in the conference for blocks with 77. The third-year player was also fourth on the team with 252 kills. “Most people don’t realize the dedication that is needed to compete at a high level in one sport. Here is an athlete who is a standout in two sports.” Holmberg continued, “Along with her athletic accomplishments, Rohach is a two-time member of CLU’s Scholar-Athlete Society. She is a pleasure to coach.”

Boyd Epley, Founder of the NCSA adds, “The advantages of strength training and conditioning cannot be denied in collegiate and high school athletics. The NCSA is pleased to recognize student-athletes that put forth and effort to improve their performance though strength and conditioning. They are to be applauded for their hard work and dedication.”

The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year program has been in existence for 34 years and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn. Fitness product leader.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clusports

There are 178,441 DIII student-athletes as compared to 459,253 in Division I and II combined from coast to coast. Division III, however, represents the largest division in the NCAA at 40 percent of the total membership.

The NCAA sponsors 28 Championship events with 14 for men and 14 for women. There are also eight National Collegiate Championships. Overall, CLU sponsors 20 intercollegiate athletic programs, which is above the average (17) of like institutions.

Cal Lutheran is one of the 80 percent of active institutions that are private with 20 percent of DIII schools on public campuses. Across the board the average enrollment of Division III schools is 2,734.

All of the schools that fall in the Division III category are expected to promote the model of discover, develop and dedicate. CLU is right on track with that mantra by succeeding academically and athletically while giving back to the community.

In 2013 there will be CLU 147 student-athletes inducted into the Scholar Athlete Society by holding a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average. This number is higher than it has ever been and numerous student-athletes throughout the season have earned both Academic All-SCIAC and other sport specific academic accolades.

CLU teams have been just as successful on the field, court, course and in the pool with 10 teams earning national rankings in 2012-13. Both men’s golf and women’s water polo have held No. 1 rankings in their respective polls this year. CLU teams have claimed four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles thus far with four teams and one athlete advancing to NCAA Championship play. The spring sports have much hope to increase those numbers with more than half of the teams in the hunt for a league title.

Beyond those two areas, CLU students have also taken time to give back. One example is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that is headed in 2012-13 by Lauren Rasmussen. She and the other SAAC members have put together a community service project in conjunction with DIII Week.

The group is scheduled to do a Ball and Old Sports Equipment Drive throughout the week of April 8-12. Items will be collected both at the Welcome Desk of the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center during all hours of operation and in the Athletics Offices during operating business hours (9-5). Additionally, SAAC members will be stationed at the flagpole on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to collect items. All donations will be delivered to the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Conejo Valley.

“The biggest thing with this event is that it is something that the SAAC wants to turn into an annual event during DIII Week and we are really excited about it,” Rasmussen said. “The connection to athletics with equipment collection, plus the opportunity to give back to the community by donating items that student-athletes are involved with competitively every day is very rewarding.”

Student Life will be sponsoring a series of student giveaways at a variety of athletic events during Division III Week as well.

Cal Lutheran sunglasses will be given out at Men’s Tennis against No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Poulson Tennis Center to kick off the weekend. On Wednesday, April 10 the water polo team will host Caltech and rally towels will be handed out at the entrance to the Samuelson Aquatics Center. Women’s Tennis fans will have a chance to claim sunglasses on Friday, April 12 when the Regals host Occidental at 2:00 p.m. At Hutton Field softball will host Redlands where seat cushions will be available for student fans at 2:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m. in Ullman Stadium baseball fans can obtain a stadium cup as the Kingsmen host Whittier. Additionally, free Shave It coupons will be distributed to the first 250 students at any of the games.

Finally, the dining commons will be offering sports themed meals and snacks throughout the week, including a nacho bar, Dodger Dogs, peanuts and popcorn, BBQ Tri-Tip sandwiches and soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

“Excitement is beginning to be generated around Division III week on campus,” Director of Athletics Dan Kuntz shared. “We are looking forward to being a part of this unique campaign to promote Division III and the student-athletes we support year in and year out.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

Today the Regals earned victories over all three teams they were competing against, defeating Chapman 135-22, Occidental 118-45 and Pomona-Pitzer 101-62. Earlier this season CLU fell to La Verne by eight points and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by 18, but was victorious over Caltech, Redlands and Whittier. Though not competing against UR today, CLU defeated the Bulldogs for the second time this spring.

The meet started on the right note as the 4x100m Relay team of Kendall Sauter, Lauren Rohach, Amy Galipeau and Amanda Hamilton combined to crush their previous season best time by 1.25 seconds and set a new CLU school record by .24 with a first place finish in 47.87, to win by nearly a full second.

