Women's Track and Field Picked First in SCIAC Preseason Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's track and field team, winners of the last six SCIAC titles, was picked to finish first again this year in a preseason vote of the league's coaches, the conference office announced today.

CMS finished with 76 points and seven first-place votes in the poll, edging out Redlands with 73 points in second. Pomona-Pitzer was third with 59 points, followed by Whittier in fourth with 51 points, with Occidental, Chapman, Caltech, Cal Lutheran and La Verne rounding it out in the 5-9 spots. 

CMS has edged Redlands in tight battles in each of the last two SCIAC Championships, including a three-point win in 2019 before a two-year break for the pandemic. Last year, the Athenas won 198.5-174 in a meet that was tight until CMS used its distance dominance to earn a 1-2-3 finish in the 5000 meters (as well as 5th and 6th place) to secure the win. 

Distance should once again be a CMS strong suit, after the cross country team won the league title in the fall and finished 10th nationally. Meredith Bloss won the 10000 meters at the SCIAC Championships and was third in the 5000, as well as earning All-America distinction during indoor track and field season a year ago. Anika Kimme, Angie Gushue, Elle Marsyla, Riley Capuano and Laura Zimmer each earned All-SCIAC honors in cross country in the fall. 

The Athenas also have two All-Americans returning from last year's team in seniors Caroline DelVecchio, the school record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, and Brooke Simon, who earned All-America in the pole vault last year in both indoor and outdoor season. Simone Rogers earned All-SCIAC in the high jump, while Carly Kirsch and Emily Burger earned points in the throws with top-eight finishes. 

CMS will open its outdoor competition on Feb. 18, when it competes at the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers Meet. Several athletes will be traveling this weekend to compete in indoor events in the interim.