Bobcats 2nd at Saddleback Invitational

The Saddleback women's track & field team had a solid showing at the Saddleback Invitational on Friday inside the stadium.  The Bobcats showed off their new digs and won five events in the process.

It has been awhile since Saddleback hosted a big event in track & field.  Last year the Bobcats hosted a small event during a pandemic-ravaged season, which acted as a warm-up for the event on Friday.  Saddleback finished second to Orange Empire Conference (OEC) foe Orange Coast College, beating all four teams from outside the OEC.

Olivia Knobbe was the headliner for the women, winning two events for the day.  Knobbe (pictured) was a winner in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters, collecting 20 points for the team.  She crossed the finish line in the 800 meters in 2:26.69 to beat Bakersfield's Crystal Raya by 1.45 seconds.  Knobbe then finished nearly three seconds ahead of Orange Coast's McKay Arvidson in winning the 1,500 in 4:59.49. 

Saddleback's other winners on the day were Isabelle Teh, Danielle Lister and Kianna Turner in field events.  Teh cleared 3.30 meters in the pole vault to comfortably win the event.  Lister set a personal-best in the discus with a toss of 38.89 meters (127' 7") to upset Bakersfield's Tearra Haney, who entered the event with the fifth best throw in the state this season.  Lister's throw is now the eighth best throw in the state during the spring.  Turner also set a personal-best when she tossed the hammer 39.48 meters (129' 6"), beating Haney by over three meters and putting herself in the top-15 in the state this spring.

Other top-5 performances from Saddleback on Friday were turned in by Jolie Robinson Esther Parrish Shaelynn Barbieri and Rachel Whitten.  Robinson was second in the 100 hurdles (15.87), third in the high jump (1.55 m) and second in the triple jump (11.08 m).  Parrish was third in the 100 hurdles (16.68) and third in the 400 hurdles (1:20.15).  Barbieri was second in the 400 hurdles (1:15.11) and third in the pole vault (2.85 m).  Whitten was fourth in the high jump (1.50 m) and third in the triple jump (10.69 m). 

Saddleback will be back in action on Friday at the Arnie Robinson Invitational at San Diego Mesa College.