Jacque Desmond Sets SCIAC Record in Pole Vault to Highlight Opening Day of League Championships

Royal Results Scoring

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior Jacque Desmond set a new SCIAC record in the pole vault (13 feet, one-quarter inch) to win the league championship on the first day of the SCIAC Championships on Saturday afternoon at the Burns Track Complex.

After the first day, the Athenas hold a large lead with six of the 20 events to be scored in the books, doubling up second-place Occidental 72-36 with Redlands in third with 31 points. Redlands, which is ranked No. 3 in the nation coming in, will look to make up the gap in tomorrow's track finals, particulary in the sprints. 



Desmond broke her own CMS record of 12'7.5" which she set earlier this season, while moving into fourth place nationally in Division III by clearing 13 feet. She ended up winning the SCIAC championship over Melissa Braun of Cal Lutheran who matched Desmond for three straight heights when they were the only two left in the competition.

In fact, Desmond needed her third and final try to clear 3.77 meters to advance and match Braun, but once she made it through, she cleared 3.82 on her first try and Braun was unable to clear that height as well, giving Desmond the individual title. Desmond kept going to try to improve her marks for qualification for the NCAA Championships, and subsequently cleared 3.87 and 3.97 (13'0.25"), and nearly made it over at 4.01 meters, which would have been the top vault nationally in Division III this year, but the bar wobbled off as she fell.  

The old SCIAC record for the pole vault had held since 2008, when Kera Bartlett of Occidental cleared 12'8", while the previous SCIAC Championship record was 12'0.75", set by Katie Yeager of La Verne in 2012. 

In other events that had finals on Saturday, junior Sabrine Griffith came in second in the long jump with a personal best 18'10.5" jump, which moves her into third all-time in CMS history. Sophomore Grace Pratt was fourth in the long jump at 18'2.5" to move into a tie for ninth, while junior Amanda Mell came in fifth at 17'8.75" to give the Athenas three of the top five. 

Senior Malea Martin was second in the 10000 meters with a time of 37:35.24, beating her personal best by 14 seconds and moving her into eighth in school history. Freshman Riley Harmon, freshman Sophie Gitlin and senior Matilda Msall were 3-4-5 in the steeplechase, with Harmon moving into a tie for seventh in CMS history, Gitlin improving over seven seconds off her personal best to stay in ninth, and Msall moving into 10th place in school annals.   

The Athenas also had a pair of fourth-place finishes in the throws, with junior Amanda Gallop coming in fourth in the javelin at 112 feet, 11 inches and Mikaela Gallardo coming in fourth in the hammer at 145 feet, one inch. 

In the events that had prelims on Saturday, the Athenas had five runners qualify for the finals tomorrow in the 1500 (out of 12), with sophomore Olivia Gleason turning in the best time at 4:51.43. Sophomore Abigale Johnson, junior Olivia Palenscar, sophomore Theresa Versen, and sophomore Sophie Liles also moved on to the Sunday finals. 

Johnson will run in three finals tomorrow as she also qualified in the 800 prelims, while she will close out the championships by running the 5000. She came in sixth in the 800 prelims and will be joined in the finals by senior McKenzie Deutsch, who was ninth. 

Pratt will be in the finals in both the 100 and the 200 after coming in fourth in prelims in the 100 (12.36), a time which vaults her into seventh place in school history, and seventh in the 200 at 25.75. Griffith also qualified for two finals, joining Pratt in the 100 with a 12.66 to place eighth, while also coming in third in the 100 hurdles with a 14.80.

Sophomore Aubrey Egerter was fourth in the 100 hurdles with a 14.84, trimming a half-second off her personal best and moving up from ninth place in CMS history into fifth. Sophomore Bailey Mknelly will also be in the finals tomorrow in the 400 hurdles after finishing sixth with a 66.54, while sophomore Julia Drooff will be in the 400 dash finals after a 60.79 in the prelims, placing sixth. 

Tomorrow's second day will get underway at 2 p.m. with field events, including the shot put and high jump, while the track events will get started with the 4x100 relay at 3:30 p.m., which will feature Griffith, Egerter, Mell and Pratt. 


Sunday, April 28 Schedule - Track
3:30 p.m. (4x100 - finals)
Sabrine Griffith-Aubrey Egerter-Amanda Mell-Grace Pratt

3:40 p.m. (1500 - finals)
Olivia Gleason, Olivia Palenscar, Sophia Liles, Theresa Versen, Abigale Johnson

4:00 p.m. (100h finals)
Sabrine Griffith, Aubrey Egerter

4:20 p.m. (400 finals)
Julia Drooff

4:40 p.m. (100 finals)
Grace Pratt, Sabrine Griffith

4:50 p.m. (800 finals)
McKenzie Deutsch, Abigale Johnson

5:10 p.m. (400h finals)
Bailey Mknelly

5:30 p.m. (200 finals)
Grace Pratt

5:40 p.m. (5000 finals)
Natasha Crepeau, Abigale Johnson, Olivia Gleason, Natalie Marsh, Morgan Blevins, Isabelle Antolin, Malea Martin, Jackie McVay, Riley Harmon, Brooklyn Button, Matilda Msall, Delaney Hartmann, Chloe Taylor, Sophie Liles, Olivia Palenscar

6:25 p.m. (4x400 relay finals)
Deyana Marsh-Katie Snell-McKenzie Deutsch-Aubrey Egerter

Sunday, April 28 - Field
2 p.m. (Shot Put - finals)
Flight 1: Rosey Sams, Sobechukwu Uwajeh, Mikaela Gallardo, Marika Morelan, Georgia Wood
Flight 2: Amanda Gallop

2 p.m. (High Jump - finals)
Aubrey Egerter, Bailey Mknelly, Jacque Desmond

4:30 p.m. (Triple Jump - finals)
Flight 1: Kelly Watanabe, Julia Catolico
Flight 2: Amanda Mell, Carolyn Weisman

4:30 p.m. (Discus - finals) - lower field
Flight 1: Mikaela Gallardo, Marika Morelan, Georgia Wood
Flight 2: Amanda Gallop, Rosey Sams