In 2003, Elaine Benditson inspired the concept and the Cal Lutheran Scholar-Athlete Society was created to acknowledge the academic achievements of CLU athletes. The institution believes it is important to give special emphasis to those students who are competing rigorously to achieve excellence in the classroom and in their chosen sport. The Kingsmen and Regals honored during the ceremony have each proven to bring equal dedication and discipline to both the classroom and chosen fields of play.

Boasting a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average during the academic year, the 2013 induction class was the largest in the 10-year history of the society. The inaugural class had 36 inductees.

Of the student-athletes who participated in 2012-13, 62% (307 of 493) earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Nearly 30% (144) produced a 3.5 or higher GPA. The total GPA for all CLU sports teams this year was 3.147. Offering 20 intercollegiate sports, 16 of those teams produced higher team GPAs in 2012-13 than in 2011-12. Additionally, during the fall semester 12 athletes earned a perfect 4.0.

Following the presentation of gifts to those inducted, a pair of distinguished student-athletes was recognized. Senior golfer and bioengineering major Chad Kimmelshue and senior swimmer and liberal studies major Cortney Jordan were selected by the CLU Faculty Athletic Policies Committee as the Male and Female SCIAC Scholar Athlete, respectively.

While Kimmelshue was in Florida competing at the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, Jordan, a two-time Paralympian and S7 American Record Holder in 17 events, took to the podium.

Going on to be an ambassador and speaker for the Paralympics, Jordan stepped up to the microphone where she engulfed the audience with a sincere and strong message. She spoke to four phenomenal points:

1. The gift of being in the moment.
2. Passion for what you are doing.
3. Focusing on teammates and how others will remember you and how you can make others feel good.
4. Never-Ever giving up!

During her speech she also touched on the notion of cherishing differences, respecting others, assuming responsibility and having no regrets.  

Cal Lutheran attracts students from all walks of life and areas of the world. Its diversity is unique and the passion that each and every student possesses is special. For many, one of those passions is sport, in turn producing amazing student-athletes for the Kingsmen and Regals year in and year out.

Scholar Athlete Society: 2013 Induction Class
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The quartet of Justin Reeves, Matthew Hamlett, Tristan Baer and Halaiano Aholelei qualified to compete as one in the relay. With 16 teams chosen to compete, CLU is currently ranked 12^th with a time of 41.63, a mark the team reached at the Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier on May 12. Running healthy for the first time all season, the Kingsmen won the race and moved into sixth all-time in the CLU record books.

Set to run the race at Nationals will be Baer, Conor Finfrock, Reeves and Aholelei with Hamlett serving as the alternate.

Cal Lutheran is joined in the field by three other Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) teams, which is a testament as to how competitive the event is within the league alone.

SCIAC champion Whittier enters with the second best time in the nation at 40.66. Redlands is the 10^th-seed after recording a time of 41.53 this spring and Occidental clinched the 16^th and final spot by clocking a 41.74, which is actually a tie with 15^th-seeded Mount Union.

The Kingsmen will run in preliminaries on Thursday, May 23, the first day of competition, at 2:15 p.m. (PST) as the fourth event of the day on the track. Finals of the event for the top-8 teams will take place on Saturday, May 25 at 12:40 p.m. (PST), again as the fourth race of the meet, with all teams and athletes competing in finals earning All-America recognition.

This is the first time in three years that a CLU 4x100m Relay team has qualified for Nationals. In 2010, Baer was part of a 4x400m Relay team that placed 12^th at NCAA Championships. That team, of Baer, John White, Patrick Torreallas and Brian Coan was also SCIAC champions in the event.

UW-L has hosted NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Nationals three times including 2013. It is the first time since 1997 with the first time taking place in 1986. Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex seats 6,250. The 2013 championships will feature nearly 800 competitors, making the three-day meet the largest single site for number of competitors in any of the championships hosted by the NCAA Division III.

Entries: 2013 NCAA Men’s Track & Field Championships
Schedule: 2013 NCAA Men’s Track & Field Championships Schedule
Meet Information: Wisconsin-La Crosse Website
NCAA Championships: 2013 NCAA Website
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CLU’s 4x 100 meter relay team consisting of Justin Reeves, Matthew Hamlett, Tristan Baer, and Halaiano Aholelei lowered their season best time by three-tenths of second, crossing the finish line in a time of 41.63. The team’s winning time was also good for sixth best in Cal Lutheran history.

Bjorn McMillan was the other podium-topper for the Kingsmen Sunday, taking first in the javelin. McMillan’s winning throw of 50.82 meters edged teammate Scott Case who finished with a toss of 49.49 meters.

William Zimmerle took second in the shot put after recording a final round throw of 12.30 meters. McMillan was right behind Zimmerle in third as he recorded an 11.91 on the final throw.

Cal Lutheran’s strong showing during the throwing events continued in the hammer-throw competition. Roy Diaz took fifth place with a toss of 50.08 meters, Zimmerle was eighth after a recording a distance of 34.26 and Michael Bassette was tenth after a throw of 31.91 meters. Diaz, Zimmerle and McMillan also finished ninth through 11th in the discus throw.

Back on the track, Cal Lutheran had two teams finish in the top five of the 4x 400 meter relay race. The “A” team consisting of Hamlett, Baer, Andrew Olson and Domick Allen came in third place after recording a time of 3:17.19. The “B” relay team of David Avila, Dylan Perriseau, Matthew Garvin and Shawn Jackson took fifth place with a combined time of 3:42.35.

CLU hurdler Erik Fruth came in fourth in 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.16 seconds. Later, he finished seventh in the 400 meter hurdle race after crossing the finish line in a time of 57.28.

During the distance events, Allen was CLU’s top finisher in the 800 meter race, coming in 13th place after a time of 1:57.68. In the 1500 meter run, Garvin clocked a time of 4:17.10 to finish in 15th.

With the final events of the track & field season concluding next weekend, Cal Lutheran will have to wait until May 19, to find out who the qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Results: Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier
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With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., Sunday, May 12 will serve as the final opportunity for athletes to compete for qualifying marks.

Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. with field events. The official heats and flights are now available.  

Meet information has also been updated.

Heats and Flights: 2013 Oxy-Lu Heats and Flights
Meet Information: 2013 Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier
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Hundreds of competitors from all levels, including former Olympians, Paralympians, Division I, II and III, NAIA, international and unattached athletes gathered at the Bill Henry Track for the event.

