CLAREMONT, Calif. – Vanguard women's track and field netted a top 10 finish at the 30th Carl Rossi Relays, taking eighth amongst the field at Burns Stadium on the campus of Claremont College. Their four medal winners included freshman Haley Svendsen, who jumped into the record books in her debut in the 400m hurdles.

What Happened? Svendsen nailed the second-best time in program history in her 400m hurdles debut. Her 1:06.66 was the fastest Vanguard 400m hurdle time since Jordyn Burke set the record (1:00.81) in May 2023. At the Carl Rossi Relays, she was just .59 hundredths of a second away from second place in the event, instead marking her podium spot in third.

Elizabeth Betten whistled through at sixth in the 100m dash to lead the VU sprinters, with a tight finish at 12.35.

Vanguard's relay teams were plenty active, with the 4000m distance medley relay team of Haley Butenschoen, Elizabeth Betten, Megan Charley, Madyson Nakamura and Emily Noyes planting themselves into sixth, with a 12:26.12 time.

In the 4x800 race, both VU relay teams finished in the top 10. The Lions' top group took fifth (Haley Butenschoen, Mary Sawczuk, Isabella Alvarez, Megan Charley) with a time of 9:32.08, and their next group of Kaitlyn Smith, Bella Sword, Brady Wylie, and Hailey Quiroz wheeling in at 9:57.14 with a 10th-place finish.

All four competitors in the 3000m had personal bests, with Madyson Nakamura leading the way (10:38.26) and Emily Noyes (11:25.58), Adrianna Huffstuttler (11:42.38), and Macey Thomas (11:52.22) following the Vanguard captain.

Kaylee Best was the champion in triple jump at 11.82m (38' 9½"), a measure she set on each of her first two attempts. She was also second in the long jump (5.67m, 18' 7¼") and the highest finisher among freshmen. Kolena Apana had her best placement in the triple jump, darting out to 11.40 (37' 5") on her third try. She was a sixth-place finisher in the long jump at 5.33m (17' 6").

Gimena Hurtado and Andrea Espinoza Noriega were neck and neck finishers in the discus throw, with Hurtado taking 13th (34.73m) and Espinoza Noriega docking a 33.74m throw for 14th.  

What Was Said? "Our athletes competed at a high level today," praised Head Coach Bryan Wilkins. "Very proud of the camaraderie, sportsmanship, and outstanding effort they put forth!"

What's Next? Women's track and field will be back at it for the Occidental Invitational on Saturday, March 14 at Jack Kemp Stadium in Los Angeles.