The University of Redlands track & field teams officially embarked upon the outdoor season with Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Multi-Dual No. 1 in CLlarmeont. With impressive results, both teams registered wins over each of the opposing teams to sweep the competition in a quality opening meet.
The Bulldog women notched five first-place results, seven second-place marks, and eight third-place showings in a stellar outing. The Redlands men posted eight winning performances, five second-place finishes, and three third-place efforts.
For the women, senior Alison Smith (McKinleyville, CA) put together another outstanding meet with multiple top-three showings. She won the 100 Hurdles with a time of 14.36 to lead off a 1-2 punch in that event, as freshman Jessica Fields (Las Vegas, NV) quickly followed in 14.86. Smith also came in second in the Long Jump with a career-best mark of 17' 3 ½" to go along with second-place finishes in the Shot Put (36' 9 ½") and Javelin Throw (112' 3").
Senior Jasmine Ramos (Santa Fe Springs, CA) and junior Sophie Brooks (Seattle, WA) provided another lethal combination in the sprints by taking second and third, respectively, in the 100 and 200. Ramos crossed the finish line of the 100 in 12.45 for a career-best time, while Brooks clocked in at 12.92. In the 200, Ramos' time of 26.21 edged her teammate, who crossed the line in 26.97.
The 400 Hurdles competition saw Fields win the race in 1:04.34, as sophomore Kara Romani (Sacramento, CA) took third with a career-best time of 1:07.57. Romani also shined in the Long Jump with her first-place leap of 17' 11".
Junior Vanessa Blanchard (Palmdale, CA) continues to excel in the High Jump, as she defeated all competition with her gold-medal height of 5' 3". Furthermore, junior Mandy Widen (Vail, AZ) earned second place in the Pole Vault with her mark of 11' 5 ¾".
Redlands posted third-place, individual finishes in the 400, 800, 3000 Steeplechase, and Triple Jump. Freshman Chyenne Kimble (Big Bear Lake, CA) fired off a time of 1:01.30 to take home the bronze in the 400, before leaping to third place in the Triple Jump with a mark of 34' 8 ¼". Junior Kaylee Jorgensen (Claremont, CA) picked up right where she left off last season in the 800 by firing off a third-place time of 2:18.76, while senior Jessika Snincsak (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) completed the 3000 Steeplechase in a career-best time of 11:58.97 to finish third as well.
The 4x100 Relay of Brooks, Kimble, Ramos, and Smith blew by the competition with a winning time of 48.61. In addition, Fields, Jorgensen, junior Justine Keller (Portland, OR), and Kimble joined forces in the 4x400 Relay to take third with a time of 4:08.87.
The Bulldog men showed great skill and depth on the track and in the field events. Senior Myles Speegle (Castro Valley, CA) and sophomore Luke Bohlinger (Mercer Island, WA) teamed up for a great 1-2 punch in the sprints. Speegle prevailed in the 100 with a time of 10.92, as Bohlinger quickly followed in 10.94 for the fastest time of his career. The pair traded places in the 200, with Bohlinger wining this one in 22.48, while Speegle crossed the finish line in 22.56.
Redlands gained a winning performance from freshman Jordan Washecheck (Tulsa, OK) in the 400 (49.87), while junior Sean Unger (Carlsbad, CA) muscled out a third-place time of 1:57.62 in the 800.
Sophomore Nick Burchett (Gold River, CA) and junior Afari La-Anyane (Morgan Hill, CA) impressed in the 400 Hurdles by taking first (56.73) and second (58.79), respectively. La-Anyane also put together a solid showing in the 110 Hurdles with his second-place time of 15.28.
The 4x100 Relay of Bohlinger, Burchett, freshman Maliq Champion (Beaumont, CA), and Speegle uncorked a blistering time of 42.11 to win the race. Burchett, La-Anyane, freshman Carlos Ruiz (Taos, NM), and Washecheck teamed up to take third in the 4x400 Relay by clocking a time of 3:20.74.
In addition, Champion topped the competition in the High Jump with a mark of 6' 4 ¾", while sophomore Matthew Hayashi (Hacienda Heights, CA) recorded a pair of gold-medal and career-best heaves in the Shot Put (45' 9 ¼") and Hammer Throw (142' 3"). Senior Sam Yaeger (Mission Viejo, CA) and Hayashi put together quality marks in the Discus Throw to finish second (128' 3") and third (127' 0"), respectively.
Redlands heads to the Oxy Distance Festival and Sprint Carnival on Friday, March 10, at 4 p.m.