by Leslie M. Estrada
Staff Writer
Last weekend, the University of La Verne men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the California/Nevada State Meet and moved into position for nationals in Chicago in three weeks.
Prior to the state meet, the track team also participated in the SCIAC championships three weekends ago. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the event, and ULV finished fourth.
Demetric Brown, a freshman running for the 4×100-meter relay team, felt a change that raised the team’s confidence.
“Before going to state, we didn’t get the respect we deserved from the Division III schools. But after beating about 98 percent of our competition, we finally earned that respect,” said Brown.
ULV’s finest runners will attend nationals in Chicago. The 4×100 team, comprised of senior Brandon Jones, freshman Will Lawson, sophomore Kephyan Sheppard and Brown qualified. Lawson has also qualified for the 400 hurdles event.
Freshman Dejuana Satchell, Sheppard, and the women’s 4×100 relay team are provisional qualifiers.
During the conference meet, in which the winners were crowned SCIAC champions, Jones won in the long jump with a leap of 22-5 3/4″, La Verne won in the 4×100 relay race and Lawson won the 400 hurdles with a time of 53.11 seconds, a school record. Sheppard came in first in the 200m with a time of 21.58. Junior Andre Ike won the high jump by clearing 1.98 meters.
For the women, Satchell took first place in the 100 and 200, and freshman Liz Lucsko won the 100 low hurdles with a time of 15.37.
Cres Gonzales, assistant coach, had positive reactions on the team’s achievements.
“We are extremely impressed on the performance at the conference,” said Gonzales. “They [athletes] broke school records as well as personal records.”
ULV now ranks fourth in the nation in the men’s 4×100 relay race with a time of 41.33, posted by Sheppard, Brown, Jones and Lawson.
In order to compete in the state championships, athletes from schools in California and Nevada must fall in the top 20 of that particular event against Division I, II and III schools. Lawson’s time of 53.11 allowed him to participate in the 400 event.
Sheppard, as well as other team members, are looking forward to their anticipated performance in national competition on May 18.
“We have a lot of confidence in competing at nationals in a few weeks,” said Sheppard. “State competition prepared us well with a high confidence level.”
Gonzales said he is optimistic about both the present and future of the team because a large number of freshmen and sophomores are doing well.
