The University of Redlands track & field programs hosted the annual Redlands Invitational on Ashel Cunningham Track in Ted Runner Stadium on a gorgeous Friday night. With excitement and energy, the Bulldogs put together a strong showing in multiple events, as highlighted by the women's 4x100 Relay that scorched the school record by more than a half of a second.
The talented quartet of junior Sophie Brooks (Seattle, WA), freshman Chyenne Kimble (Big Bear Lake, CA), senior Jasmine Ramos (Santa Fe Springs, CA), and senior Alison Smith (McKinleyville, CA) ran a blistering time of 47.70 to not only win the race but improve upon the Bulldogs' standard by 0.60 in an impressive feat.
Furthermore, the Bulldogs gained a first-place performance from junior Mandy Widen (Vail, AZ) in the Pole Vault as she cleared a height of 10' 11 ¾" to top the competition.
Junior Vanessa Blanchard (Palmdale, CA) kept the positive results coming for the Bulldogs by posting a winning mark of 5' 1 ¾" in the High Jump.
On the men's side, freshman Maliq Champion (Beaumont, CA) matched Blanchard's success by taking first in the same event. He cleared an impressive height of 6' 6 ½" in only his second meet of his young college career to rank third among NCAA Division III this season.
Finally, the 4x400 Relay of sophomore Nick Burchett (Gold River, CA), junior Afari La-Anyane (Morgan Hill, CA), freshman Carlos Ruiz (Taos, NM), and freshman Jordan Washecheck (Tulsa, OK) uncorked a winning time of 3:25.98.
La-Anyane also cranked out a stellar time in the 110 Hurdles when he crossed the finish line in 15.13 for second place at the meet and to rank second in the nation.
Beyond these highlights, Redlands gained multiple career-bests for both men and women to cap off a fantastic first home meet.
Redlands looks forward to a short break from competition before taking on the University of La Verne and Caltech at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Multi-Dual No. 2 on Saturday, April 1. The Bulldogs host this meet at Ashel Cunnigham Track at 11 a.m.