CLAREMONT, CA — The University of La Verne track and field teams crowned five champions to end the 2024 SCIAC Track and Field Champions.
Tyler Thomas headlined the Leopards' weekend with two individual championships in the 100m and 200m. He set a school record in the 100m with a time of 10.54, besting his previous best of 10.56w (10.69). He led a trio of Leopards in the event. LaVaughn Smooth took sixth (10.87), and Russel Maxie finished eighth (10.92). Thomas' time ranks 15th in NCAA Division III.
Thomas, just a sophomore, followed up the 100m with his best performance of the day in the 200m. Thomas set a SCIAC meet and La Verne record with a time of 20.94. The previous La Verne best time was set in 2014 by Chancise Watkins (20.99). Watkins is a member of the 2014 National Championship 4x100 relay team. Thomas' time ranks fourth in DIII this season, is the 25th fastest time in DIII history, and the 16th fastest wind-legal time in DIII history.
"We had a great day yesterday, and those performances continued into the final day of the SCIAC Championships. We had representation in a lot of events today, and the high-level performances continued with even more seasonal best performances and lifetime best performances. The SCIAC Championships is a great meet, with high energy and the 2024 version did not disappoint. From the first gun of the day, the intensity and drama was high," said University of La Verne track and field head coach Kevin Reid.
Dawson Bell led the women's squad with a first-place finish in the 100m dash with a personal best time of 12.25. Her mark ranks seventh on the La Verne All-Time list. Bell was the favorite after Saturday's prelims when she also ran a 12.25. Bell also took fourth in the 200m dash finishing with a program top-10 time of 25.39.
Zachary Reid won the 110m hurdles, breaking his school record. His winning time of 14.31 also breaks a SCIAC meet record of 14.48 set in 1976. The win marks Reid's second title in the 110m hurdles in his career. He previously won the event in 2022. He currently ranks 14th in DIII.
The Leopards ended the meet with a dramatic win in the 4x400m relay. The squad of Austin Haines, Ivan Estrada, Jayden Figueroa, and Thomas posted a winning time of 3:17.26. Running in lane two, Haines got La Verne off to a hot start and put La Verne in third after the handoff to Estrada. Estrada began closing the gap as he finished his leg and handed off the baton. After receiving the handoff Figuerora narrowly avoided a collision between the Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps runners who were just steps ahead of him and bolstered La Verne into the lead. The rest of the field had no chance of catching Thomas' anchor leg as the Leopards cruised the win. Their time ranks seventh all-time in the La Verne record books.
Joshua Collier took second in the 400m hurdles, running a season-best time of 53.65.
The men's 4x100m relay team Davion Fields, Russel Maxie, Estrada, and Thomas took third with a season-best time of 41.25, the fifth-fastest time in program history. Estrada also ran a personal best and took sixth in the 400m (49.58).
Decathlete Hunter Bond posted a personal best in five events and finished in sixth.
In the discus, Aatilah Watkins (78' 8", 23.97m) and Madison Xie (90' 1", 27.45m) both posted personal records.
The women's 4x100m relay opened with a sixth-place finish. Jazzlyn Johnson, Bell, Eriell Duckworth, and Emily Hernandez ran the season-best time of 51.07.
The Leopards had a pair of finalists in the men's 800m. Zyeir Lasley-Shabete (1:55.74) and Isaac Stockton (1:57.58) both ran personal best to finish sixth and eighth, respectively.
Marissa Hehir took seventh in the 1500m, posting a personal best time of 4:43.88. Freshman Finn McClure took eighth in the men's 1500m (4:02.64).
Jenna Schwarz shaved 36 seconds off her previous best in the 5000m and Lizbeth Garcia also ran a lifetime best (20:10.84).
Next Meet
The Leopards' distance crew will compete next at the Occidental Distance Carnival on Saturday, May 4. The Leopards will have two more opportunities to improve their marks at the APU Franson Last Chance (May 10) and Redlands Last Chance (May 15) before the NCAA Championships.