Winning a pair of individual events for the Regals today was Ashley Frese. She won the 1500m by over three and a half seconds in 4:51.53 and also earned the top spot in the 800m by just under a second in 2:20.71, which now ranks her eighth all-time at CLU.

In another distance event, Melissa Skiba once againpaced the 5K pack, winning by more than five seconds in 18.32.57 and Taelor Young was fifth in 19:13.87.

Hamilton increased her Triple Jump school record ever so slightly to 11.57m, winning the event. She also placed third in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 1:06.76.

Though Rohach placed second in both the 200m Dash and 400m Dash, she was second to a runner from UR so ultimately earned CLU first place points. Her 400m time of 58.86 moves her into sixth place all-time at CLU, just .02 off the fifth place time. She ran the 200m race in 25.73.

Lauren Kennedy continued to dominate the 100m Hurdles course, finishing in 15.51. Scout Gibson (16.62) and Rachael Maurer (17.20) were fifth and sixth, respectively, for the Violet and Gold.

Another dual-event winner was Brianna Panapa who won the Hammer (45.12m), by almost a full 20 feet, and the Shot Put (11.01m). She and Tori Dahl were 1-2 in the Shot Put with Dalh earning a mark of 9.82m. Dalh was the top CLU finisher in the Discus (32.62m) ahead of Panapa (31.02m) as the duo finished 2-3. Panapa was also fourth in the Javelin with a throw of 28.14m to break into the top-10 all-time at CLU in the 9^th spot.

In the 100m Dash, CLU took the 4-5-8 spots with Sauter (12.69) and Galipeau (12.73) running step for step just ahead of Kennedy (13.10).

Sauter improved her personal best in the Long Jump to 5.45m, which was good for a second place finish. Rohach was fourth with a leap of 5.28m and Mary Case (5.02m) was fifth.

Maisie Johnson placed third in the High Jump, by clearing 1.55m, but earned CLU first place points as the top finisher amongst teams that the Regals were competing against.

In the Pole Vault Emily Ginter cleared 3.10m to finish second and take over sole possession third place on the CLU all-time list. Both Sheyenne Machida and Case successfully vaulted 2.95m to take fourth and fifth places, respectively. Laurel Skinner was sixth with a clearance of 2.65m.

With only seven women competing in the 3000m Steeplechase, Natalie Bullock was third in a time of 12:18.12 behind a pair of Tigers from Occidental.

The final event of the day was the 4x400m Relay in which Amy Falahat, Hamilton, Kirchner and Rohach combined for a clocking of 4:02.07, second to the Redlands team. Falahat was seventh in the 400m Dash earlier in the meet, finishing in a time of 1:02.89.

Cal Lutheran has one more tune-up meet on Saturday, April 13 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational before the SCIAC Championships, which are set to be held April 26-27. CLU will serve as the host of the meet though it will take place at Occidental.

Results: SCIAC No. 3          
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

Currently CLU has earned 155.32 points, second only to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (167.99).

Team points are determined by compiling the sum of all points earned by that team in each event. Teams may select up to two athletes per event with an athlete used in no more than three events, excluding relays, with only one relay team per school per event. The points come from the best marks in an event during the current season only and are based on the strength per event and how those ranked athletes match up against each team in the nation if competing head-to-head. 

The Regals broke into the top of the charts with six individuals ranked in seven different events as well as the 4x100m Relay Team of Kendall Sauter, Lauren Rohach, Audrey Dow and Amy Galipeau that is currently 6^th in the Nation.

“It is exciting to be ranked this high to start the season,” head coach Matt Lea said. “We know that we have a long ways to go until Outdoor Nations in Wisconsin, so we need to keep up the hard work each day and keep our eyes on the end prize.” He concluded, “These rankings are a true testament to how hard these young women are working each and every day to improve.”

Rohach is the only athlete ranked in three events. In addition to the relay, she is 5^th in the Long Jump and 16^th in the 200m. Also ranked in the Long Jump is Kendall Sauter who holds the 8^th furthest jump in the country.

Melissa Skiba has the highest individual ranking as the 2^nd fastest athlete in the 1500m, adding a 6^th place rank in the 5000m. Ashley Frese joins Skiba by being ranked 8^th in the 1500m.  

Another athlete to be ranked in multiple events for CLU is Amanda Hamilton who is 6^th in the Triple Jump and 11^th in the 400m Hurdles.

Rounding out the ranked Regals is another hurdler in Lauren Kennedy who is currently 9^th in the nation.

Cal Lutheran will be back in action on Saturday, April 6 where at the SCIAC Quad No. 3 meet where they will look to improve on their times and rankings for the upcoming polls, which are set to be released weekly through the end of the season.

