Tigers Take it Back to the Track and Field
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 20, 2009) – With more than a dozen All-SCIAC athletes returning to the 2009 Occidental College men’s and women’s track and field teams and a talented freshman class, the Tigers are sure to put together an exciting spring.
Leading the pack back out into the field are the 2008 National qualifying duo of Grace Peck (3000m Steeplechase) and Kera Bartlett (pole vault) who each earned All-SCIAC honors a year ago. Bartlett won the SCIAC title with a vault of 11’5.75” in 2008. Both women also earned recognition for Academic All-American’s last spring.
The Tiger women welcome back 31 athletes including All-SCIAC winners Denali Halsey (5000m), Karuna Batcha (100mH), Sarah Fischer(400m Hurdles), Sara Hooker (pole vault).
On the men’s squad, 23 athletes return to action for the Tigers. Clay Hoadley and Jon Wheeler finished second and fifth in the 800m at the 2008 SCIAC meet, respectively, with a pair of personal bests. Also improving PR times and distances last season were Victor Kali (1500m), Deryck Lim (110m Hurdles), David Minguez (pole vault), Daniel Minguez (pole vault), Sam Huie (long jump and triple jump). All of these men earned All-SCIAC recognition in 2008.
Joining a group of returning athletes who have proven that they can compete at the top of the SCIAC are a group of successful incoming athletes. There are high hopes for the 17 new student-athletes (nine men, eight women).
For the women some freshmen who have a chance to provide impact performances include Claire Larson, a fourth place finisher in the 800m at the Ohio State Meet her senior year, Anna Dalton, a second place finisher in the 800m at the Alaska State Meet last year, Lauren Johnson, a 400m hurdler who will also run relays and Sadie Mohler, who was the Tigers’ #2 runner during cross country season, in the1500m.
The men will look to Will Moseley in the 800m (second place finish at the Washington State meet his junior year in high school), Ethan Spiro who will add depth to the long and triple jump, Sam Sleeper, who qualified for the Illinois State Finals last year as a pole vaulter, Matt Tsujimura, a transfer from LMU who will compete in the 200m and long jump and Eric Kleinsasser who will run the 5K after beginning his collegiate athletic career as the SCIAC Runner of the Year during cross country season.
Both the men’s and women’s track & field teams look to improve on fourth place finishes they have earned for the last few years. A strong ground of middle-distance runners will help the Tigers to achieve their team goals of improving in the SCIAC standings.
Occidental begins competition on Feb. 21 at the Pomona-Pitzer All Comers meet. The Tigers will host four meets this season including the SCIAC Championships on April 25 and 27. Oxy will compete against highly successful athletes from a number of Division I schools at the Cal-Nevada Meet (at UCLA) and the Steve Scott Invitational (at UCI).
