Eight Earn All-SCIAC Distinction for CMS Women's Track and Field, Athenas Coaching Staff Honored

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Eight members of the CMS women's track and field team earned All-SCIAC distinction for top-three finishes at the league championships, while Head Coach Glenn Stewart and his staff (assistants Emily Ramey, Caleb McCurry, John Goldhammer and Bob Ramsey) were named the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year, the conference announced today.

Stewart and his staff won the award for the third straight season after leading the Athenas to their fifth straight conference title. CMS came in as underdogs this year, with Redlands ranked No. 3 in the country, but the Athenas were able to defend their home track with a narrow 150-147 win over the Bulldogs to keep the championship trophy. 

The Athenas won the team title despite only having two individual champions, sophomore Abigale Johnson in the 1500 and senior Jacque Desmond in the pole vault, who set a SCIAC record by becoming the first women's pole vaulter in league history to clear 13 feet. Johnson and Desmond were two of the eight Athenas to earn All-SCIAC honors as a result of their first-place finishes. 

Senior Malea Martin was a dual individual All-SCIAC winner by coming in second place in the 10000 on the first day of the championships on Saturday, April 29, and then adding a third-place finish in the 5000 on the second day on Sunday, April 30.

Junior Sabrine Griffith and junior Amanda Mell also won All-SCIAC distinction twice, once as part of the team's second-place 4x100 relay (along with sophomores Grace Pratt and Aubrey Egerter), and then once in individual events (Griffith in the long jump and Mell in the triple jump). Freshman Riley Harmon also earned All-SCIAC honors for coming in third in the steeplechase. 

CMS will host the Claremont Multi-Duals on Thursday and Friday, and several athletes will head to the Occidental Invitational on Saturday as they try to earn NCAA qualifying marks for the national championships later this month.