On the track, Conor Frinfrock ran a 22.43 time in the 200m dash to place ninth in a field of 29. He was the second Division III runner to cross the line.

Three distance runners made the trip to Eagle Rock. Dominick Allen ran a time of 1:59.20 in the 800m run and Dylan Perriseau also competed in the event, finishing in 2:02.34. In the 1500m race, Nick Privitelli clocked in at 4:08.40. Matt Garvin competed in the 5000m and ran a time of 16:09.82.

Adding some obstacles to the run, David Avila and Shawn Jackson participated in the 3000m Steeplechase, posting times of 10:13.30 and 10:56.60, respectively.

Allen showed his diversity, running the third leg of the 4x400m Relay with Dan Miller, Matthew Hamlett and Tristan Baer in a time of 3:20.76 to place seventh, defeating Virginia Tech. The winning team from Venezuela set a new Meet Record in a time of 3:06.79.

Hurdler Erik Fruth placed ninth in the 110m Hurdles with a time of 15.16 before running the 400m Hurdles in 57.64.

Out in the field events CLU had a half a dozen athletes competing. Freshman Michael Bassett placed ninth in the Shot Put with a mark of 14.21m (46-07.50). William Zimmerle was tenth in the Discus, throwing a 42.48m (139-04). Both Roy Diaz and Bjorn McMillan competed in the Hammer. Diaz threw 50.68m (166-03) while McMillan had a mark of 43.85m (143-10). McMillan took third in the Javelin after throwing 49.39m (162-00) to lead the Kingsmen to a 3-4-5 finish. Scott Case was fourth with a mark of 46.61m (152-11) and Justin Puccinelli was fifth at 44.72m (146-09).

With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., athletes will have a one more opportunities to compete next weekend on Sunday, May 12 at the Inaugural Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier co-hosted by Cal Lutheran and Occidental. Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. with field events.  

Results: 2013 Oxy Invitational
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After jumping out to an early lead on day one, CMS maintained the momentum on day two, tallying 212.50 total points to edge La Verne (148.50) for the championship. Redlands, the two-time defending champion, was third with 126.50. Rounding out the field were Cal Lutheran (86), Whittier (69), Occidental (45), Pomona-Pitzer (40) and Caltech (12.50).

La Verne added to their day one tally early with the Triple Jumping trio of Jacob Lopez, Jabre Millon and James Frances sweeping the top three spots for the Leopards. Lopez won with a jump of 13.70m (44-11.50) with Millon recording a leap of 13.59m (44-07.00) ahead of Frances’ mark of 13.43m (44-00.75).

In the field events, the dramatics were on in the Hammer Throw to start the day off. A four-year rivalry between 2012 event champion Chris Gage (UR) and Roy Diaz (CLU) came to a head this afternoon. Gage used his final throw of 50.08m (164-04) to take over the lead Diaz had taken on his second attempt. In the final throw of his Kingsmen career, Diaz threw a lifetime best 50.84m (166-09) to win by two feet. Nicholas Hobbs earned CMS third place points with a mark of 48.74m (159-11).

Discus followed where Jorge Cervantes took a lead on his fourth throw that went for 44.67m (146-07) and no one could catch him. Cal Lutheran earned second and third places with James Laughlin using his last mark of 43.74m (143-06) and Diaz opening with a 41.81m (137-02) throw.

Both Whittier relay teams got the crowd on its feet. To open the running events on the final day was the 4x100m Relay. Kevin Curbelo, Kimble Tillman, Andres Vega and German Fabela combined to go a SCIAC and Meet record time of 40.66 that ranks the Poets quartet No. 1 in the nation. Closing out the event was the 4x400m Relay in which Samuel Bettencourt, Vega, Curbelo and Fabela crossed the line in 3:12.15 to set another SCIAC record, breaking a mark set in 1988. That time is currently third in the country at the Division III level.

WC swept the 400m race as well. Fabela, Vega and Curbelo went 1-2-3 in 46.94, 47.50 and 47.58, respectively.

For the first time of his career Jonathan Pardon (Oxy) was not atop the standings in the 100m dash. Tillman made the final 100m race of his collegiate career one to remember as he defeated the two-time defending champion with a clocking of 10.59. Padron crossed in 10.75 followed by Nick Gonsalves of La Verne in 10.95.

Michael Anderson (LV) repeated as the SCIAC champion in 110m Hurdles in 15.12 just edging out CLU junior Erik Fruth (15.19). Alex Jundsten (WC) was the next hurdler home in 15.48.

Three different faces found the podium in the 400m Hurdles. Sophomore Matt Espy won the race for CMS in 54.10 just ahead of Occidental sophomore Jesse Wong (54.30). Victor Rodriguez (55.85) took the third spot four hundredths of a second ahead of teammate Andrew Cruz (55.89).

The Stags ran to 1-2 finishes in both the 1,500m and 5,000m distances events. In the 1,500m it was the freshman-senior duo of Evan Molineaux (3:55.47) and defending champion Bennett Naden (3:55.51) to represent CMS. Colin Smith (Oxy) was the only other participant to break the four-minute mark, finishing in 3:56.88 for third.

Tonight’s 5,000m race then featured Brian Sutter defeating teammate and defending champion Rafer Dannenhauer by crossing the line in 14:45.66 while Dannenhauer clocked a 14:46.22. Alexander Johnson (PP) made it a senior sweep, earning the third spot in 14:55.01.

One of the closest races of the evening came in the 800m. Separated by 62 tenths of a second, Justin Jones (CMS) legged out a 1:53.16 victory. Dominick Allen (CLU) came on strong in the final 100 meters to take second in 1:53.77 by the slimmest of margins, a hundredth of a second, over Redlands’ Dominic Lopez (1:53.78).

Three different schools stood on the awards stand for the 200m ceremony. Chancise Watkins won the final league race of his career in 21.31 followed by UR sophomore Taylor Browning (21.59) and CMS senior Jeff MacDonald (21.82) as the only three sub-22 second finishers.

Late in the afternoon Darron Usher became a two-time SCIAC champion in the High Jump for Redlands by equaling his result from last year at 1.97m (6-05.50). Justin Schneider (CMS) was second in his first SCIAC championships meet, clearing 1.92m (6-03.50). Frances added six points to the Leopards’ total with a jump of 1.87m (6-01.50).

