CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Vanguard women's track and field team claimed eight first place finishes at the opening meet of the 2025 season on Saturday at the OIDFE Challenge.
The Lions showcased their versatility in victory, winning events in sprints, distance, throws and jumps.
Senior Ariana Rodriguez took first place in the 400 meters in 1:00.67.
Senior Eryn Burke – Vanguard's nine-time All-American – won her 2025 season debut in the 200 meters. She posted the victory in 25.74 seconds.
In her first track event as a Lion, freshman Sydney Sydney notched gold in the 800 meters with a time of 2:31.83.
Senior Kate Baranski moved from fifth to third on the VU all-time list in the 1000 meters, winning her race in a personal-best 3:02.72. Her previous top time was 3:05.08 on February 10, 2024. Jessina Morales entered the top 10 with a PR in 3:08.32, which put her eighth in the record book.
Owner of four school records, graduate student Jaelah Butler picked up where she left off from the 2024 season. Her 2025 season debut resulted in a pair of wins, as she improved upon her school record in the shot put – going from 41-08 to 41-09.25 (12.73m) for a first place effort.
Butler also took first in the weight throw with a top heave of 50-00.75 (15.26m).
Freshman Kolena Apana made an impressive collegiate debut with a pair of victories that landed her within the top 10 at Vanguard. In the long jump, she cleared 16 feet, 9.75 inches (5.12m) which was good for 10th all-time. She also won the triple jump in 36-09.00 (11.20), which inserted her into the third spot on the VU all-time chart.
Fellow freshman Briana Martin cleared 34 feet (10.36m) even in the triple jump, good for 10th all-time in school annals.
Some other strong performances included Katarina Sawczuk finishing fourth in the 600 meter run in a personal-best 1:41.26. She moved from ninth to sixth in the VU record book with that performance.
In the 60 meter dash, Jordyn Burke placed second in 7.77 seconds, followed by Eryn Burke in 8.01.
Baranski and Morales registered top five finishes in the 3000 meters, clocking 10:23.77 and 10:33.76, respectively.
Freshman Gimena Hurtado made her collegiate debut in the shot put and placed second in the event with a top throw of 33-07.50 (10.25m). Kaylee Jones had third place showings in both the weight throw (41-02.25) and shot put (33-07.50).
What Was Said?: "It's great to be back in action," said Head Coach Bryan Wilkins. "Our athletes performed well all across the spectrum in sprints, throws, jumps and distance events. We saw some great things happen today including Jaelah's school record in the shot put. I'm very proud of this team and what's ahead for us!"
What's Next?: The Lions return to action on February 7-8 at the Riverside City College Early Bird.
