Good sets record, McGrath close
The Saddleback women's track & field team participated in the Occidental College Distance Spring Carnival Meet on Saturday in Los Angeles. One Gaucho set a new program record in the 800 meters, with a second coming close.
Sophomore Megan Good (left) and freshman Dana McGrath (right) ran first and second, respectively, at Occidental College on Saturday. Good shaved 3.69 seconds off her personal-best when she crossed the finish line in 2:14.25 to finish first among community college athletes and fourth overall. Her time now ranks first all-time in Saddleback history, surpassing Kathy Grayson (1990) by a technicality. McGrath ran second among community college athletes and fifth overall, crossing the line at 2:15.06. Her time was 2.91 seconds faster than her time a week earlier and puts her third all-time in Saddleback history. The times from Good and McGrath are the top two times in the state of California this spring. Good's time was techincally 0.19 seconds faster than Grayson, who ran a hand-timed 2:14.20 back in 1990. Given that there was no electronic timing in the early 90's, it is customary to add 0.24 seconds to any time to allow for human reaction time. Thus, Grayson's adjusted time is 2:14.44
Other Saddleback athletes had solid finishes on Saturday in a meet that included four-year programs and professional clubs. Rylee Kerr and Alycia Turner finished 1-2 among community college athletes in the 400 meters, with both setting new personal-bests. Kerr finished in 59.41 to finish eighth overall, moving her into eighth all-time in Saddleback history. Turner's finish of 1:00.33 was good enough for 11th overall and ranks ninth all-time in Gaucho history. Kerr's time ranks No. 4 in the state this spring while Turner comes in at No. 7.
Amanda Amundson set a personal-best in the pole vault when she cleared 9'10" (3-meters) on her fourth attempt. The vault has Amundson in 11th all-time in Saddleback history. The vault ranks No. 9 in the state this spring.
Samantha Chasteler finished first among community college athletes in the hammer throw with a toss of 141'11". Chasteler's throw was a bit shy of her personal-best a week earlier (157'11), which ranks second in the state this season and 11th all-time in Saddleback history.
Saddleback track & field will be back in action at Orange Coast College next Friday.