Claremont, CA –  The Occidental College Tigers roared onto the track, runways, and into the rings a the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) 2024 Track and Field Championships, hosted by Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, CA, on April 27 and 28, 2024.  With a fierce determination to excel, the Tigers showcased their skill across various events, leaving a lasting impression on the competition.

SPRINTS:

Sophomore standout Eliza Hawley emerged as the 2024 SCIAC champion in both the women's 200 and 400 meter events!  Hawley blazed through the preliminary round of the women's 200 meter dash with a time of 25.16 seconds, securing the second spot heading into finals. In a thrilling display of speed, she clinched gold with a personal record time of 24.96 seconds.  Similarly, in the 400 meter dash, Hawley dominated with a prelim time of 56.92 seconds, maintaining her lead in the finals with another lifetime best effort of 55.52 seconds.  Hawley's remarkable results catapulted her into the eighth spot on the All-Time Oxy list for the women's 200 meter and fourth All-Time Oxy in the women's 400 meter.

The women's 4x100 meter relay team, made up of first year Isabel Yaffe, sophomore Francesca Candelieri, junior Emmarie Watkins, and Hawley, finished in fourth place with a time of 49.09 seconds.  Despite fierce competition, the 4x100 meter relay team moved into the fifth spot on the All-Time Oxy list.  The 4x400 meter relay team, represented by junior Tia Akasaki, first year Delphine Way, sophomore Brooke Tompkins, and Hawley, delivered a commendable performance, finishing fifth with a time of 4:00.2.  

MID-DISTANCE:

In the women's 800 meter run, Way and sophomore Mia Ness showcased their endurance and determination.  Finishing fifth and sixth in prelims with times of 2:23.17 and 2:21.65, respectively, they both secured spots for finals.  Way maintained her position in finals, setting a new lifetime best of 2:19.80, while Ness, despite dropping down to seventh place, achieved a personal record in prelims, marking a successful performance that still landed her in the top eight.

In the women's 1500 meter run, senior Ciara Gillen and sophomore Megan Cover demonstrated their willpower and speed with their qualifying times in prelims.  Gillen finished fifth with a time of 4:49.10 and Cover took eighth with a time of 4:53.04.  In finals, Gillen and Cover both turned on the jets to set new personal records as they vied for a top eight finish.  Gillen shaved off nine seconds from her previous best to advance to fourth place with a time of 4:37.63, only six seconds away from a podium spot.  In addition, Gillen was the first runner to cross the finish line not representing Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.  Cover reduced her previous best by four seconds to finish in sixth place with a time of 4:41.45.  With Cover's showing, the top six finishers in the women's 1500 were either from CMS or Oxy, highlighting the strength of the Tigers in the mid-distance events.  Furthermore, Gillen and Cover both earned the highly coveted All-Time Oxy spots, with Gillen now in fifth and Cover now in ninth.  

Gillen, the Tigers' steeplechase dominant force this year, didn't compete in the event at championships this year.  At the Leopard Distance Classic meet on April 12, she ran a groundbreaking time of 10:47.35, making her the Oxy record holder for the women's 3000 meter steeplechase.  Considering her time and the results at the championships, she could have very well been the SCIAC champion this season with the top time going to Annika Carlson from Chapman, who ran 11:13.44.  Of note, Carlson's personal record in the steeplechase is 10:50.96, which she ran in March at the CSU San Marcos meet.  

DISTANCE:

Sophomore Jenna LeNay had a top eight finish in the women's 5000 meter run with a time of 17:58.84, which earned her fifth place.

POLE VAULT:

Senior Karis Palomino matched her lifetime best in the pole vault, securing sixth place with a clearance of 3.05 meters (10').  

JUMPS:

Junior Emily Dolida soared to seventh place finish in the women's triple jump, covering 10.92 meters (35'10"). Her efforts rewarded her with a new personal record, as well as also landed her in the seventh All-Time Oxy spot.

THROWS:

Day one of women's throws started off with javelin and hammer.  In javelin, junior Michelle Lagunas-Monroy and senior Kate Cobain, both with only with two competitive seasons under their belt, each had top eight finishes.  Lagunas-Monroy qualified for finals with a throw of 33.12 meters, her second attempt, and Cobain also qualified with her second attempt with a throw of 33.02 meters (108'4").  Cobain's throw marked a new lifetime best with an improvement of six feet.  A massive improvement in the apparatus and it earned her the seventh place finish in the event.  Lagunas-Monroy opened the finals with her strongest throw of the day, launching the spear 33.16 meters (108'9") to ultimately finish in fifth place.  Her lifetime record in the javelin throw is 38.11 meters (125'), which would have landed her on the podium had she thrown it this year.  This may bode well for Lagunas-Monroy next year if she can get to track and field earlier in the season after basketball season ends as the SCIAC champion for javelin this year threw 38.89 meters (125'11) and will be graduating from Whittier this year.

On day two the women started in shot put.  Senior Gabriella Knutsen earned third place with a throw of 11.07 meters (36'4"), her final throw in preliminaries.  Junior Chelsea Groves and senior Skye Garcia each qualified for finals with their throws of 10.34 meters (33'11.25") and 10.19 meters (33'5.25), respectively.  Groves' throw, a new lifetime best, secured her a top eight spot.  They wrapped up the day in the discus throw with both Knutsen and Groves each earning new personal records on their first attempts and Groves went on to double PR on her second attempt in prelims with a toss of 34.81 meters (114.02).  In finals, Knutson threw a second PR of 35.78 meters (117'5") on her final attempt to finish in seventh place.  This result also landed her on the All-Time Oxy list in the eighth spot.

Overall, the women's team delivered a strong performance at the SCIAC Championships, showcasing their talent, determination, and resilience.  With a team score of 67 points, the Tigers secured a fifth-place finish.  The University of Redlands Bulldogs claimed the team championship with 185 points.