ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Vanguard men's track and field team continued competition on Saturday at the Soka Invitational, earning one first place victory and two additions to the school's all-time record book.
Sophomore Jonathan Krynicki won the 200 meter dash in 22.17 seconds. Freshman Donovan Ralls finished second in 22.39.
In the 600 meter run, junior Cooper Anderson broke into the VU top 10 with a performance of 1:24.14, tying him for eighth on the all-time list with Jon Chittim (1/27/07). Anderson placed sixth in the race, and came in fifth in the 800 meters in 2:00.93.
Zachary Velasco's impact in the high jump cannot be understated as the freshmen cleared six feet, 2.75 inches (1.90m) to break into the program's record book in a tie for ninth. Velasco placed third in the event.
Fellow freshman Trevor Bode appears poised to eventually break into an all-time list. He posted a mark of 20-08.00 (6.30m) in the long jump for fifth place.
Ommar Arroyo was the top Lion finisher in the 3000 meter run, traversing the oval in 9:33.69. The 5000 meter run featured Anthony Kennen and Arroyo nipping at each other's heels, finishing eighth and ninth in 15:57.68 and 15:58.66.
Senior Chris Watson – ranked No. 4 all-time at VU (8.37) in the 60 meter hurdles, missed his personal-best but still ran a solid 8.52 for second place.
What Was Said?: "We had beautiful weather conditions Saturday, and our athletes performed at a high level," said Head Coach Bryan Wilkins. "We saw loads of personal bests throughout the day and great team camaraderie. I couldn't be more proud!"
What's Next?: The Lions suit up on Saturday, February 22 at the Carl Rossi Relays in Claremont.
