May 11, 2012

West Coast Invite Schedule 

West Coast Invite Entries 

West Coast Invite Heat Assignments 

LOS ANGELES -- LMU Track & Field concludes its regular reason schedule with a trip to Salem, Ore. for the West Coast Invitational. The meet features teams from the West Coast Conference and host Williamette University in the final showcase before the NCAA West Regionals.

Event:  West Coast Invtational
Location:  Salem, Ore.
Venue:  Charles Bowles Track
Date:  Saturday, May 12, 2012
Host:  Williamette Invitational

LAST YEAR AT THE WEST COAST INVITE
Tara Erdmann set a new school and meet record in the 1500m to lead the charge of seven LMU runners who competed at the West Coast Invitational. Tyre Johnson was the overall winner of the men's 10K setting a new school record while Cynthia Chaidez and Drew Dalton also set personal bests at the meet. Erdmann posted the 19th-fastest time in the West Region this year in the 1500m, eclipsing her own previous school record of 4:24.54 by winning the race in 4:20.40. Her time also broke the Charles Bowles Track record of 4:24.13, set by Marla Runyan in 1999.

In the same race, Sheree Shea ran the second-fastest 1500m of her life, just missing her personal record of 4:31.04 by placing eighth in 4:32.81. Cynthia Chaidez, running in her final collegiate race, posted a personal best of 4:42.31 to finish 11th. Making her 10k debut, Brieanna Delaney finished second among collegiate runners and third overall in 35:35.74. Her time is the 65th-fastest in the West Region this season, with the top 64 declared runners qualifying for the regionals. On the men's side, Johnson cruised to victory in the 10K by nearly 30 seconds, setting a new school record of 30:28.88, which tops his previous personal best of 30:42.51 run last month at the Mt. SAC Relays. His time is 79th-fastest in the West, giving him an outside chance of qualifying for the regionals.

In the men's 1500m, Drew Dalton set a new PR and ran the fifth-fastest time in LMU history at 3:53.87 to finish eighth in the race. Weston Strum was also in action, placing sixth in the 5K in 14:35.31.

LION TRACKS
This past Saturday, LMU Track & Field had another record-breaking day at the Occidental College Invitational Saturday in Eagle Rock. Junior Michael Carlone broke the LMU record in the 3000-meter steeplechase, which he established last month, and several Lions set new individual best times.

Carlone ran a 9:39.69 in the 3k steeplechase, eclipsing his previous school record by nearly seven seconds, setting a new personal-record and finishing 10th in the race. In the same race, Andres Lopez, who holds the third-fastest time in LMU history in the 3k steeplechase, had a time of 10:27.84 for 13th.

A trio of Lions ran personal-bests in the 5000 meters. Weston Strum, running unattached, set a new personal-record with a time of 14:04.50 for a third place finish. Sophomore Dan Smith also established a new PR with a 15:48.41. Derek Weber rounded out the personal-bests with a time of 16:49.93.

In the men's 1500m, sophomore Mike Evans ran his best race of the season with a time of 4:02.10. Fellow sophomore Henry Jordan finished a good season overall with a 4:12.54 in the race.

Sophomore Laura Delgado finished 13th in the 3k steeplechase for a new PR with a time of 11:58.14.

SUPER SOPHOMORE
Sophomore Drew Dalton set a school record at the Stanford Invitational running a 14:18.86 in the men's 5000-meter race for a fourth-place finish. His time also established a new personal record for him at that distance.

Drew won the men's 3000-meter race with a time of 8:13.29, his new PR, a new meet record, and a new LMU record at the UC Irvine Spring Break Invitational in March. Dalton started the track season with the fastest time for a collegiate entrant at the West Coast All-Star Mile in Portland, Ore. Dalton finished second overall in the race in 4:16.26, less than a second behind the winner on the indoor track.

The sophomore followed his performance at the All Star Mile with a win in section one of the men's 3000-meter run at the Pomona-Pitzer All Comers meet in February. Dalton finished in 8:27.07, winning the race by more than 12 seconds at the Strehle Outdoor Track.

At the Ben Brown Invitational in March, Dalton finished 10th overall in the 5000m, setting a then PR with a time of 14:28.74.

DELANEY DOMINATES
The Lions' Brieanna Delaney has recorded a great senior season. Delaney broke her personal-record in the 5000m, running a 17:17.26 at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, crossing the finish line 13th. She recorded a time of 10:10.23 in the 3000m at UC Irvine Spring Break Invite, a season-best for the distance. At the Long Beach State Beach Classic, Delaney had a time of 4:53.81 in the 1500-meters for 14th place.

RECORD SETTING SEASON FOR DRAPER
Steady improvement for junior Caroline Draper has resulted in her setting personal-records all season. In the 5000m, Draper ran a time of 17:22.26 at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival. She established a new PR in the 3000m at the UCI Spring Break Invite in March, running a 10:08.83. Last month at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite, Caroline ran a 4:46.40 in the 1500-meters, for another PR.

ARMS STRENGTHS IN 1500-METERS
Senior Oran Arms performance in the 1500m has improved over the past three attempts. At the Ben Brown Invite in March, Oran recorded a time of 4:05.47. He followed that with a eighth-place finish at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival in 4:02.17. In his last 1500m run, Arms had a season-best time of 3:59.68, his only under four minute finish in that distance this season.

SALAZAR SIZZLES
Senior Cassandra Salazar has top 10 finishes in multiple events this season. She improved on her sixth-place finish at the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers with a time of 10:33.14 in the 3000m, by finishing fourth at UCI Spring Break Invite with a season-best time of 10:07.41. In the 5000 meters, Salazar set another season-best time at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a 17:09.72 for a third-place finish.

ABOUT THE WEST COAST INVITE
The West Coast Invitational will feature a limited event schedule with a mid and long distance race emphasis and a priority of accommodating entries from West Coast Conference schools. Initial invited teams are limited to West Coast Conference schools and host school Willamette University.

-GO LIONS-