Prior to the start of competition on day two all members of all teams with coaches and support staff met on the infield and joined hands to honor Whittier senior Alyssa Sialaris, who lost her life earlier this month, with a moment of silence. As the teams spread out they unknowingly created a shape resembling a heart as Dixon Farmer, the public address announcer spoke about the gathering of heavy hearts and her love for competing in the SCIAC. Many athletes, from WC and other schools, donned ribbons with her initials.

With NCAA Division III National Championships set for May 23-25 in La Crosse, Wis., athletes will have a few more opportunities to compete at last chance qualifiers prior to the announcement of the national qualifiers in early May.

Results: SCIAC Championships Day Two
Results: SCIAC Championships Day One
Championship Central: 2013 SCIAC Championships       
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Joining the Cowboys in contacting the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Duarte, Calif. native were the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As a Cowboys fan for the last decade, today was absolutely a dream come true for Rogers.

“I am definitely floating up with the stars right now,” he shared as he made an appearance at the 2013 SCIAC Track & Field Championship Meet. “Everything I have worked for has paid off and I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to prove myself on the football field.”

In two weeks he will travel to Dallas to take part in a Rookie Mini Camp. From there it will be on to an all-team camp and if all goes well, which is the plan, Rogers will return to Southern California in August for summer training camp in Oxnard.

On March 11, Rogers performed for scouts from nearly a dozen of the 32 NFL teams during the CLU Pro Day held in William Rolland Stadium and the Forest Fitness Center.

Over the last four years Rogers rewrote the CLU record books for both single-season and career records, breaking seven different Kingsmen marks en route to earning 2012 SCIAC Player of the Year, First Team All-West Region and All-America accolades.

This year he grabbed 61 catches for 868 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 124 yards per game through the air and 14.2 yards per catch. He also added four rushes for 57 yards, to average an identical 14.2 yards per carry. The versatile senior also threw a pair of passes, one for a 26 yard touchdown.

Overall, he became the Cal Lutheran all-time leading receiver with 91 catches for 1,298 yards and 18 touchdowns, pushing his career total to 45 TDs, breaking the old scoring record by 34 points.

The four year letter-winner earned First Team All-SCIAC honors in 2011 and 2010 while earning Second Team in 2009. Rogers was part of four consecutive SCIAC championships teams and the Kingsmen never lost a league contest during his career.

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Claremont-Mudd-Scripps took an early team lead with 57.50 points followed by La Verne (48.50) and two-time defending SCIAC champions Redlands (39) who sits in third. Rounding out the team scores after the first five events are Cal Lutheran (21), Occidental (13), Pomona-Pitzer (8), Whittier (5) and Caltech (3).

On the upper fields at Occidental to start off the weekend of competition the men took to the Javelin runway where sophomore Matt Rehder (LV) earned the SCIAC title with a mark of 60.32m (201-02) as the only athlete to break the 200-foot mark. He also became the first La Verne men’s javelin thrower to win a SCIAC title. Cal Lutheran junior Bjorn McMillan placed second in his first SCIAC Championships meet with a throw of 53.75 (177-00) with Elan Bernstein (CMS) finishing third as the only other thrower to surpass the 50-meter marker in 51.82m (170-00).

In the Shot Put ring, CMS junior Nicholas Hobbs gave his last throw all he had and it paid off by earning a SCIAC crown for his throw of 14.15m (46-06.25) to edge UR junior Jorge Cervantes (14.04m, 46-00.75) by inches. Michael Bassett took his first collegiate trip to the podium by finishing third with a mark of 13.94m (45-09.00).

The Long Jump title went to freshman Justin Schneider (CMS) with a mark of 7.10m (23-03.50) on his final jump of the day. Kevin Cox (Oxy) was second after jumping 6.89m (22-07.25) and Jacob Lopez (LV) placed third after posting a jump of 6.52m (21-04.75).

Pole Vaulting belonged to the Bulldogs who went 1-2-3. Bryan Artmann won by clearing 4.66m (15-03.50) on his second chance at the height. Chris Bode and Cory Colbath were each successful on his first vault at 4.26m (13-11.75) to sweep the podium spots.

Following a complete program of preliminary races on the track, the final event of the evening, the 3000m Steeplechase, was the only final of the day. Controlled by the veterans of the league, the top positions went to trio of seniors. Bennett Naden (CMS) won the race in 9:21.17 followed by Charlie Sauter (Oxy), who earned All-SCIAC recognition during his final conference race on his home track, in 9:23.79. Fellow Stags runner Rafer Dannenhauer locked up third in 9:25.37.

A SCIAC Men’s Track and Field champion will be crowned tomorrow following the completion of the second day of competition. Field events begin at 1:00 p.m. with the Hammer Throw while track races are set to start at 5:05 p.m. with the 4x100m Relay. The meet will conclude with the 4x400m Relay.

Results: SCIAC Championships Day One
Championship Central: 2013 SCIAC Championships       
Day Two Heats and Flights: Day Two Information
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The championship meet follows a regular season mix of SCIAC dual meets and open competitions, where strong marks have been recorded with regularity. SCIAC records established in this 2013 season include the Whittier quartet of German Fabela, Andres Vega, Kevin Curbelo and Kimble Tillman running 40.72 in the men’s 4 x 100 meter relay at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on April 13.  Additionally, La Verne’s Lenore Moreno established a new SCIAC record in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 35:00.43 set at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 18.

In the team races, the University of La Verne’s women’s squad went undefeated in the dual meet portion of the regular season, and the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’s men’s team went undefeated as well. A combination of dual meet wins and a team’s final placing in the SCIAC Championship will determine overall final standings in SCIAC.

The entire conference mourns the loss of Whittier senior Alyssa Sialaris, who ranks first in the discus and javelin, and third in the shot put and hammer – but who tragically lost her life in early April. All teams will gather at the start of Saturday’s competition for a moment of silence.

Visit the Championship Central site for participating team information, heats and flights and a link to live results.

MEN

Whittier junior Kimble Tillman and Occidental senior Jonathon Padron will likely renew acquaintances in the 100 meter dash to vie for the title of “Fastest Man In SCIAC.”   Padron, the two-time defending champion in the 100, enters with a best this season of 10.64 while Tillman, last year’s runner-up, holds the conference’s top time this season at 10.59. Others to watch are Redlands’ Taylor Browning (10.77), La Verne’s Nick Gonsalves (10.78) and Cal Lutheran’s Halahaino Aholelei (10.79).

