?Seanette Garcia

Defending league champion in high jump and javelin, University of La Verne senior Veronica Andrews works toward the title of All-American. After being placed one spot short of the title in the 2005 NCAA Championships, Andrews seeks to break her records at the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers meet Saturday. The track and field teams will compete tomorrow at Redlands.

Lauren Reed
Staff Writer

With the results from the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers Track Meet on Saturday in Claremont, the Leopards track team looks to have a promising season.

Senior sprinter Darnell Gilbert, the reigning Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion in the 100 meters from last season, was victorious once again with the 100 meters in a time of 10.90.

Gilbert is ranked No.2 all-time on the ULV list in the 100 meters with a career best 10.79 seconds.

Also, sophomore hurdler Jesse Carrington earned first in 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.10.

“With the addition of Lonel and Jon we should improve a lot as a team. My focus is to repeat as champion in the 100 meter and hopefully lead the team to nationals in the 4 by 100 and in the 100,” said Gilbert.

Newcomer Lonel McKnight, had an impressive showing when he finished 2nd in the 200 meters with a time of 22.13.

Definitely contributing to the team’s improvement, he joined Dwayne Griffith, Jon Virgin and Gilbert in the 4 by 100 placing 3rd.

He also contributed in the 4 by 400, joined by Griffith, Virgin, and Travis, finishing 3rd.

Jon Virgin, also a newcomer transferring from Cal State Fullerton, gives the men’s side new hope.

“Season’s looking promising with the addition of Lonel and Jon, much better than last year. The 4 by 100 looks more promising than anything, Saturday’s time was 41.63, the fastest La Verne has had in a very long time,” said Griffith.

The men hope to finish higher than seventh at the league championships in this year as opposed to last year, but to take the victories from Saturday and excel into the season with them.

On the women’s side, the athletes to watch are Veronica Andrews and Chelsea Sherier.

Both seniors represented ULV at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships last year.

Sherier has had a good start to the season by earning an NCAA indoor provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault, clearing 11'- 5 3/4” at the Mountain T's Invitational indoor meet Feb. 3 in Flagstaff, Ariz.

On Feb. 17, Sherier joined by junior Katrina McCoy, placed 4th overall in the pole vault clearing 10 feet, 8 inches.

The tandem’s results were the highest for any athletes in Division III.
Andrews finished the among Division III competitors in the javelin with a distance of 107 feet, 8 inches.

Junior Valerie Woods also finished, highest in Division III also, placing in 8th in the long jump, with a distance of 16- 41/2.

On the track, senior Alexis Candelaria finished in 11th place in the 3,000 meter relay with a time of 10:34.76.

To no surprise, Candelaria also finished tops among Division III runners.
With multiple players contributing to the success on Saturday, other conference teams should definitely be fearful of La Verne this year coming into the season as underdogs.

“I think we’ll do okay, we have a very small team but as individuals I’m confident they will hold their own,” said head coach Pat Widoff.

Next up for the La Verne track and field teams will be the SCIAC Invitational to be held Mar. 3 at Redlands.

On Mar. 10, the squads will then travel for the Ben Brown Invitational in Walnut.

Lauren Reed can be reached at lreed@ulv.edu.