Los Angeles, CA – Occidental's track and field teams marked a double win to start conference play as they hosted the SCIAC Multi-Dual 1 last weekend, showcasing their determination to claim victory on their home turf.  With competitors from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the University of La Verne, and California Lutheran University descending upon Tiger territory, Oxy rose to the challenge, securing victories on both sides.

In a display of sheer dominance, the Tigers clinched two full events, the 4x100-meter relay and the javelin throw, with wins from both the men's and women's teams.  Christopher Haliburton, Shane Kawakami-Williams, Oliver Yue, and anchor Justin Edwards comprised the men's relay team, blazing across the finish line in 42.39 seconds, while Isabel Yaffe, Francesca Candelieri, Emmamarie Watkins, and anchor Eliza Hawley powered the women's team to victory in 49.36 seconds. Additionally, Nico Morales and Kate Cobain exhibited skill in the javelin throw, securing first place with their throws.  Morales won the men's side with a throw of 38.70m (127'), nearly five feet further than the next contender.  Cobain remained consistent, throwing just shy of her personal record, with a throw of 130.70 (100'9").  She was 14 feet ahead of her nearest competitor.

The sprint events witnessed outstanding performances from Hawley, who dominated the women's 400-meter dash with a commanding time of 58.62 seconds, setting a conference leading mark by two seconds. Tia Akasaki followed Hawley in third with a time of 1:04.71.   Haliburton finished in third in the men's 200-meter dash with 22.39, followed by Emerson Ames in fourth and Oliver Yue in fifth.  Candelieri matched Haliburton with a third place finish in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 26.93.  She was followed by Watkins in fourth.  The women's 4x400-meter relay controlled the race with a commanding win of 4:03.74, seven seconds ahead of CMS's relay team.  The women's team was made up of Akasaki, Candelieri, Delphine Way, and Hawley.  Jonah Magill reminded all of his dominance in hurdles with his time of 55.05 seconds in the men's 400-meter.

Oxy's middle-distance runners displayed tenacity and skill, with Matthew Vickers securing second place in the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.63, just over three seconds off of his personal record.  Way claimed third place in the women's 800-meter run with a time of 2:23.80.  She was followed by Mia Ness in fourth with a time of 2:28.74. Ness was shy of her personal best by just two and a half seconds.

In the field events, Amelia Weitz showcased her versatility, clinching second place in both the long jump and triple jump, setting a new personal record in the latter event with a distance of 9.91m (32'6.25").  Edwards soared to victory in the men's high jump with a personal record of 1.70m (5'07"), which happened to be four inches above the next competitor.  Not to be outdone, Gabriela Knutsen continued to dominate the women's shot put with a throw of 10.21m (33'6").

As the dust settled, Oxy emerged triumphant in the team standings, with the men's team scoring 90 points over La Verne's 45 and 103 points over CLU's 46.  The women's team similarly dominated, scoring 81 points over La Verne and 87 points over CLU's 65.

Occidental College hosts the Oxy Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic tomorrow.