La Verne junior Chancise Watkins, ranked 4th nationally, has blazed to a SCIAC best of 21.56 in the 200 meters with CMS senior Jeff Macdonald (21.78) and Bulldog sophomore Browing (21.79) looking to challenge for supremacy in the half-lap event.

One of the most anticipated events on the championship schedule is the men’s 400 meters, where four men have already run under 48 seconds, and SCIAC athletes have recorded five of the top seven marks nationally.  CMS’s Macdonald has recorded the fastest one-lapper in Division III to date this season with a lifetime best of 47.34 on April 6.  La Verne’s Watkins (47.75) along with the Whittier’s trio of La Serna High alums Kevin Curbelo (47.92), German Fabela (47.93) and Andres Vega (48.03) will provide strong competition in the one of the marquee events this weekend. 

Whittier has registered the nation’s fastest 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter relay times this season.  The Poet 4 x 100 meter clocking of 40.72 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on April 13 broke a 17-year old SCIAC record.  The Poets also lay claim to the top time in the 4 x 400 meter relay with a season best of 3:15.73, ranked sixth nationally.

The middle distance and distance events, perennially a stronghold for the CMS Stags, appear very formidable again this season.  CMS senior Rafer Dannenhauer has posted the top times in both the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:30.02) and the 5,000 meters (14:30.80, ranked sixth nationally).  In the steeple, Dannenhauer  - who took first place at the SCIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships in October- could get competition from the likes of La Verne sophomore Cristobal Gutierrez, who has run 9:31.98. 

CMS also boasts of the top two performers in both the 800 and 1500 meter races.  Justin Jones (1:52.76, ranked tenth nationally) and Jeff Vignos (1:53.86) top the leaders in the 800 with Bennett Naden (3:50.92, ranked ninth nationally) and Evan Molineux (3:56) holding the top positions in the metric mile.  Naden is the defending league champ in the 1500.

In the 110 meter hurdles, three athletes to watch include conference leader Erik Fruth of Cal Lutheran (15.09), last season’s runner-up Alex Jungsten of Whittier (15.12) and defending champ Michael Anderson of La Verne (51.21).   The 400 meter hurdles also features a competitive field, which includes Occidental’s Jesse Wong (54.76) along with the CMS duo of sophomore Matt Espy (55.30) and freshman Hiroki Butterfield ( 55.45).

La Verne’s Paul Turner looks to become the first athlete in SCIAC history to capture four individual titles in both the long jump and triple jump.  The five-time All-American has recorded season bests of 23-3 ¼ in the long and 47-5 ¼ in the triple jump to lead both events. He is ranked sixth nationally in the triple jump.  In the high jump, both Redlands junior and defending league champion Darron Usher and Pomona-Pitzer freshman Joe Knight hold top honors, with each clearing 6-6 ¾ this season.  Bulldog senior Bryan Artmann heads into this weekend’s competition as a prohibitive favorite in the pole vault with a season best of 16-1 ¼, more than a foot above the next highest mark in that event. He ranks third nationally.

Whittier sophomore Timothy St. Marie owns the top mark in the shot put at 46-9.  Favorites in the discus include leader Jorge Cervantes of Redlands, who has thrown 156-10.  Others to watch in the event include Cal Lutheran freshman Stephen Shay (148-6).  The hammer looks to be a battle between CMS’s Nicholas Hobbs (170-11), Cal Lutheran’s Roy Diaz (166-4) and La Verne’s Ryan Gann (166-3).  In the javelin, Leopard junior Matt Rehder is the lone competitor to exceed the 200-foot barrier as he comes into the championships with a best of 201-6. The field also includes CLU’s Justin Puccinelli (189-1), Redlands’ Gilbert Navarro (188-3) and defending champ Chris Bode from Redlands.

WOMEN

In the 100 meters, La Verne Nicole Crutchfield looks to repeat upon last year’s win; the junior comes in with the fastest time in the conference at 12.41.  Challengers include CMS senior standout Reny Colton (12.50) along with last year’s runner-up Ashley Lively (12.51) from Redlands.  The Bulldogs feature senior Vainayaki Sivaji, the SCIAC leader at both 200 and 400 meters.  Sivaji has posted a conference leading 25.15 in the 200 with Cal Lutheran junior Lauren Rohach having run 25.57.  A two-time champ in the 400, Sivaji looks to add a third crown as she enters the weekend with a best of 56.78, which ranks eighth nationally.

Colton and teammate Rose Lewis are among the favorites in the 100 meter hurdles.  Lewis is the defending champion and comes in with the fastest time at 14.36, ranked fourth nationally.  Colton, the 2011 SCIAC Champ in the 100 hurdles, has run a season best of 14.54.  In the 400 meter hurdles, the trio of Pomona-Pitzer’s Katie Barton (62.80, ranked ninth nationally), CMS’s Lewis (62.88) and Redlands’ Lively (63.03) will be the athletes to watch, along with defending champion Meg O’Keefe representing the Athenas.

Relay leaders include Cal Lutheran (47.87, ranked sixth nationally) in the 4 x 100 and Redlands (3:54.60) in the 4 x 400.

The Athena squad will look to their potent corps of middle distance and distance runners to provide a bevy of points throughout the weekend.  Allison Barnwell is the SCIAC leader in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:42.45, ranked second nationally), and is also among the contenders in the 5,000 meters.  Laura Wyatt has run a conference best of 2:19.13 in the 800 and will be challenged by the likes of Pomona-Pitzer’s Isabelle Ambler (2:20.26) and teammate Aubrey Zimmerling (2:20.40).  Cal Lutheran will counter with its dynamic duo of sophomore Melissa Skiba and junior Ashley Frese.  Skiba owns the conference’s fastest times this season in both the 1,500 (4:30.37, ranked sixth nationally) and 5,000 meter races (17:15.57). Frese ranks behind Skiba in the 1,500 and will be a contender in the 800 having run a best this season of 2:20.45.

The Athenas are poised to excel in jumping events with Colton as their primary catalyst.  A two-time league champion in both the long jump (2010, 2011) and triple jump (2009, 2011), Colton owns the conference’s leading marks in both the events with a season best 18-11 ¾ (ranked ninth nationally) in the long jump and a 41-8 (second nationally) effort in the triple jump. The latter mark stands as the second-best mark in conference history.  Teammate Ellyn Erving is the defending league champ in the triple jump and has a season best of 39-3 3/4.

