On Saturday, April 6, Pomona-Pitzer’s (P-P) men’s and women’s track and field teams dominated in the 36th annual Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, securing first-place finishes, setting personal bests and delivering fantastic team performances that extended a winning streak for Sagehen running that commenced last November when the men’s cross country won their third NCAA Division III national title.
Coming into the weekend, expectations were high for both teams with each of them currently sitting in the top 25 of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings.
On March 2, the men’s track and field team secured the No. 1 ranking for the first time this season and have held onto it since, continuing to respond exceptionally well under pressure. On Saturday, the team walked away with first place finishes in the 3000-meter steeplechase and 4×400-meter relay, a second place finish in the 1500-meter run, fourth place finishes in both the high jump and shot put and a solid showing in the triple jump.
In the Steeplechase, Jack Stein PO ’26 finished first by a strong margin, with his 9:23.96 time nearly eight seconds faster than the runner up. Also in the top ten, Dash Lipsey PO ’24 came in sixth with a time of 9:53.01.
Sagehen dominance continued in the 4×400, with a P-P team composed of Sam Butler PO ’26, Gavin Doig PO ’27, Oscar Roering PO ’25, and Bennett Booth-Genthe PO ’24 clinching first place with a time of 3:18.69. The P-P B relay team also posted solid results, finishing sixth overall with a time of 3:28.12.
Doig attributed much of the team’s success to their inward focus, rather than on an emphasis on external judgment, such as the USTFCCCA rankings.
“You know, the only numbers we care about are the numbers we dropped on the track,” Doig said. “When it comes to rankings, those numbers don’t really mean much. It doesn’t really doesn’t really blind us from that goal of being the fastest on the track and having a fun time with our friends.”
Fox Kloske PO ’27, a runner on the sixth place relay squad, echoed Doig. Kloske explained that even though track and field can be about individual times, the team wins and loses as one.
“I know there are a lot of personal bests that we are trying to achieve each race,” Kloske said. “Obviously though, the biggest battle when we step on the track is winning, and we have put aside personal bests to make that happen.”
While P-P couldn’t secure gold in the 1500-meter run, a fantastic performance from Quinn White PO ’27 earned him second place. With a time of 3:51.41, White lost by only one-thousandth of a second to the winner who ended with a time of 3:51.40.
Sagehen runners filled the top-15 of the 1500-meter run, with Lucas Florsheim PO ’24, Oscar Roering PO ’25 and Cameron Hatler PO ’25 finishing seventh, 14th and 15th respectively.
Rounding out the male events, the Sagehens found success in the triple jump, high jump, and shot put. Although there were no podium finishes, consistent top-10 placements added to their successful weekend.
Erubey Lopez PO ’25, Ryaan Amanat PO ’27, and Euan Kang PO ’25 finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively in the triple jump, with Amanat placing first in his heat.
Solid showings from William Marquart PO ’26 and Jack Paradis PZ ’26 scored fourth place finishes in both the high jump and the shot put.
On the women’s side, though they did not secure any gold medals, the Sagehens made up for it by earning multiple podium finishes and staying consistent across the board.
Coming into the weekend, the women’s side had a chip on their shoulders. Finding themselves unranked for the first time this season –– after dropping out of the No. 25 spot –– P-P responded admirably, recording second place finishes in the triple jump and the long jump. Additionally, third place finishes were brought back in the 5000-meter run, the 4×400-meter relay, and P-P culminated their weekend with fourth place finishes in the 400-meter hurdles and the 800-meter run.
In the triple jump, Ella Bowers PO ’26 and Nicole Player PO ’24 performed well, finishing in second and fourth place respectively. Bower’s 11.22 meter jump placed her comfortably in second, and Player was close behind with a 10.67 meter jump.
In the long jump, Felicia Akinde PO ’27 soared, finishing first in her flight and joint-second overall with a stellar 5.25 meter jump. Bowers also showed up for her team, with her 4.89 meter jump earning 12th place.
With a time of 18:20.41, Chloe Connolly PO ’25 scooped a third-place finish in the 5000-meter run, 10 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Alexandra Emerson PZ ’25 also added a fifth place finish.
P-P fielded an A and B team in the 4×400-meter relay, landing two top ten finishes taking third and sixth overall. P-P A achieved a bronze after running a 3:57.24 time thanks to the joint effort of Katriona Kirkpatrick PO ’25, Michaela Jones PZ ’24, Player, and Olivia Reichle PO ’25.
Adding to her successes over the weekend, Ulalisa finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles. With a time of 15.08, Ulalisa missed a top three finish by just five thousandths of a second.
Despite not walking away on top, Ulalisa said she was pleased with her overall performance on the weekend, and sees higher times on her horizon.
“The race went well, given the circumstances,” Ulalisa said. “I didn’t have the best night’s sleep the night before. I am looking to improve though, I really hope to run under 15 seconds. That’s been a goal of mine all season.”
Capping off the weekend, a 2:13.26 time secured fourth place for Jones in a heavily competitive 800-meter run. Additionally, Player and Ulalisa concluded fantastic weekends, achieving fourth and fifth place finishes in the 400-meter Hurdles.
Though the Sagehens weren’t able to achieve any first place finishes over the weekend, both Ulalisa and Akinde said they were pleased with the team’s performance. When asked about the major reasons for their positive results this season, Akinde attributed much of it to an overall positive and encouraging environment.
“We’ve had a great team this season,” Akinde said. “Our trainers and coaches are always supportive and understanding. It’s really nice to have my coaches looking out for me and telling me I don’t have to push myself too hard. In high school, I’d be put in four or five different events per meet and that just really exhausted me, mentally and physically. I feel that our coaches now are pretty adamant about making sure that if we don’t feel good, we aren’t forced to run a race.”
After this dominant performance, both teams performed well against DI talent in Azusa, CA at the Brian Clay Invitational on April 11. Now, their sights shift to the SCIAC Championships on April 27.
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