Poll: Regional Power Ranking – April 3
CLU Breakdown: April 3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

Going 1-2 in the 1500m, Melissa Skiba (4:32.14) and Ashley Frese (4:38.55) paced the field. Skiba ran to a CLU record time by shaving eight seconds off her previous season best while Frese moved up to the fifth spot all-time.

Also taking the top two spots today were Lauren Rohach and Mary Case in the Long Jump. Rohach used a jump of 5.49m to earn the title with Case recording a leap of 5.10m for second.

Competing in multiple-events for the Regals, Amanda Hamilton won the Triple Jump by .47m by jumping 11.47m. She went on to place second in the 400m Hurdles in a time of 1:05.40.

The 4x100m Relay team of Kendall Sauter, Rohach, Audrey Dow and Amy Galipeau ran to a second place time of 48.67, which moves them into second place all-time at CLU.

Lowering her season best time in the 400m, Rohachclocked in at 59.11 as one of three runners under a minute in the race. She placed third. Galipeaufinished sixth in the 200m with a time of 26.63 two spots ahead of Lauren Kennedy (26.86).

Cal Lutheran sprinters occupied the 9-13 spots in the 100m dash with Hamiltonleading the charge in 12.76.

Daniella Sullivan and Amy Falahat were seventh and eighth in the 400m with times of 1:03.38 and 1:03.83, respectively. Katie Kirchner ran a 2:25.19 in the 800m to place 11^th as the only CLU finisher in the event.

In the 100m Hurdles, Scout Gibson was the top CLU finisher in 17.19 for ninth just ahead of teammate Rachael Maurer (17.34).

Out in the field, Tori Dahl was fifth in the Discus with a mark of 33.72m and sixth in the Shot Put (10.03m), Javelin (24.84m) and Hammer (35.13m). Her Hammer mark broke into the CLU top-10 all-time.

Maisie Johnson cleared 1.47m in the High Jump to finish sixth while Case and Emily Ginter tied for 12^th in the Pole Vault by clearing 3.05m to move into a tie for third all-time for the Regals.

Cal Lutheran gets right back to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action with the third Quad Meet of the season at Occidental on Saturday, April 6 beginning at 11:00 a.m. CLU will compete with Chapman, Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer.  

Results: PLNU Invitational
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

CLU athletes were victorious in eight events with two Cal Lutheran all-time best marks in the sand pit. First Lauren Rohach set a personal best and a CLU record with an NCAA qualifying mark in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.72m on her final attempt of the meet, winning by .20m over teammate Kendall Sauter (5.52m). Later freshman phenom Amanda Hamilton increased the record she set last weekend with a Triple Jump of 11.56m, winning by .84m.

Rohach was also part of the winning 4x100 meter Relay Team, running the second leg after Sauterled off. Rohach handed the baton to Audrey Dow who passed it along to CLU anchor Amy Galipeau. The quartet finished in a time of 48.31, just off school record pace.

Hamilton went on to win the 400m Hurdles by close to three seconds in 1:07.30.

Joining Rohach and Sauter as part of a CLU top-three sweep in the Long Jump today was Mary Case whose jump went for 5.14m, recording identical marks on both her third and fourth jumps of the meet.

A close race in the 200m dash saw Rohach place second, edging Ashley Lively (UR) by a hundredth of a second in 25.57. Juniors Dow (26.72) and Galipeau (26.88) were step-for-step for sixth and seventh.

Also earning a pair of first place finishes today was junior distance specialist Melissa Skiba. Running stride-for-stride with foe Lenore Moreno from La Verne, Skiba outkicked the Leopards runner who has given her a run for her money all year, beginning in the fall during cross country season. Skiba used the last 800m of the 1500m to open a gap Moreno could not compete with to win in 4:47.04, taking the race by 2.74 seconds.

Later in the day during the 5K, the duo ran side by side, lapping other runners. It was again Skiba who made a move in the 11^th lap of the 12-lap race to cross the line first in 17:29.91. Moreno was second (17:40.85) with Chelsea Feller and Taelor Young locking up the third and fourth spots, respectively, with runs of 19:03.90 and 19:12.04.

The scoring today got started with Lauren Kennedy, Scout Gibson and Rachel Maurer going 1-2-3 in the 100m Hurdles. Kennedy won by 1.99 seconds in 15.18. The freshman pair of Gibson (17.17) and Maurer (17.35) was right on her heels.

Rounding out the Regals winners today was Ashley Frese whose 800m run of 2:21.76 was more than three seconds ahead of the second place finisher after she broke away from the pack. Frese also finished third in the 1500m as one of just three runners under the five-minute mark in 4:52.38.

Galipeau went on to run the 100m in 12.61 for third. Sauter was sixth in the event in a time of 12.75 with Kennedy also finishing top-10 in eighth with a run of 13.13.