In the high jump, CMS sophomore Monique Nguyen holds the season’s top mark of 5-5 ¾ (ranked ninth nationally) and should receive a challenge from a competitive field that includes defending champion Maddie Smith of Redlands, who has cleared 5-5 this season.  La Verne junior Katie Yeager looks to defend her title from a year ago in the pole vault, having cleared 12-0 this season to top all conference competitors.

In the throws, La Verne senior Losa Akauola has posted the marks of 43-11 ¾ in the shot put and 132-10 in the discus, topping the list of competitors in the two events.   Leopard teammate Deanna Doss, who posted a season best of 164-3 in the hammer throw, leads the field in that event and is also among conference leaders in the shot put, discus and javelin events.  Looming among hammer competitors is Cal Lutheran junior Brianna Panapa, who comes in with a best of 153-10.  Among conference leaders in the javelin, Caltech senior Sarah Wright has thrown a season best of 127-7.

By Will Darity, University of La Verne

Cal Lutheran will be looking to improve upon its fifth place finish in 2012. The Kingsmen return two athletes that earned All-SCIAC honors last season at the championships. So far this season, CLU is 4-4 and is coming off a strong performance at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational two weeks ago.

Sprints
Transfer Halaiano Aholelei will compete in the 100 meter dash for the Kingsmen. Aholelei clocked a time of 10.79 seconds earlier this season which was sixth fastest in school history.

Fellow sprinters Dan Miller, Justin Reeves and Jordan Williams have all recorded sub-12 second times in the 100 meter dash this season and will run in the meet.

Tristan Baer will compete in both the 200 and 400 meter dash. Baer finished seventh in the 200 meter dash at last year’s championships and recently finished with a personal-best time of 22.44 seconds. Baer also earned All-SCIAC honors last season when he finished fifth in the 400 meter dash. This season Baer has clocked a personal-best time of 49.25 at the SCIAC No. 2.

Matthew Hamlett returns to the SCIAC Championships after finishing ninth in the 400 meter dash last year. Hamlett has shaved off more than a second this season while clocking a personal- best time of 50.17 at the SCIAC No. 3.

Andrew Olson will also contend for All-SCIAC honors in the 200 and 400 meter dash. The junior recently finished ninth in the 200 meter dash at the SCIAC No. 3 in a time of 23.02 seconds.

During the hurdles portion of the meet, look for Erik Fruth to contend for All-SCIAC honors. Fruth has captured the 110 meter hurdle race at both the SCIAC No. 2 and 3. His time of 15.09 seconds earlier this season was the ninth fastest in school history. Fruth should also contend in the 400 meter hurdle race after running sub-57 second times during the SCIAC No. 2 and 3 meets.

Joesph Forester will also compete in the 110 meter hurdle race for the Kingsmen.

The 4x 400 meter relay race team of Conor Finfrock, Hamlett, Allen and Baer will look to compete for a spot on the podium after recording a season-best time of 3:21.89 at the Point Loma Nazarene Invite.

Distance
Dominick Allen has been CLU’s top 800 meter race runner in 2013. Two weeks ago at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, Allen recorded a personal-best time of 1:55.87 which was also the sixth fastest time in school history.

Joseph Privitelli could contend for All-SCIAC honors in the 1500 meter race. Privitelli completed his best the race of the year in a time of 4:04.28 at the SCIAC No. 3

Matthew Garvin will compete in the 5000 meter race. On the track he will be competing on this weekend, Garvin earlier this season recorded a personal-best time of 15:56.89 at the Occidental Distance Carnival.

David Avila rounds out the distance runners. The freshman is coming off a second place finish in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the SCIAC No. 3

Field Events
The field events should be the strongest portion of the meet for Cal Lutheran. The Kingsmen will have plenty of depth during the throwing events as Michael Bassett and Roy Diaz have both won the shot put event during a SCIAC meet this year. Teammate James Laughlin could contend for a podium spot as well after finishing second at the SCIAC No. 3. Diaz will also participate in the discus and hammer-throw.

Justin Puccinelli and Bjorn McMillan should contend in the javelin. Earlier this season, Puccinelli recorded a personal-best throw of 57.63 meters.

Cameron Lewis along Puccinelli will represent CLU in the long jump. Lewis finished fifth at the SCIAC No. 3 with a mark of 5.76 meters.

For more information and specific times of events, please go to the 2013 SCIAC Championship page.

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Junior Erik Fruth was the top overall finisher for the men’s team, coming in seventh place in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.13, the tenth fastest time in school history.

During the sprints portion of the meet, senior Matthew Hamlett had a strong showing in the 400 meter dash, coming in 23rd place, the second highest for a SCIAC runner, with a time of 50.32. Teammate Andrew Olson was right behind Hamlett, crossing the finish line a second behind at 51.14. The Kingsmen had four others compete in the race as Dan Miller clocked a 51.22, Conor Frinfrock a 51.85, Cody Butcher a 53.79 and Alexis Avila a 54.15.

Fellow junior Dominick Allen clocked the sixth fastest 800 meter dash time in CLU history when he clocked a 1:55.87. Allen also lowered his season-best time by nearly a second with the run.

Matthew Garvin was the top distance runner at the meet, finishing the 1500 meter race in a time of 4:10.41. Shawn Jackson also competed in the event and clocked a time of 4:31.62.

The jumps portion of the meet saw Cameron Lewis have his second best jump of the year in the long jump, recording a mark of 5.74 meters.

Will Zimmerle was CLU’s top thrower in the shot-put when he recorded a throw of 12.75 meters, good for 18th place. Not far behind Zimmerle were his teammates Roy Diaz and Michael Bassette. Diaz finished with a top throw of 12.16 meters and Bassette was just behind with a throw of 12.14. Diaz also came in 15th in the hammer-throw after recording a throw of 49.12 meters. In addition to earning 15th place, Diaz’s mark was also the fifth best throw in school history.

Bjorn McMillan rounded out the strong day for Kingsmen throwers after he came in 14th in the javelin after setting a mark of 47.86 meters on his first throw. McMillan’s teammate Scott Case, had a second round throw of 45.51 meters, good enough to earn him 20th place.

