2016 Summary: Redlands Track & Field Bolsters Program History with Continued Success

2016 Summary: Redlands Track & Field Bolsters Program History with Continued Success
Posted: Aug 16, 2016

The University of Redlands track & field teams continued to build upon recent momentum with a solid outing during the 2016 season that culminated in multiple top-10 marks among the Bulldogs' best, 17 All-Region awards, and one All-America nod.  Overall, each team finished fifth in the multi-faceted and talented Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs jumped into action during the Mountain T's Invitational Indoor Meet at Northern Arizona University, providing an opportunity to gain experience against top-notch competition.  Many of the Redlands competitors recorded first-ever marks in these events.

About a month later, the Maroon and Gray took its talents outside during the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers Meet that included a caree-best time of 10:48.90 from junior Jessika Snincsak (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) in the 3000 Meters.  In addition, junior Abhinav Nagpal (Cypress, CA) also impressed with a season-best mark in the same event, crossing the finish line in 9:13.37.

On March 5, Redlands jumped into SCIAC action with the opening multi-dual meet against Cal Lutheran University and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.  The women reigned supreme in the head-to-head showdowns while producing multiple top finishes.  Senior Kylie Scott (Snohomish, WA) offered consistency and versatility in all three of her throws to earn top-three marks.  In the Shot Put, she reached a distance of 34' 2" for second place and earned a second-place toss of 111' 6" in the Hammer Throw.  She capped off her quality outing with a third-place mark of 102' 6" in the Discus Throw.

The Oxy Distance Carnival Spring Break Classic provided freshman Emily Dabrow (Santa Ana, CA) with the ideal circumstances to run the fastest 10K of her career, as she crossed the finish line in 41:19.67. 

The Bulldogs enjoyed their first home meet of the season during the Redlands Invitational on March 18.  Although early in the campaign, the Maroon and Gray registered various nationally-ranked times, including junior Alison Smith's (McKinleyville, CA) 14.29 in the 100 Hurdles, which landed her atop of NCAA Division III at this point in the season.  She also ran anchor for the blistering 4x100 Relay that fired off a time of 48.75, which placed the foursome second in the country for NCAA Division III.  Sophomore Courtney Crain (Happy Valley, OR), junior Jasmine Ramos (Santa Fe Springs, CA), and freshman Kara Romani (Sacramento, CA) completed this quick quartet for the Bulldogs.  For the men, senior Joey Colucci (San Jose, CA) unleashed a time of 10.80 in the 100 Meters to become the second-fastest Division III sprinter at this point in the season.

Four meets later, the Maroon and Gray combined for 14 first-place finishes en route to women's wins over Whittier College, Caltech, and Occidental, and men's victories against Whittier and Caltech during the third SCIAC multi-dual meet.   Among the highlights, sophomore Vanessa Blanchard (Palm Desert, CA) recorded the best mark of her career thus far with a height of 5' 6 ½" in the High Jump.  In addition, Scott registered a gold-medal showing in the Shot Put with a career-best heave of 35' 4".  For the men, sophomore Sean Unger (Carlsbad, CA) and junior Alonzo Washington (Clovis, CA) combined efforts in the 800 to take first and second with respective times of 1:59.92 and 2:00.27.  Freshman Michael Sahagun (Rosemead, CA) registered the Bulldogs' only event-win in the field events with his first-place effort in the Discus Throw that landed at a distance of 132' 7". 

While recording a combined three event-wins, seven other top-three finishes for All-SCIAC recognition, and multiple individual improvements, the Bulldog teams each finished fifth at the SCIAC Championships.  The Redlands women captured three event titles at the meet, with sophomore Mandy Widen (Vail, AZ) winning the Pole Vault with a career-best height of 11' 10 ½".  Smith took home the championship in the 100 Hurdles for the third year in a row, with this season's mark among the fastest in her career at 14.54.  Finally, Blanchard won the High Jump title in her second season by clearing a height of 5' 3". 

In addition, sophomore Kaylee Jorgensen (Claremont, CA) made her way onto the podium with a third-place time of 2:17.23 in the 800 for another All-SCIAC nod.  Roberts also earned third place in the 10,000 Meter with a time of 37:57.69.  Finally, the 4x100 Relay of Crain, Ramos, Romani, and Smith garnered an All-SCIAC time of 48.95 to take third at the championships.