Battling illness, Natalie Bullock ran to a second place finish in the 3000m Steeplechase.

In the throws, Brianna Panapa took second in the Hammer (46.89m), tied for second in the Discus (35.88m) and sixth in the Javelin (29.37m). At the time of release shot put results were unavailable.

Maisie Johnson (1.47m) was fifth in the High Jump just ahead of teammate Kaylin Garcia (1.44m). For the Regals, Case and Sheyenne Machida tied for sixth in the Pole Vault, each clearing 6.90m.

The 400m dash saw a pair of freshmen in Amy Falahat and Danielle Sullivan placed sixth and eighth, respectively, in 1:03.49 and 1:03.74.

Katie Kirchner ran the 800m in 2:28.58 for fifth.

Final team scores were also unavailable at the time of release.

Cal Lutheran travels to San Diego to close out spring break at the Point Loma University Invitational Thursday to Saturday March 28-30.

Results: SCIAC No. 2 – results unavailable at time of release
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

One school record was set and five others moved into the CLU top-10 with their respective performances as nearly all the Regals who ran produced personal bests on the night.

Melissa Skiba etched her name atop another CLU record last night, breaking a 34-year old mark in the 5K by 35.77 seconds. Her time of 17:15.47 was a five second improvement to her personal best and earned her fifth place in a field of 100. She was the top Division III runner across the line by 10 seconds.

Also running the 5000m and recording personal best times were Chelsea Feller and Natalie Bullock. Feller shaved a huge 19 seconds off her previous PR in a time of 18:34 to jump into fifth on the CLU top-10 list while Bullock earned an incredible 50 second PR, crossing the line in 18:50.17 to break onto the list in seventh.

Rounding out the group running the 5K was Amanda Miller who went 37 seconds faster than she had ever run the event before with a time of 18:53.92 to earn the eighth spot on the CLU top-10 list.

In the 1500m, Ashley Frese ran her way to an eight second personal best as she moved into sixth place all-time at CLU with a clocking of 4:44.64.  

The longest race of the night, the 10,000m, saw Taelor Young produce a negative split on her 5Ks with times of 19:40 and 19:34 to finish in 39:14.06. The mark is the fastest 10K time since 1983 and moves her into third place all-time at Cal Lutheran.

Also running at the Carnival in the 800m were a pair of Regals in Katie Kirchner (2:26.13) and Kathi Kirkeby (2:40.03).

Cal Lutheran is back at the track on Saturday, March 23 when they travel to Redlands for a SCIAC Quad meet with La Verne, Redlands and Whittier. Events are set to begin at 11:00 a.m.

Results: Oxy Distance Carnival
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports

In the first meet of her college career, Hamilton set the school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

In the second meet of her college career, Hamilton broke that record and set a new program record in the triple jump.

The Simi Valley High graduate holds the top spot for the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute, 4.24 seconds and the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet, 9½ inches.

“It was really a big surprise,” Hamilton said. “Between my first race and second race, I shaved off four seconds in the 400 hurdles. I was excited about that improvement, and then to break a school record on top of it was really exciting.”

Hamilton competed in just about every event possible as a senior at Simi Valley High. At CLU, she has narrowed her individual focus to the 400 hurdles and triple jump.

The 400 hurdles is an extra 100 meters from the high school distance.

“I figured it can’t be that different. It’s just a hundred, right? But it’s a big difference,” Hamilton said. “The approach to running the race is a lot different, and I am lot more focused on the steps between hurdles and the way I pace myself. I focus a lot more on maintaining my own pace instead of running as hard as I can the entire time.”

But Hamilton has made the adjustment appear seamless, which can be partly attributed to her comfort level at CLU.

“It’s been a really good transition working with new people and new coaches and teammates,” she said. “I really enjoy the whole environment. Everyone on the team is super nice and welcoming and supportive of each other.”

Cal Lutheran coach Matt Lea is thrilled to have Hamilton in the program.

“She is one of the most amazing athletes I have had a chance to work with, and I have worked with some real talent,” Lea said. “I am so excited for the next four years with her. She is such an amazing person also. That is what makes her so wonderful.”

Although Hamilton broke the program records so quickly, she knows there is still plenty of work to be done.

“I definitely want to pick up where I left off in the triple jump last season. I haven’t really gotten back in the groove of that yet,” she said. “In the hurdles, I really want to focus on becoming more consistent with my race. I feel like each race has things a little different about them, and I haven’t felt like I’ve run them the same way. I want to get a pattern down.”

Once she does, expect her own records to fall a few more times.

“I am just taking it one meet at a time at this point,” Hamilton said. “I just want to make sure I am getting better all the time.”