Sophomore sprinter Ronald Douglas finished in fifth place in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Saturday, April 12. Courtesy: APU Sports Information
The Azusa Pacific track and field team had several athletes register top-10 finishes at Saturday’s Pomona-Pitzer Track and Field Invitational in Claremont, Calif.
For the women’s team, sophomore javelin thrower Allison Updike highlighted the day for the Cougars while notching a first-place finish in the toss with a mark of 49.44 meters.
In the women’s 1,500-meter run, there were two APU athletes in the top 10. Sophomore mid-distance runner Reika Kijima finished seventh with a 4:37.89 time and senior mid-distance runner Diandra Carstensen paced the second heat with a 4:38.95 time for an eighth-place overall finish.
Azusa Pacific also had two top-10 finishes in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with senior Jordan Chesley placing eighth with a 14.84 time and senior multi-event participant Megan VanWinkle, who is currently redshirting for APU, competing unattached and finishing ninth at 14.97. Chesley notched her second top-10 finish with a 65.74 in the 400-meter hurdles, placing seventh.
The Cougars were represented well in women’s high jump with three top-10 places from junior Santana Alford, VanWinkle and sophomore Faith Douglas.
Junior Danica Dobosy and freshman Kaylee Fink finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the discus throw. Dobosy also took second in the hammer throw.
Azusa Pacific’s men’s team also did well, with several top finishes. Junior hurdler Tanner Henry led the way, finishing first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.38. Sophomore sprinter Ronald Douglas notched two fifth-place finishes on the day, running a 10.81 in the 100-meter and a 21.98 in the 200-meter. In the 800-meter run, senior mid-distance runner Riley McKee finished sixth, running a 1:52.56. Rounding out the individual top-10 finishes for the Cougars was junior multi-event participant Jacob Hare, who finished fourth in 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.75.
The Cougars’ 4×100 meter relay team consisting of senior sprinter, hurdler and jumper Sameer Sedam, freshman sprinter Ben Byer, junior sprinter Brennan May and Douglasfinished fourth, running a 42.16.
Azusa Pacific has four events this week, highlighted by the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday, April 18. The event will be a home invitational set to start at 9 a.m. at the Cougar Athletic Stadium.