The University of Redlands track & field teams traveled to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday, and while taking on competition from NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and other top competitors from around the world, the Bulldogs garnered impressive early-season results while setting a baseline for the exciting season to come.
Senior Jorge Cervantes (Indio, CA) shined for the Bulldog men, capturing the title in the Discus with by far the top throw in the event, registering a distance of 147' 6", nearly 10 feet further than the next closest competitor. He also performed well in the Shot Put (41' 10") and Hammer (126' 5") events, tallying 11th-place finishes in both.
Fellow senior Gilbert Navarro (Chula Vista, CA) performed valiantly in the throwing events as well, placing seventh in the Javelin with a distance of 156' 9". In addition he took eighth overall in the Shot Put (42' 6") and 10th in the Discus (127' 9"). Moreover, senior Kyle Houtzer (Anaheim, CA) added to the strong Bulldog throwing efforts with a seventh-place tally in the Discus (131' 04") and a ninth-place mark in the Javelin (149' 7").
Elsewhere in the field events, senior Darron Usher (Rialto, CA) finished as the top collegiate athlete in the Long Jump, while taking second overall in the event with a mark of 22' 9 ¼". Additionally, William Clark (La Canada, CA) placed eighth in the High Jump (6' 0") and senior Chris Bode (Elk, WA) tied for 10th in the Pole Vault (12' 11 ¾").
On the track, sophomore Joey Colucci (San Jose, CA) led the way for the sprinters with an impressive early-season mark of 11.02 seconds in the 100 Meters for ninth place overall, while freshman Myles Speegle (Castro Valley, CA) crossed the finish line in 11.33 seconds for 16th at the meet.
In the 3000 Meters, junior Chris Bolt (Reno, NV) ran well and took 19th overall while finishing as the top Bulldog runner with a time of 8:56.40.
On the women's side, freshman Alison Smith (McKinleyville, CA) performed very well in her first-ever collegiate meet, taking eighth overall in the 100 Meter Hurdles with a swift time of 16.44 seconds, while placing 23rd in the 100 Meters with a time of 12.91 seconds.
Senior Vanessa Anchondo (Oceanside, CA) registered a solid time in the 3000 Meters for the Maroon and Gray, crossing the finish line as the top Bulldog in 10:58.30, the 21st-best time at the meet.
Junior Merritt ten Hope (Phoenix, AZ) recorded an impressive early-season mark in the Pole Vault, clearing a height of 10' 6" to tie for seventh overall.
In the horizontal jumping events, junior Lauren Tritz (Orange, CA) recorded two 17th-place finishes. In the Long Jump, she registered a distance of 15' 4 ¾", while in the Triple Jump, Tritz notched a mark of 33' 3 ¾".
In the throws, freshman Madeline O'Leary (Vernonia, OR) placed sixth in the Discus with a mark of 126' 6", while in the Shot Put, O'Leary took 22nd overall with a distance of 30' 1 ½". Fellow freshman Bree Wilkinson (Lafayette, CA) also showed well in her first-ever collegiate meet, taking 16th in the Discus (107' 9") and 21st in the Shot Put (30' 9"), finishing as the top Bulldog performer in the Shot Put. Finally, sophomore Kylie Scott (Snohomish, WA) competed in a variety of the throwing events, performing best in the Javelin with a distance of 100' 7" to place seventh at the meet.
Redlands takes a week off from competition before heading back to Claremont on Saturday, March 8, for the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Multi-Dual Meet No. 1. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.