Sarah Van Buskirk
Sports Editor
The men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the SCIAC No. 2 meet at Claremont Mudd-Scripps on Saturday with a few athletes hitting the top of the leaderboards.
The Leopards also competed in the three day Westmont Classic March 24 through 26, for a record setting weekend.
In the Westmont Classic, athletes competing in the combined events traveled to Santa Barbara for the first two days of the meet. The final day, the majority of the team contested at Point Loma Nazarene.
The women’s track and field had a place setting sister duo, as freshman Mira Juncaj and junior Vera Juncaj from the combined events both put themselves on the La Verne top mark lists.
“After the 100-meter hurdles I had got a PR and I was in the best mood,” Vera Juncaj said. “That decided the rest of the meet for me.”
Vera Juncaj’s time of 16.78 established her on the all-time list for the heptathlon, a seven-event competition. During Mira Juncaj’s first collegiate race in Point Loma, she placed herself on the top list for the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.38.
“Before the meet I was very nervous because it was like my first official time doing the 100-meter hurdles in a while,” Mira Juncaj said. “After the meet I felt really accomplished and it was a really good day.”
Mira Juncaj continued her hot streak placing third in the SCIAC meet for the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.48 and tied for first in the high jump at 1.55 meters.
On the men’s side of the SCIAC meet in Claremont, the La Verne 4×100-meter relay team of freshman Ivan Estrada, sophomore Dante Carter, sophomore Kenneth Davis and freshman Zachary Reid finished second with 43.99.
Estrada also finished fourth in the 400-meter at 50.91. Carter led the La Verne men in the 100-meter with a fifth place finish of 11.13.
Freshman T.K. Herhe finished eighth in the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:02.90. He was immediately followed by two other La Verne runners, sophomore Jared Albaugh at 4:03.03 and freshman Jose Reyes at 4:03.14.
Albaugh also placed sixth in the 800-meter at 2:00.21.
Davis was La Verne’s top long jumper for the men, finishing third at 6.06m. For the women, freshman Ha’ani Untalan finished third at 4.72m.
Junior David Lara threw for 42.72m in the men’s javelin, good for third place.
The Leopards will continue their conference run as they travel to Pomona-Pitzer on Friday. They will compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific April 15 and then host the SCIAC No. 3 meet April 16 at Ortmayer Stadium.
Sarah Van Buskirk can be reached at sarah.vanbuskirk@laverne.edu.
Correction
In an earlier version of this story, T.K. Herhe’s name was misspelled. The Campus Times regrets the error.
Sarah Van Buskirk is a junior journalism major and the 2022-2023 editor-in-chief of the Campus Times. She has previously served as sports editor and staff writer.
Jashelle Ranson, a junior photography major and business administration minor, is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
