The University of Redlands track & field teams hosted the Redlands Final Qualifier Meet on Thursday and Friday, earning multiple career-best marks in an exciting event on Ashel Cunningham Track in Ted Runner Stadium.
Amidst the thrill of unseasonably cold and wet weather, the Bulldogs took advantage of one last opportunity, as highlighted by a pair of nationally contending times. Junior Joey Colucci (San Jose, CA) fired off a time of 10.67 in the 100 Meters to move into 16th on the national list. He joins sophomore Myles Speegle (Castro Valley, CA), who already sat among the fastest in Division III with his time of 10.64 from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship meet.
In addition, the men's 4x100 Relay of freshman Dale Stoller (Santa Cruz, CA), Colucci, Speegle, and senior Taylor Browning (Carbondale, CO) bettered its ranking in Division III with a time of 41.11 to sit seventh among the nation's best.
Furthermore, senior Peirce Clark (La Canada, CA) registered a career-best mark in the High Jump by clearing a height of 6' 7 ½" for second place.
Finally, senior Chris Bolt (Reno, NV) notched a winning time of 15:44.85 in the 5,000 Meters to highlight the men's success on the opening night of the two-day meet.
For the women, sophomore Jasmine Ramos (Santa Fe Springs, CA) and freshman Sophie Brooks (Seattle, WA) ran career-best times in the 100 Meters at 12.53 and 12.56, respectively. Freshman Mandy Widen (Vail, AZ) earned the best mark of her short tenure at Redlands, improving upon her personal standard in the Pole Vault by more than six inches. She took second in the event with a height of 11' 8".
Senior Maddie Smith (Hoquiam, WA) spearheaded a Bulldog sweep of the top four in the High Jump, as she won with a height of 5' 4 ½". Freshman Vanessa Blanchard (Palmdale, CA) followed in second place at 5' ½", while sophomore Caitlin Nardi (El Cajon, CA) and senior Alexandra Blalock (Indian Wells, CA) tied for third after each reached a height of 4' 10 ½".
Junior Lauren Roberts (Portland, OR) impressed during Thursday's 10,000 Meters, as she won the race with a career-best time of 36:53.41, which was 30 seconds faster than her previous standard.
Freshman Kaylee Jorgensen (Claremont, CA) and sophomore Brianna Wilkinson (Lafayette, CA) also notched first-place showings during the first day of competition. Wilkinson led all competitors in the Discus Throw with a distance of 117' 6", while Jorgensen crossed the finish line first in the 5,000 Meters with a time of 5:00.73.
Redlands now awaits the official announcement of the NCAA qualifiers, which is expected to be published on NCAA.com on Sunday.
