Women's Track and Field

SCIAC Track and Field Championships Preview
April 14, 2005

The 90th renewal of the SCIAC Track and Field Championships will be held Saturday and Monday, April 16 and 18 at Pomona-Pitzer. CMS won this year's men's multi-dual and are shooting for their 14th consecutive championship. La Verne won the women's multi-dual and are looking for their second title in the last three years.

Women
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won last year's SCIAC title on the women's side and look to make it two straight with the held of several quality athletes. CMS sprinter Erica Melief returns to defend her titles in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes while also anchoring both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay squads.

Other CMS standouts include Kim Sonne, Breanne Diaz and Lauren Hodill. Sonne set the conference record in the steeplechase earlier this season in an NCAA-qualifying 11:19.54 and will be a force in the 800 and 1500 meter races as well. Diaz will be one of the favorites in both the 100 meter and 400 meter hurdle races, while Hodill is the top combination jumper in the conference and should figure prominently in the high jump, long jump and triple jump events as well as the 100 meter hurdles.

The Athenas may get a strong challenge from La Verne, which captured the SCIAC Multi-Dual meet in March. The Leopards are paced by Lakia Pearson, the 2004 SCIAC Athlete of the Year. Pearson won the 100 hurdles, long jump and triple jump events at the conference championship meet a year ago. ULV will also be aided by Ellen Soakai in both the shot put and discus events along with sprinter Lauren Johnson and pole vault/high jump standout Chelsea Sherier. Johnson owns the top times in both the 100 (12.27) and 200 (24.97) this season , both NCAA provisional qualifying performances. Sherier owns the best marks in both the high jump (5-3 ¾) and pole vault (11-6).

Other athletes to watch include Kristin Stuart of Occidental and Heather Worden of Cal Lutheran. Stuart earned All-American honors at 200 and 400 meters last season. Stuart will also be looking to become a four-time conference champion at 400 meters. Worden has the top times in both the 800 and 1500 meter races. Her clocking of 4:40.47 in the 1500 is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.

Pomona-Pitzer's Elizabeth Smith looks to repeat last year's title in the 400 meter hurdles.

Men
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men are strong favorites to capture their 14th consecutive SCIAC crown. CMS is led by multi-event star Matt Roberson, the 2004 NCAA Champion in the decathlon. Roberson will compete in a wide array of events and should rack up several points for the Stag squad. Scott Bennett will provide plenty of support in the throwing events as he should figure heavily in the shot put, discus and hammer throws. In addition, teammate Roman Marenin is back to defend his conference titles in the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles while CMS soph Dan Hayman looks to defend his title in the Steeplechase.

Pomona-Pitzer will be led by Ty Bundgaard, the 2004 SCIAC Athlete of the Year. Bundgaard will seek his third consecutive title in the high jump while also defending his title in the triple jump. The Sagehens will also bring a strong contingent in the distance events. Included in that group are Sean McCarron, David Mars and Will Leer, who rank among the conference's best in the Steeplechase, 800 and 1500, respectively.

Ryan Murphy of Occidental College will vie for titles in both the 800 and 1500 meter races while teammate Pete Bjorklund looks to do the same in the shot put and discus.

Other athletes to watch include La Verne's Blaine Bacher, who owns the best 400 meter hurdle time in the nation at 52.69. A spirited battle should take place in the javelin, where Oxy's Justin Gruber has the conference's top throw at 195-9. He will be challenged by the Redlands duo of Scott Pine and Corey Pine along with Pomona-Pitzer's Alex Head. All four competitors have thrown over 185 feet.