ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Golden State Athletic Conference honored eight different Track and Field athletes for their performances in February, and Vanguard shined with three honorees on that list.

Chase Mars (SO/Chino Hills, CA) and Eryn Burke (SO/Yucaipa, CA) captured the Men's Track and Women's Track Athlete of the Month awards, respectively. Jaelah Butler (SR/La Quinta, CA) received Women's Field Athlete of the Month accolades.

Mars broke the Vanguard indoor records in the 60 meters and 200 meters to cap off a solid February. The sophomore clocked 6.79 seconds to finish first in the 60 at the Westmont Sunshine Indoor Open, eclipsing the previous mark of 6.84. The 6.79 effort met the NAIA "A" qualifying standard and currently ranks No.14 nationally. He also won the 200 meters in 21.30 seconds, which also met the NAIA "A" standard. That time of 21.30 currently ranks fourth-fastest in the NAIA. He was victorious in the 200 at the OCC Indoor Meet, finishing in 21.48. Mars also tied his school record mark in the 60 at the Soka Indoor Qualifier, finishing the race in third in 6.79 seconds.

Burke had an incredible run in the indoor season, setting four schools records and posting five NAIA "A" qualifying times for the national championship meet. The sophomore notched school records in the 200 meters (25.04), 400 meters (55.26), 600 meters (1:33.57) and 4x400 relay team (3:53.93). Her time of 55.26 at the Westmont On Your Marks Open ranks No. 2 nationally for the 400 meters. Burke's time of 1:33.57 at the OCC Indoor Meet crushed the previous 600m record at VU, held by Ashley Rodriguez who clocked 1:36.04 in 2009. Burke ranks No. 4 nationally with that performance in the 600. Burke also competed in the distance medley relay with Jessina Morales (SO/Lake Elsinore, CA), Karla Sanchez-Ruiz (SO/Los Angeles, CA) and Kate Baranski (SO/El Cajon, CA) at the Soka Indoor Qualifier, setting an NAIA "A" standard time in 12:17.47.

Butler won the weight throw at four different meets – the Westmont On Your Marks Open, the OCC Indoor Meet, the Westmont Sunshine Indoor Open and the Soka Indoor Qualifier. Her best effort came at the Sunshine Indoor Open, where she had a top toss of 15.71m, which represented the second-best indoor mark in school history. She also won the shot put at the season-opening On Your Marks meet, moving into third on the VU top-10 chart with a performance of 12.20m. Butler capped off her month with a winning mark of 11.37m in the shot put at the OCC Indoor Meet.

Burke and Mars are closing out the indoor season this week in Brookings, S.D. at the NAIA Championships.