Cal Lutheran now turns its attention to the SCIAC Championships which begin Friday, April 26 at Occidental College. The Kingsmen will hope to improve upon their fifth place finish a year ago.

Results: Pomona-Pitzer Invite Results
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There are 178,441 DIII student-athletes as compared to 459,253 in Division I and II combined from coast to coast. Division III, however, represents the largest division in the NCAA at 40 percent of the total membership.

The NCAA sponsors 28 Championship events with 14 for men and 14 for women. There are also eight National Collegiate Championships. Overall, CLU sponsors 20 intercollegiate athletic programs, which is above the average (17) of like institutions.

Cal Lutheran is one of the 80 percent of active institutions that are private with 20 percent of DIII schools on public campuses. Across the board the average enrollment of Division III schools is 2,734.

All of the schools that fall in the Division III category are expected to promote the model of discover, develop and dedicate. CLU is right on track with that mantra by succeeding academically and athletically while giving back to the community.

In 2013 there will be CLU 147 student-athletes inducted into the Scholar Athlete Society by holding a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average. This number is higher than it has ever been and numerous student-athletes throughout the season have earned both Academic All-SCIAC and other sport specific academic accolades.

CLU teams have been just as successful on the field, court, course and in the pool with 10 teams earning national rankings in 2012-13. Both men’s golf and women’s water polo have held No. 1 rankings in their respective polls this year. CLU teams have claimed four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles thus far with four teams and one athlete advancing to NCAA Championship play. The spring sports have much hope to increase those numbers with more than half of the teams in the hunt for a league title.

Beyond those two areas, CLU students have also taken time to give back. One example is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that is headed in 2012-13 by Lauren Rasmussen. She and the other SAAC members have put together a community service project in conjunction with DIII Week.

The group is scheduled to do a Ball and Old Sports Equipment Drive throughout the week of April 8-12. Items will be collected both at the Welcome Desk of the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center during all hours of operation and in the Athletics Offices during operating business hours (9-5). Additionally, SAAC members will be stationed at the flagpole on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to collect items. All donations will be delivered to the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Conejo Valley.

“The biggest thing with this event is that it is something that the SAAC wants to turn into an annual event during DIII Week and we are really excited about it,” Rasmussen said. “The connection to athletics with equipment collection, plus the opportunity to give back to the community by donating items that student-athletes are involved with competitively every day is very rewarding.”

Student Life will be sponsoring a series of student giveaways at a variety of athletic events during Division III Week as well.

Cal Lutheran sunglasses will be given out at Men’s Tennis against No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Poulson Tennis Center to kick off the weekend. On Wednesday, April 10 the water polo team will host Caltech and rally towels will be handed out at the entrance to the Samuelson Aquatics Center. Women’s Tennis fans will have a chance to claim sunglasses on Friday, April 12 when the Regals host Occidental at 2:00 p.m. At Hutton Field softball will host Redlands where seat cushions will be available for student fans at 2:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m. in Ullman Stadium baseball fans can obtain a stadium cup as the Kingsmen host Whittier. Additionally, free Shave It coupons will be distributed to the first 250 students at any of the games.

Finally, the dining commons will be offering sports themed meals and snacks throughout the week, including a nacho bar, Dodger Dogs, peanuts and popcorn, BBQ Tri-Tip sandwiches and soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

“Excitement is beginning to be generated around Division III week on campus,” Director of Athletics Dan Kuntz shared. “We are looking forward to being a part of this unique campaign to promote Division III and the student-athletes we support year in and year out.”

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Today CLU defeated Occidental 83-69 and Chapman 121-0, by default as they do not yet field a team, while Pomona-Pitzer edged Cal Lutheran 82-77 in the final match-up of the regular season.

Cal Lutheran throwers claimed the top two spots in a pair of field events today. Roy Diaz won the Hammer with a mark of 46.76m with Bjorn McMillan placing second after a throw of 41.77m.

Michael Bassett won the Shot Put with a mark of 13.73m and James Laughlin was right on his heels with a throw of 13.31m for second.

Erik Fruth hurdled his way to the top spot in the 110m Hurdles in 15.10 before placing second in the 400m Hurdles in 56.10. Joseph Forster (16.17) was third in the 110m Hurdles race for the Violet and Gold.

Another second place finish today came from David Avila who ran the 3000m Steeplechase in 10:13.76. Shawn Jackson ran the obstacle course in 10:39.35 for sixth place.

In the sprinting events, CLU took fourth twice. Justin Reeves was the fastest 100m Dash finisher for the Kingsmen, placing fourth in 11.13 with Tristan Baer earning the same finish in the 200m Dash with a time of 22.44. Jordan Williams (11.65) was seventh in the 100m and teammate Dan Miller (11.81) was eighth.

The 400m Dash saw CLU go 3-5-7 with Matthew Hamlett leading the pack in 50.17, followed by Baer (50.49) and Andrew Olson (51.33), respectively.

Seven runners were under two-minutes in the 800m with Dominick Allen placing sixth in a time of 1:59.72. Dylan Perriseau was also top-10, placing 9^th in 2:02.47.

As the only CLU competitor in the 1500m, Nick Privitelli placed fourth, crossing the line in 4:04.28. Matt Garvin was the only Kingsmen runner in the 5K and he placed seventh in 16:01.67.

After the 4x100m Relay Team of Reeves, Hamlett, Baer and Halaiano Aholelei ran a 42.79 for fourth place early in the meet the 4x400m Relay team withdrew from competition in the final event of the day.

Thrower William Zimmerle was third in a pair of events today, including the Hammer (38.04m) and Discus (40.20m), which was the top CLU finish. Laughlin (39.15m), Diaz (39.04m) and Bjorn (36.33m) finished 5-6-7 from the Discus ring. Diaz was also fourth in the Shot Put with a mark of 12.83m.

Bjorn and Scott Case finished back-to-back in the Javelin to earn third and fourth place, respectively, with throws of 47.89m and 45.90m.

Jumping events saw Cameron Lewis place fifth in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.76m. Justin Puccinelli, who pulled double-duty, was sixth in the Long Jump (5.71m) and tied for fifth in the High Jump, clearing 1.75m.

Cal Lutheran will send athletes to compete at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Saturday, April 13 as a final tune-up before the SCIAC Championships, which are set to be held April 26-27. CLU will serve as the host of the meet though it will take place at Occidental.

