Newcomers impress in track season-opener
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women's track and field team showcased a wealth of fresh talent at the Pomona-Pitzer All Comers meet on Saturday with several newcomers proving their worth amongst the conference elite.
Sophomore sprinter Lauren Deats, fresh off a record-setting freshman season, paced the Panthers in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, as expected. Deats tied for fifth place in both heats with times of 13.40 and 26.97 seconds, respectively.
Despite Deats' continued success, the highlight for head coach Anna Wlodarczyk came from the freshman duo of Alex and Alyssa Bliss. The sisters posted the second and third best 100 and 200-meter times on the team behind Deats, finishing just shy of her marks on Saturday.
First on the heels of Deats was Alex Bliss, who finished seventh in the 100-meter dash, just .06 seconds behind her sophomore teammate with a time of 13.46 seconds. Alyssa Bliss took home a ninth place finish in the event, recording a time of 13.66 seconds.
The 200-meter dash produced similar results for the tandem as Alex Bliss finished ninth overall with a time of 27.37 seconds while sister Alyssa Bliss finished 13th in 28.26 seconds.
The Bliss sisters' impact was not limited to individual competition, however, as the duo was part of a 4x100 meter relay team that came within one-half second of setting a school record. The quartet of Alex Bliss, Jaemi Mansfield, Alyssa Bliss and Lauren Deats finished in 50.79 seconds, recording second place finish while narrowly missing the school record of 50.28 seconds set in 1996.
Sophomore Charlie Truax had an impressive showing in the high jump, recording a height of 1.45 meters, just .05 meters shy of her career best. Meanwhile, freshman Madeline Robinson had a strong showing in her collegiate debut, placing fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 9.36 meters.
The Panthers will be back in action on Saturday as they compete in the Claremont Rossi Relays, set to begin at 10 a.m.
Results: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/wtrack/2013-14/files/P-PAllComers.pdf
by Ryan Cavinder
Sports Information Assistant
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