For the men, freshman Nick Burchett (Gold River, CA) impressed in his inaugural SCIAC Championship by uncorking a career-best time of 53.59 to make his way onto the podium in second place for All-Conference honors.  This also landed him among the Maroon and Gray's top-10 list at No. 4 as the fastest time since 1989.  Colucci added another All-SCIAC accolade to his repertoire by taking second in the 100 with a time of 10.91.  He also joined forces with freshman Luke Bohlinger (Mercer Island, WA), junior Myles Speegle (Castro Valley, CA), and freshman Nathan Munoz (Rio Rancho, NM) in the 4x100 Relay for a third-place time of 41.71 for All-Conference recognition.
At the Claremont Multi Classic, Smith reset her own school record in the Heptathlon with a score of 4,432 points, which included a career-best time of 14.32 in the 100 Hurdles.  This time solidified her qualification mark for nationals.  In addition, Romani completed her first-ever Heptathlon with a score of 4,154 points as a result of career-best marks in four of the six events.   Furthermore, sophomore Afari La-Anyane (Morgan Hill, CA) competed in the Decathlon, earning two career-best showings and making his debut in four events.  He impressed in the High Jump with a height of 5' 9 ¾" to improve upon his previous personal record.  By clearing a height of 11' 9 ¾" in the Pole Vault, he posted another career-best effort.  
Amidst this busy week of late-season competition, additional members traveled to Eagle Rock to compete in the Oxy Invite, during which senior Nathan Meier (Riverside, CA) uncorked a lifetime best of 9:39.43 in the 3000 Steeplechase and Jorgensen fired off a time of 2:15.66 in the 800.  Both competitors broke into the Bulldogs' top-10 list with these outstanding performances.
During the Redlands Final Qualifying Meet back on Ashel Cunningham Track, the Bulldogs recorded multiple career- and season-best performances while competing against Olympic-caliber athletes who represented multiple countries.  Colucci led the impressive outing by uncorking a season-best time of 10.59 in the 100 Meters, which moved him up to 10th in the nation.  Speegle also shined in this event by going 10.74 for his fastest of the season.  Furthermore, La-Anyane stepped up with a career-best time of 14.68 in the 110 Hurdles, which placed him 26th in the nation.  The women's 4x100 Relay of sophomore Crain, Ramos, Romani, and Smith put together its best time of the season by crossing the finish line in 48.56.  Finally, Romani went on to impress in the Long Jump with a career-best leap of 18' 7" to sit 24th in the nation.
Following this impressive showing at the last meet of the regular season, the Bulldogs qualified five individuals to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Waverly, IA.  Blanchard (High Jump) and Smith (100 Hurdles) both advanced to their second national meet in as many years.  For the men, Colucci (100, 200) earned the opportunity for the fourth time in his career, while Speegle (200) made it to his third NCAAs.  Burchett (400 Hurdles) made his inaugural appearance as a rookie.

Highlighting the Bulldogs' national outing, Blanchard made her way onto the podium with a tied-for-eighth-place height of 5' 5 ¼", as one of six women to reach this mark.  Following the appropriate tiebreaking procedures, Blanchard collected her first-ever All-America award with a top-eight finish.

Upon conclusion of the regular season, Redlands raked in 17 All-Region awards that represent 12 different student-athletes, as selected by the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  To qualify for an All-Region nod, student-athletes must be ranked among the top 5 regionally or part of a relay team that is in the top 3. Overall, the Bulldog men hauled in 11 honors, while the Redlands women earned six.  Colucci headlined the honorees as a recipient in three different events. 

Prior to commencement, the Bulldogs learned that Colucci was named the 2016 Frank Serrao Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year for his success on the track and in the classroom.

In addition, Redlands celebrated the academic accomplishments of Smith, Blanchard, Widen, and Romani, as well as both teams, that were recognized by the USTFCCCA.

Although the graduation of a decorated senior class poses challenges, the Bulldog track & field teams clearly possess the skills and determination to continue their climb back into the upper echelon of the conference and beyond.  With Head Coach Mike Schmidt's continued leadership, Redlands looks forward to witnessing the next generation of Bulldogs spring into action in competition.