Results: SCIAC No. 3
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CLU has earned 148.18 points to break into the top-10. Leading the charge in the opening poll is Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (188.06).  The Kingsmen are the second West Region team ranked.

Team points are determined by compiling the sum of all points earned by that team in each event. Teams may select up to two athletes per event with an athlete used in no more than three events, excluding relays, with only one relay team per school per event. The points come from the best marks in an event during the current season only and are based on the strength per event and how those ranked athletes match up against each team in the nation if competing head-to-head.  

Both the 4x100m  and 4x400m Relay Team are ranked with three individuals also earning national recognition at this junction of the season.

In the 4x100m Relay, Justin Reeves, Matthew Hamlett, Tristan Baer and Halaiano Aholelei are 9^th and the 4x400m Relay of Conor Frinfrock, Hamlett, Dominick Allen and Baer have run to a 20^th ranking.

Baer is the only Kingsmen athlete to be ranked in two relays and an individual event, holding the 16^th spot in the 400m.

Transfer, Aholelei has made an immediate impact on the CLU squad and is the highest ranked individual on the team with the 8^th fastest 100m Dash time in the country.

Rounding out the ranked athletes from Cal Lutheran is Erik Fruth who is 10^th in the 110m Hurdles.

When asked about the early success of his team, head coach Matt Lea said, “It is exciting to be ranked this high to start the season. We know that we have a long ways to go until Outdoor Nations in Wisconsin, so we need to keep up the hard work each day and keep our eyes on the end prize.” Lea concluded by saying, “These rankings are a true testament to how hard these young men are working each and every day to improve.”

Cal Lutheran will be back in action on Saturday, April 6 where at the SCIAC Quad No. 3 meet where they will look to improve on their times and rankings for the upcoming polls, which are set to be released weekly through the end of the season.

Poll: Regional Power Ranking – April 3
CLU Breakdown: April 3
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For the second consecutive meet Roy Diaz walked away as a Hammer champion. Today he threw 47.94m, .2 meters further than his closest competitor, for the win.

The CLU 4x400m Relay team of Conor Frinfrock, Matthew Hamlett, Dominick Allen and Tristan Baer won with a time of 3:21.89, edging Glendale CC by more than half a second.

Baer went on to finish 11^th in the 200m as the top CLU finisher. Competing in a pair of events, Andrew Olson ran the 400m in 51.63 to place sixth after running the 200m in a time of 23.28.

Halaiano Aholelei sprinted to a second place finish in the 100m Dash, crossing the line in 10.96 while Justin Reeves was also a top-8 finisher, running an 11.23.

Nearly breaking the 2-minute mark in the 800m, Nick Privitelli clocked a time of 2:00.85 while teammate Dylan Perriseau finished in 2:02.42. Matt Garvin ran a 4:10.11 in the 1500m for the Kingsmen to place 12^th.

Placing eighth in the 110m Hurdles, Joseph Forster ran a 16.54.

Matching his season best, Justin Puccinelli threw the Javelin 57.63m for fourth place. Bjorn McMillan and Scott Case were ninth and tenth, respectively, with marks of 45.71m and 45.20m. McMillan was also seventh in the Hammer with a toss of 39.65m.

In both the Shot Put and Discus William Zimmerle and Diaz finished back-to-back. The Shot Put saw Zimmerle throw 11.93m with Diaz recording an 11.76m. Zimmerle (39.40m) and Diaz (38.01m) were 11^th and 12^th in the Discus.

Jumping for the Kingsmen today were Puccinelli and Jordan Williams. For the first time this spring, Puccinelli competed in the High Jump, clearing 1.78m. Williams Long Jumped to seventh with a leap of 5.83m.

Cal Lutheran gets right back to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action with the third Quad Meet of the season at Occidental on Saturday, April 6 beginning at 11:00 a.m. CLU will compete with Chapman, Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer.  

Results: PLNU Invitational
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Erik Fruth got the scoring started for CLU and went on to become a two-event winner by taking both the 110m Hurdles and 400m Hurdles. Fruth edged Nick Norton (UR) in the opening event on the track, running a 15.09. In the 400m, Fruth defeated Victor Rodriguez by four hundredths of a second, finishing in 56.64.

Another win today came on a late surge from Nick Privitelli that propelled the freshman to a 1500m victory, crossing the line in 4:12.38. He outkicked Thomas Marshall (4:13.84) from Redlands down the final stretch for the win.

In the field, Roy Diaz moved into fourth place all-time at CLU with a first place finish in the Hammer throw. His best mark of 50.71m came on his final attempt and he won the event by 2.82m.

Bjorn McMillan finished third in the Hammer with a throw of 41.24m and went on to place fourth in the Javelin with a mark of 49.86m behind Justin Puccinelli who used his fourth throw of the day, 51.08m, to lock up third place.

Shot Put saw a pair of Kingsmen place in the top three. James Laughlin used a 13.69m throw for second while Michael Bassett placed third with a mark of 13.14m. Diaz (12.17m) was seventh.

The 100m dash was as close as could be with the top three places separated by a hundredth of a second apiece. Halaiano Aholelei placed third in 10.79 seconds after finishing fourth in the Long Jump with a distance of 6.34m, .01m out of third.

Justin Reeves, Matthew Hamlett, Tristan Baer and Aholeleicombined to run the 4x100 m Relay in 42.21, edging the La Verne squad by three hundredths of a second, behind the winning UR team (41.83).

Baer went on to run the 400m in 49.25 for fourth while Hamlett was sixth in 50.01.  

Matt Garvin ran to a third place finish in the 5K with a time of 16:39.88 and Dylan Perriseau clocked in at 2:01.51 in the 800m for fifth. The 3000m Steeplechase featured a pair of distance runners in David Avila (10:25.18) and Shawn Jackson (10:57.05).

Nearly breaking the one-minute mark, Edmond Garrett came in fourth in the 400m Hurdles with a clocking of 1:00.11. Joseph Forster was fifth in the 110m Hurdles in 16.04.

Both men’s Discus and final team scores were unavailable at the time of release.

Cal Lutheran travels to San Diego to close out spring break at the Point Loma University Invitational Thursday to Saturday March 28-30.

Results: SCIAC No. 2 – results unavailable at time of release
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Dominick Allen worked his way into seventh on the CLU top-10 list in the 800m with a season best time of 1:56.31. He was the second Division III athlete to cross the line and placed 13^th in a field of 87.

