Los Angeles, CA – The Occidental track and field teams competed well at the Oxy invite, held at Jack Kemp Stadium on May 4, 2024. With standout performances across multiple events, both the women's and men's teams demonstrated their competitive spirit against a formidable field.
Women's Team Highlights
In the sprints, the women's 4x100 meter relay team, consisting of Isabel Yaffe, Karis Palomino, Emmamarie Watkins, and Eliza Hawley, secured a commendable second place with a time of 48.12 seconds. The team finished behind the University of San Francisco, who clocked 47 seconds flat. Hawley continued on to have a notable day, placing tenth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12:31.
In the distance events, Jenna LeNay dominated the women's 10,000 meter run, crossing the finish line in 36:02.30 - over two minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. LeNay's efforts also landed her at the top of the All-Time Oxy list, upsetting the previous record by 11 seconds.
Gabriella Knutsen led the way in the field events, finishing third in the shot put with a throw of 11.30 meters (37'1") and sixth in the discus throw at 35.13 meters (115'3"). Chelsea Groves followed closely in both events, taking sixth in the shot with 10.60 meters (34'9.5") and seventh in the discus at 33.94 meters (111'4"). Skye Garcia rounded out the top performances in the shot put, finishing eighth with a throw of 10 meters (32'9.75").
The women's javelin throw saw three Tigers in the top ten: Michelle Lagunas-Monroy led with a throw of 33.44 meters (109'8") for sixth place, Kate Cobain took seventh with 31.62 meters (103'9"), and Knutsen finished ninth with 27.05 meters (88'9").
In the pole vault, Palomino secured seventh place with a vault of 3.11 meters (10'2.5"), while Kayla Rylee Cockett finished fifth in the high jump, clearing 1.45 meters (4'9").
Men's Team Highlights
Jonah Magill delivered a strong performance in the men's 400 meter hurdles, finishing third with a time of 54.37 seconds. Renn Stearns competed fiercely in the 3000 meter steeplechase, finishing eighth with a time of 9:13.46.
In the discus throw, Miles Manugault finished eighth, achieving a distance of 33.31 meters (109'3"). The men's javelin throw featured a duo of impressive throws from Nico Morales and Darius Harvey. Morales secured third with a throw of 39.10 meters (128'3"), while Harvey followed closely in fourth with 36.34 meters (119'3").
The Oxy Invite highlighted the depth and range of talent of the Tigers track and field teams. With numerous top ten finishes, the Tigers continued to build momentum, even as the end of the season approached.
