LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - It was a lighter week in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor track and field with just four teams in action and weather causing a shift in the schedule and the cancellation or postponement of few meets.
Colorado College competed at the University of Colorado Invitational last weekend with teams across all divisions as the men's program finished 20th of 28 teams and the women's program finished 20th of 25 teams. On the men's side, the Tigers produced three individual top-10 finishes led by Tony Calderon placing sixth in the 3,000-meter race with a time of 9:09.95. David Eik joined Calderon in the top-10 of the 3,000, finishing eighth stopping the clock in 9:09.95. Henry Baldwin continued his outstanding spring with an eighth-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.96 meters. Paul Olsen put forth a season best in the 1,500-meters with a time of 4:07.76. Allysa Warling had the best finish of the day for the women's program, finishing fifth in the 3,000-meters with a time of 10:57.35. Highlights in field events included Grace Tagtow earning ninth in the high jump with a mark of 1.61 meters and Mabel Gardner posted her best collegiate mark in the pole vault finishing 15th with a vault of 2.91 meters.
Southwestern and Texas Lutheran both sent a group of student athletes to compete at the rain shortened Carl Knight Invitational hosted by Stephen F. Austin last weekend. The Pirates and Bulldogs combined to post 10 top-10 finishes despite the Saturday track events being washed out due to rain.
On the men's side, Southwestern was led by John Hattan and Devin Roasas. Hattan turned in a fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossing the line in 10:08.33 and Rosas placed 10th in the long jump with a leap of 6.46 meters. TLU shinned in several field events led by Garrett Garza continuing his solid senior season, placing second in the shot put with a mark of 16.85 meters. Teammate Jalen Starks finished sixth in the same event with a toss of 13.70 meters. The Bulldogs got two additional top-five performances from Caimen McDonough and Jacob Guercia. McDonough finished fourth in the triple jump, clearing 13.24 meters, and Guercia earned fifth in the hammer throw with an SCAC-best toss of 46.85 meters.
The Southwestern women were led by Morgan Gilpin's sixth-place finish in the javelin with a toss of 30.52 meters. The Pirates also got top-10 performances from both Jaelynn Stewart and Hannah Bruce. Stewart finished 10th in the shot put with a mark of 11.43 meters and Bruce placed 10th in the hammer throw after a toss of 38.01 meters. Texas Lutheran's Kylee Garcia turned in a top-10 finish on the track, finishing eighth in the 5,000-meters stopping the clock at 19:22.64. That time is currently the sixth fastest in the SCAC and a season-best for the senior.
Trinity traveled to compete at the David Noble Relays hosted by Angelo State University as the Tiger men finished 12th and the Tiger women finished tied for 10th. Several athletes set personal bests for the Tigers including Steve Rodriguez who posted a PR in the men's 400-meter hurdles just missing qualifying for finals with a time of 55.89. Andy Garza competed in the women's 400-meter hurdles, finishing 10th in her prelim heat with a time of 1:03.80. Abigail Bannon-Schneebeck set a new PR in the women's 400-meters, clocking in at a Trinity season-best 59.58 seconds. Androniki Defteraiou competed in her first women's heptathlon and tied for first in the Blue section with a seven events combined score of 3,967. Defteraiou won the long jump competition with a mark of 5.07 meters and paced second in the 100-meter hurdles crossing the line in 15.48 seconds.
The SCAC outdoor track and field continues this week as just two weekends remain before teams will gather to compete for the conference championship in San Antonio, Texas.