After missing the entire 2012 spring season with an injury and not being able to take a running step for over six months, Shawn Jackson ran at his lifetime best in the 5K with a time of 17:00.87.

In his first 5K on a track David Avila ran a 16:22.56.

Both Nick Privitelli and Matt Garvin set personal bests running the 1500m and 5000m, respectively. Privitelli finished his race in 4:09.23, a four second PR while Garvin took 14 seconds off his 5K time, clocking a 15:56.89.

Also running for the Kingsmen was Dylan Perriseau and who clocked a time of 2:02.87 in the 800m.

Cal Lutheran will travel to Redlands on Saturday, March 23 to compete in a SCIAC Quad meet with La Verne, Redlands and Whittier. Events are set to begin at 11:00 a.m.

Results: Oxy Distance Carnival
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In the first meet of her college career, Hamilton set the school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

In the second meet of her college career, Hamilton broke that record and set a new program record in the triple jump.

The Simi Valley High graduate holds the top spot for the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute, 4.24 seconds and the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet, 9½ inches.

“It was really a big surprise,” Hamilton said. “Between my first race and second race, I shaved off four seconds in the 400 hurdles. I was excited about that improvement, and then to break a school record on top of it was really exciting.”

Hamilton competed in just about every event possible as a senior at Simi Valley High. At CLU, she has narrowed her individual focus to the 400 hurdles and triple jump.

The 400 hurdles is an extra 100 meters from the high school distance.

“I figured it can’t be that different. It’s just a hundred, right? But it’s a big difference,” Hamilton said. “The approach to running the race is a lot different, and I am lot more focused on the steps between hurdles and the way I pace myself. I focus a lot more on maintaining my own pace instead of running as hard as I can the entire time.”

But Hamilton has made the adjustment appear seamless, which can be partly attributed to her comfort level at CLU.

“It’s been a really good transition working with new people and new coaches and teammates,” she said. “I really enjoy the whole environment. Everyone on the team is super nice and welcoming and supportive of each other.”

Cal Lutheran coach Matt Lea is thrilled to have Hamilton in the program.

“She is one of the most amazing athletes I have had a chance to work with, and I have worked with some real talent,” Lea said. “I am so excited for the next four years with her. She is such an amazing person also. That is what makes her so wonderful.”

Although Hamilton broke the program records so quickly, she knows there is still plenty of work to be done.

“I definitely want to pick up where I left off in the triple jump last season. I haven’t really gotten back in the groove of that yet,” she said. “In the hurdles, I really want to focus on becoming more consistent with my race. I feel like each race has things a little different about them, and I haven’t felt like I’ve run them the same way. I want to get a pattern down.”

Once she does, expect her own records to fall a few more times.

“I am just taking it one meet at a time at this point,” Hamilton said. “I just want to make sure I am getting better all the time.”

Roy Diaz had an outstanding conference-opening meet as he captured the discus title with a throw of 41.28 meters. He continued his strong all-around performance with a third place finish in the hammer-throw after a mark of 46.56, which was also the tenth best in CLU history.

Freshman Michael Bassette also had an impressive debut, finishing third in the shot-put competition with a mark of 13.31 meters.

Justin Puccinelli rounded out the throwers by winning the javelin throw with a throw of 54.44 meters. Puccinelli’s winning mark also was also good for eighth best in school history.

Erik Fruth took first place in the 110 meter high hurdles race with a time of 15.17, which also was the eighth fastest time in school history. Joseph Forster was right behind Fruth, finishing third with a time of 15.91. Fruth also finished second in the 400 meter hurdles, crossing the finish line with a time of 56.86.

During the sprints portion of the meet, Halaiano Aholelei-Fuentes was the top runner for CLU in the 100 meters, finishing fourth with a time of 11.16 seconds.

Tristan Baer took second in the 400 meter dash with a time of 49.43 before placing in third in the 200 meter dash, clocking a time of 22.63.

Baer’s teammate Matthew Hamlett, finished fourth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 51.21.

Dominick Allen rounded out the top finishers for CLU when he placed fourth in the 800 meter dash, crossing the finish line in a time of 1:56.37

The Cal Lutheran relay teams had a strong showing with the 4x 100 meter relay team coming in second with a time of 42.22 while the 4x 400 meter team placed fourth, clocking a 3:31.16.

Cal Lutheran will be back on the track Friday, March 8, when it competes in the Ben Brown Invitational hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The two-day meet is set to get underway at 8:00 a.m. both days.

Results: SCIAC Quad Meet No. 1 CLU/CIT/CMS/UR
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Highlighting the performances this weekend for the Regals was Briana Panapa who jumped into the fifth spot in CLU history with a hammer throw of 44.82m to place third behind Lauren Chambers (USC) and Samantha Swanson (Cal Poly Pomona). Katrina Brown threw in her first collegiate meet after concluding the swimming season for the Regals last weekend.

Panapa went on to place fifth with a mark of 10.19m in a competitive field of Division I, II, III and NAIA athletes in the shot put. Tori Dahl was sixth with a distance of 10.14m. Brown was also a top-20 finisher with a first round throw of 7.62m.  

For the men’s team, Justin Puccinelli placed sixth in the javelin with a throw of 52.96m. Ventura College transfer Bjorn McMillan and sophomore Scott Case were 11^th and 12^th, respectively, with marks of 47.47m and 46.92m. John McKinney was also a top-20 finisher with a throw of 37.37m.

The shot put was full of new faces for the Kingsmen. Freshman Michael Basset was the highest CLU finisher in the shot put with an eighth place finish after a throw of 12.95m. Junior transfer James Laughlin was 14^th with a 12.12m mark. Freshman Will Zimmerle (11.40m) was 19^th followed by McMillan(11.24m) in 20^th.

Laughlinwas the top finisher for the men in the discus with a throw of 39.68m for 11^th. He was followed by Zimmerlewhose final hurl went for 37.75m for 13^th and McMillan(36.20m) placed 16^th.

McMillan was the top CLU hammer thrower with a mark of 41.96m for 11^th followed by Laughlin (40.84) in 12^th. Zimmerle was also a top-20 finisher with a throw of 33.84 for 17^th.

Cal Lutheran will open Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action Saturday, March 2 when the teams travel to Caltech for a quad meet with Caltech, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Redlands. Competition is set to being at 11:00 a.m.

Results: 17^th Annual Rossi Relays
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