The University of Redlands men's and women's track & field teams opened Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition on Saturday with the first of three multi-dual meets. The Bulldogs scored team victories against Whittier College and Cal Lutheran University while winning 24 of the possible 38 events.
The Redlands women topped the competition with wins in nine events en route to a 115-47 victory over the Poets and a 104-58 triumph against the Regals. While taking first place in 15 events, the Bulldog men came away with a 122-41 decision against Whittier and a 127-32 showing over Cal Lutheran.
Among the many highlights of the day, first-year Hannah Albrecht (Cottage Grove, OR) recorded first-place times in the 200 (25.95) and 400 (59.42) while also contributing to the fastest 4x400 Relay of the meet that crossed the finish line 4:06.62. She joined forces with senior Kaylee Jorgensen (Claremont, CA), senior Justine Keller (Portland, OR), and sophomore Chyenne Kimble (Big Bear Lake, CA) to create this formidable quartet.
The 4x100 Relay of junior Kara Romani (Sacramento, CA), Kimble, senior Sophie Brooks (Seattle, WA), and first-year Andrea Lyon (San Ramon, CA) also put together a winning effort by uncorking a time of 49.08.
Furthermore, Jorgensen notched an individual event-win in the 800 with a time of 2:22.96, as Kimble crushed the competition in the 100 Hurdles with a mark of 15.31.
Kimble also took her talents to the Triple Jump where she unleashed a career-best mark of 36' 2 ¼" to take home first place.
The women's success also included a winning effort by senior Vanessa Blanchard (Palmdale, CA) in the High Jump (5' 5 ¼") and senior Mandy Widen (Vail, AZ) in the Pole Vault (11' 5 ¼").
The men also hauled in dominating results in an outstanding outing. Junior Nick Burchett (Gold River, CA) won the 400 Hurdles with a time of 56.11 and ran on both first-place relays. He combined efforts with first-year Anthony Razo (Pomona, CA), first-year MJ Wheeler (St. Louis, MO), and junior Luke Bohlinger (Mercer Island, WA) for a blistering time of 42.52 in the 4x100. Finally, he contributed to the 4x400 Relay of first-year Tucker Cargile (Denver, CO), first-year Domanick Murray (Palm Springs, CA), and sophomore Jordan Washecheck (Tulsa, OK) that fired off the fastest time of 3:24.70.
In addition to winning the 100 in 10.71, Bohlinger uncorked a career-best time of 21.86 to capture first place in the 200. Washecheck added to the team's individual success by crossing the finish line in first place in the 400 with a time of 1:55.49.
Senior Afari La-Anyane (Morgan Hills, CA) and junior Joseph Esparza (Arcata, CA) completed the Maroon and Gray's outstanding performances on the track by earning first place in their respective competitions. La-Anyane won the 110 Hurdles (15.61) while Esparza blew by the other runners in the 3000 Steeplechase with a time of 9:43. 65.
In the field events, Redlands continued to shine, with junior Matthew Hayashi (Hacienda Heights, CA) recording victorious marks in three throwing events. He won the Shot Put with a distance of 45' ¼", recorded a first-place heave of 128' 8" in the Discus Throw, and registered the best Hammer Throw mark of the meet at 142' 2".
Furthermore, first-year Cal Martin (Dayton, WA) topped the competition in the Javelin Throw with a distance of 152' 0".
Senior Wyatt Pannabecker (Choteau, MT) impressed in the Long Jump and Triple Jump with first-place marks of 21' 0" and 46' 0", while sophomore Maliq Champion (Beaumont, CA) added a triumphant leap of 6' 2 ¾" in the High Jump.
Select members of the team look forward to competing in the NCAA Indoor Championships, which take place on Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, at Birmingham Southern University (AL). The Bulldogs also head to the Oxy Distance Festival and Sprint Carnival on Saturday, March 10, at 2 p.m. in Eagle Rock.
