La Verne suffers tough weekend
Campus Times
March 12, 1999
Senior Sean Smith mentally prepares himself for his final throw Saturday
at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Smith placed fifth in the shot put with a throw
of 12.30 meters. Both the men and the women's teams lost to CMS and Whittier.
It was a tough weekend for the University of La Verne track and field
teams, as they lost the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(SCIAC) dual meet Saturday at Claremont.
"[I'm] a little disappointed, but we'll keep trying," said
head coach Pat Widolff. "Plus, Claremont is one of the strongest teams
every year in the conference."
The men's team fell short, as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags ran over
it and won the contest 123-39, and the Whittier Poets, also defeated ULV
by a score of 79-76.
"There was nothing that really stood out this week," Widolff
said.
Meanwhile, the women's squad had a tougher time against CMS and Whittier,
losing 129-12 and 94-32, respectively.
"We just don't have depth and some of our best girls were hurt
and didn't run in the meet, but we use very few girls overall," said
Widolff.
The men's squad won three of the events through sophomores Ryan Travaille,
Andre Ike and Brandon Jones.
"As far as top marks, Brandon's [Jones] was really good,"
said Widolff.
Jones superated Cal Lutheran's Allen Dewitt by three fourths of an inch
in the long jump. Jones' jump marked 21'08 while Dewitt's was 21'07.25.
"I won it in my last jump," said Jones. "My landing was
a key factor. Next meet, I plan to win again."
The Leopards' senior Ordell Williams and Travaille were third and fourth
in the event, jumping 21'05.5 and 20'08, respectively.
Travaille won the 110 meter high hurdles stopping the clock at 15.75,
37-hundreths of a second faster than the Stags' Travis Nagunst, who finished
second with a time of 16.12 sec.
The high jump belonged to Ike who was the only competitor to clear the
6 feet mark. Ike jumped 6'03". La Verne's sophomore Matt Busley finished
third with a 5'11" jump while Claremont's Tony Hawkins was second jumping
5'11".
In addition to finishing third in the long jump, Williams was second
in the 200m dash running it in 23.17 secs, just behind the Stags' Kendall
Grant, who ran it in 22.28. Williams also finished fifth in the 100 meter
dash in a race won by Grant at 10.93. Williams' time was 11.43 while Jones',
who finished fourth, was 11.36.
"I think I can do a lot better," said Williams. "I don't
think I practice as I should. As soon as I get my work ethics together,
I should be a better performer."
He also said he hopes to win the 4x100m, the 4x400m and the 400m individually.
In the women's side, senior Eboni White topped the only two events won
by the Leopards.
She won the discus throw with a mark of 128'08", leaving Cal Lutheran's
Amanda Daily in second place after throwing the discus 123'05".
White conquered the shot put event as well. Her 37'05.75 throw defeated
Sarah Degraw's of CMS by two inches.
Widolff explained that both teams are getting ready for the conference
meet, which will take place April 17 and 19.
"We try to peak for the conference meet, that's the main event.
My expectations are to do well in that meet, so we just have to wait."
The Leopards will face Pomona-Pitzer March 22.
