McGroder runs 57.31, provisionally qualifies to Nationals

Claire McGroder's 400 meter race provided the highlight for the Pomona-Pitzer women's track and field team Saturday, March 28 at the 2009 California/Nevada Collegiate Championships. McGroder clocked an impressive 57.31 to establish a new personal best by well over a second.

McGroder's time is a provisional qualifying mark for the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships, and is also the #3 all-time mark in school history.

RESULTS

McGroder, a junior, finished sixth in her heat, and 15th overall out of 33 runners from NCAA I, II, and III institutions competing at the meet, which was held at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Junior Rose Haag ran 38:25.93 in her first effort at the 10,000m event to record the #5 all-time mark in school history. Other strong marks came from junior Ellie Chestnut in both the javelin (111-6) and hammer (145-2), senior Connie Cheng in the 100m (13.11), and senior Anna Scharfen in the 5000m (19:06.60).

The Sagehens host the 23rd annual Pomona-Pitzer Invitational this coming Saturday, April 4 on Strehle Track. Field events begin at 9am with the women's pole vault, while the running events begin at 10:15am with the men's 110m high hurdles.