In The Long Run

Friday, March 11

Eagle Rock, Calif.

All Day

California Baptist University

Occidental Distance Carnival

Photo by: Maribel Ramirez

3/11/2016 8:09:00 PM | Women's Track

By: Sammi Sheppard, Director of Sports Information

RESULTS

EAGLE ROCK, Calif. — In its first week of differentiating between events, California Baptist University looked to start the season with some powerful performances. The Lancers had to do it while also battling inclement weather, but saw one NCAA Division II provisional mark met, along with some other qualifying times.

Katie Deimling was the highlight of the night in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She took second overall in 11 minutes, 4.69 seconds, behind Adams State's Maura O'Brien, who last year finished as an All-American at the NCAA DII championship meet. Deimling's time — while not a personal best — was 20 seconds faster than her finish this time last year at this meet and provisionally qualifies her for the DII meet, along with a guaranteed spot at the PacWest meet.

Patsy Hurley also raced in the steeple, placing fifth overall with a time of 12:17.58.

CBU kicked the meet off with the 800-meter and saw Berenice Cleyet-Merle take fifth overall. She clocked in at 2:15.03, which is about a second and a half off the Division II provisional mark (2:13.33). It also puts Cleyet-Merle in the all-time top-10, with a seventh-best 800m time.

Pauline Boelle, Alicia Williams and Charlie Davidson all came in neck-and-neck of each other in the 800m. Boelle clocked in at 2:18.16 for 12^th place, crossing the finish line less than a full second before her teammate Williams (2:18.97, 13^th). Davidson was right on their tails, checking in at 2:19.33 for 14^th place overall. Emeline Delanis made her debut in the 800-meter with a time of 2:19.64 to also finish in the top-20, giving CBU five guaranteed 800m runners in the PacWest Championship.

In the second event of the night for the Lancers, Veronica Hall showed she is on pace for another appearance at the NCAA Division II Championship in the 1500-meter event. Last year, Hall took seventh at the championship to be named All-American in the event and is hoping for a repeat finish. For the first 1500-meter race of the 2016 season, Hall took 10^th overall with a time of 4:35.72. It was just under two seconds off a consideration time (4:34.00), but did secure a spot for her in the PacWest Championship.

"Veronica ran a solid first 1500 of the year," said Coach Ben Gall.

Caroline Barkechir followed with a 4:49.85 time in the 1500m to also place in the top-20 at the meet. Her time is two seconds off the PacWest qualifying mark, which she'll hope to break in the seven meets leading up to the conference championship. Claire Rainey wasn't far off Barkechir, crossing the finish line in under five minutes with a time of 4:54.26.

Tori Dutchover was the final Lancer to take off running and finished the 5,000-meter race in 18:20.77 for 34th place overall. It was her first 5K event, which Gall thought was a good debut race.

The Lancers will look to keep momentum going in their favor as they continue on the road to the NCAA Division II Championship in May, heading to the San Diego State Aztec Invitational next Friday.