Women's Track and Field

La Verne Captures 2005 SCIAC Women's Track and Field Championship
Title is third in program history and second in three seasons
April 19, 2005

The University of La Verne women's track and field team captured its third SCIAC Conference Championship in school history and second in three seasons tallying 228 total points to outdistance runner-up and defending champ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by 44 points.

All told, La Verne won nine of 19 events along with 11 second-place performances. The Leopards dominated the field events, winning seven of the eight contested including all four contested on the final day.

Lakia Pearson was the top scorer in the meet and became the first woman in SCIAC history to win three SCIAC triple jump titles as she took that event with a leap of 38-0¾. Pearson also teamed with Lauren Johnson, Deonne McLean and Krystle Luckey to win the 4 x 100 relay in 48.03.

Fellow senior Ellen Soakai won both the shot put (42-2)and discus (145-1) titles while sophomore Veronica Andrews captured both the javelin (131-0) and high jump (5-1).

Other La Verne event winners included Johnson in the 100 meters (12.25), Erica Pemberton in the hammer throw (143-0) and Katrina McCoy in the pole vault (10-11¾).

La Verne previously won the SCIAC women's team title in 1997 and 2003.