High marks met at Hornets and Redlands Invite

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps track & field program sent a contingent of athletes to the Hornet Invitational at the Sacramento State University on Friday and Saturday for an opportunity to compete against a tough field of Division I, II and post-collegiate athletes. CMS also competed at the Redlands Invitational in Redlands University on Friday, sending a small team of sprinters, hurdlers, and throwers. The Redlands Invitational is a small meet featuring the hosts, Occidental, two Div. II programs, junior colleges, and several open athletes.

At the Hornet Invite, sophomore Jacque Desmond (SC) broke her personal CMS record from two weeks ago on the pole vault, jumping 3.75 meter (12-03.50) to take ninth place overall. Her score put her no. 2 in the All-Time SCIAC record and will certainly qualify her for the NCAA Div. III Championships in May.

Junior Tyra Abraham (SC) was the highest placed Athenas at the event, taking third place in the 100 meter sprint with a time of 12.06. It was her seasonal best and likely qualified her to return to the national championship. Senior Carmen Mejia (SC) took fourth place in the 800 with a 2:09.53 effort. Just off her lifetime best, Mejia still has the second best 800 mark in Div. III in 2016, including both indoor and outdoor marks.

On the hammers, senior Vaiva Palunas (SC) and junior Emily Bassett (CMC) took fifth and eighth, respectively. Palunas threw 55.87 (183-04), setting a personal record and moving to no. 2 all-time for CMS and no. 4 all-time for the SCIAC while Bassett threw 52.98 (173-10). Palunas also took ninth in the discus with a seasonal best 44.45m (145-10).

Senior Joshua Sealand (HMC) set the best Div. III time of the season on the 1500, finishing at 3:49.94 to take third place. This record will most certainly qualify him for the NCAA Championship and a shot to compete for his third straight All-America honors.

On the men's jumps, senior Cam Van (CMC) took ninth overall in the high jump, reaching 1.90 (6-02.75). He also set his best mark of the season on the triple jump, recording 14.00 (45-11.25) to take 10^th place.

At the Redlands Invitational, freshmen Reese Peterson (HMC) and Maxwell Knowles (CMC) had a strong showing on the throws. Ranked seventh in the SCIAC on the shot put, Peterson threw 13.15 (43-01.75) to take third place in the competition. A former baseball player in high school who just started out on the javelin, Knowles took third place, throwing 50.15 (164-06), which also places in third on the SCIAC seasonal ranking.

Freshman Michelle Lilly (HMC) led the Athenas with a win on the triple jump at the Redlands Invite, jumping 11.03 (36-02.25) for the best SCIAC mark of the season. Sophomore Dani Chami (CMC) took fourth place on the pole vault, jumping 3.20 (10-06) to take in 10^th in the All-Time CMS best record. Freshman Amelia Otto Cutting (HMC) took second in the high jump, matching her seasonal best of 1.57 (5-01.75) which was enough to be ranked third in the SCIAC for the season.

CMS will return to University of Redlands to compete against Redlands, Caltech, and La Verne on Saturday, Apr. 1. Time of the event will be announced. 

Results