Men’s 4x400 takes first in second consecutive SCIAC meet

ORANGE, Calif. – On Saturday the Chapman University track and field team competed in their second SCIAC meet of the season. The highlight of the meet was the men's 4x400m relay, which finished in first place for the second time this season, earning the position as conference leaders.

The 4x400 team, made up of junior Cody Epstein, sophomore Aki Shigeyama, and freshmen Scott Fitzpatrick and Zach Lietzke, ran a time of 3.21.97 to beat out Occidental, La Verne, Redlands, and Pomona-Pitzer. Saturday's 4x400m squad shaved off nearly four seconds from the Panthers' first-place finish in SCIAC #1.

Saturday's meet was filled with top-10 finishes. Fitzpatrick ran a season best to earn first place in the 400m race with a time of 49.87, while Shigeyama ran a personal best of 50.27 to place fourth in the same event. Shigeyama placed again in the men's 200m event, running 22.92 to earn ninth place.

In the men's 100m race, junior Derek Ohara ran a time of 11.20 to place seventh. Junior Drake Butler and sophomore Jose Guerrero ran the 1500m event in 4:15.61 and 4:20.31, respectively, to earn fifth and seventh place.

Senior Cedric Cole threw 11.90m in the shotput and 36.58m in discus, earning seventh place in both events. Sophomore Armond Gray placed eighth in the triple jump with a distance of 12.12m and placed ninth in the long jump with a distance of 6.02m, earning personal bests in both events.

Sophomore Emma Eglinton led the way in the women's events, earning a new school record and placing second with a personal best of 11:51.99 in the 3000m steeplechase. Sophomore Gabi Siguenza placed third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:08.35. Junior Lauren Miller placed third in shot put with a season-best throw of 11.15m, and seventh in discus with a throw of 27.68m.

The female freshmen had a strong showing for the day, earning multiple personal records and top-10 finishes. Angelic Kolar ran a personal best in the 100m at 12.81 and ran the 200m in 26.74, placing eighth in both events. Carly Trent also ran a personal best, finishing the 400m in 1:01.93. Maija Girardi placed third in javelin with a throw of 33.12m. Bella Rudis jumped 4.68m in the long jump, earning ninth place and a season best. 

The Panthers will head to Whittier College on Friday, April 5 at 2 p.m. to compete at the Twilight Meet.

by Molly Weber
Sports Information Intern

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