ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- The final regular season meet in the indoor track and field season saw the Vanguard Lions trek a short distance away to the campus of Soka University. The Soka Indoor Qualifier provided the chance for a new school record to be set and a couple of new NAIA qualifiers to punch their ticket to South Dakota.
Evan Hernandez (SO/Menifee, CA) set the school record on Saturday in the 5,000m run where he finished fifth, picking up an NAIA B standard in the process with his 14:57.06. Justin Bartlebaugh (SR/Riverside, CA) had set the previous top time last year in the event with a 14:59.22.
Elsewhere for the men, Chase Mars (SO/Chino Hills, CA) was third out of 78 athletes in the 60m race with a 6.79. He then placed fourth in the 200m dash with a 21.57. Terence Williams was seventh in the 400m event with a 50.53 and Chris Watson (JR/Hesperia, CA) was second in the 60m hurdles, posting a time of 8.55. The other top-10 result belonged to Edgar Sactic (FR/Gardena, CA), who picked up 10th in the triple jump with a distance of 12.60m.
The women's distance medley team also made headlines for the Blue and Gold on Saturday, as VU picked up an A standard time to qualify for the National Championships on the final attempt of the season. Jessina Morales (SO/Lake Elsinore, CA), Eryn Burke (SO/Yucaipa, CA), Karla Sanchez-Ruiz (SO/Los Angeles, CA), and Kate Baranski (SO/El Cajon, CA) pushed the foursome into the A category by finishing second with a total time of 12:17.47.
Other headlines included Nohemi Anderson (JR/El Centro, CA), who was fifth in the women's 60m dash by posting a 7.94, finishing as the top NAIA runner. Jordyn Burke (SO/Yucaipa, CA) and Betten finished third and fourth respectively in the 200m sprint, with Burke putting down a 25.44 and Betten a 25.65. Olivia Finch (FR/Heppner, OR) secured an eighth-place finish in the 600m race with a 1:42.34. Morales ended third in the mile run with a 5:14.74 and Penelopi Leach (JR/Madera, CA) was 10th in the 60m hurdle event with a 9.43.
The 4x400m relay team again had a top finish, as the quartet of Jordyn Burke, Elizabeth Betten (FR/Yucaipa, CA), Nohemi Anderson, and Eryn Burke finished second with a 3:54.46. The second group of Julia Nelsen (SR/Exeter, CA), Olivia Finch, Grace Roberts (SR/Riverside, CA), and Isabella Alvarez (SO/Cottonwood, CA) was sixth with a 4:12.01
Out on the field, the women again produced positive results. Faith Hunt (JR/Yorba Linda, CA) was 10th in the long jump with a distance of 4.99m and Jaelah Butler (SR/La Quinta, CA) was third in the shot put with a top throw of 11.65m. Three other Lions were in the top 10 in the shot put, with Kaylee Jones (SO/Redding, CA) fifth with a 10.36, Aaliyah Espinoza (FR/Oxnard, CA) next with a 10.28, and Kendra Battcher (FR/O'Neals, CA) seventh with a 10.27 throw.
Butler picked up the win in the weight throw, topping the field by almost two full meters with a 14.80 toss. Espinoza was third with a throw of 11.69 and Jones was fifth with a toss of 11.29.
With the dust settled in the indoor season, VU has nine individual athletes plus two alternates scheduled for eight different events at the NAIA Championships.
What was Said? "I'm really proud of our athletes and the consistent progress we are seeing week to week," said Head Coach Bryan Wilkins. "We saw numerous PRs again and some courageous and gritty performances all across the board."
