The Triton track and field team came away with some good results at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational last Saturday, April 13, earning numerous individual personal bests and a dozen top-five individual finishes. Among the top finishers was sophomore Sabrina Pimentel, as she earned a second-place win in the women’s 800-meter run. The sophomore improved her personal best time to 2:10.9. Her new time now ranks as the second fastest in UCSD history for the women’s 800-meter.
Pimentel also participated in the 4×400 relay along with senior Chelsey Kamson, sophomore Ellexi Snover and junior Lauren Irish. The team took third place with a time of 3:50.52, a season best for the Triton women. Sophomore Anneke Kakebeen came in second in the 3000-meter steeplechase, improving her school record as well as her own personal best to 11:18.92.
UCSD looked strong in the long distance events, particularly in the 5000-meter race, at which the Tritons had three competitors in the top 10, two of whom were among the top five. Junior Chia Chang picked up a new career best with 17:54.94, solidifying her spot in UCSD history as the ninth-fastest time recorded for the 5000. Freshman Carolina Guzman and sophomore Madison Tanner earned the fifth and sixth spots in the race as well.
The Triton men also earned high marks on the track as sophomore Tanner Collins came in second in the 5000 with a time of 14:47.04. Freshman Tareq Alwafai earned third place with his new personal best at 14:47.12, along with a No. 8 spot on UCSD’s all-time top 10 list for the 5000. Freshman Daniel Franz had a notable performance, finishing in fifth place in the 3000 steeplechase at 9:31.32.
Out in the field, sophomore Chantia Justice and freshman Julia Wildenthaler both finished among the top five in the triple jump. Justice bounded a 38’4” distance for third, and Wildenthaler grabbed fifth with a mark of 36’9.75”. In the shot put, junior Eva Isaacs received fourth place after tossing 41’4.5” in the field.
The UCSD men had a pair of third place finishes in the field events. Senior A.B. Shaheen propelled the hammer a distance of 187’, and freshman Sean Cook earned a new personal best in the high jump with a 6’6.75” leap. Cook also cleared the ninth-highest measurement in Triton history.
After a solid day of competition, UCSD assistant coach Nick Howe sang praises for Pimentel and her new 800-meter record.
“It’s an amazing thing to see where she was at last year and compare it to where she is at now,” Howe said. “And the fact that she is a sophomore is even more impressive. She shows leadership and will continue to be a leader for the team in the next few years.”
The Tritons will compete again this coming Friday and Saturday at the Soka Peace Invitational, with the men’s and women’s discus throw and hammer throw events to be hosted at UCSD on Friday at 1 p.m. The rest of the events will take place at Aliso Viejo at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
