Competing unattached against fields of talented collegiate runners in 3,000 meters at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Panthers standouts both rely on late surges to prevail; Japanese athletes Mori and Oda set meet records in long jump and javelin

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

At a meet loaded with NCAA Division 3 national champions, NCAA Division 2 All-Americans, NAIA finalists, international athletes and even a special appearance by the winner of the U.S. indoor men’s 400-meter title Rashard Clark, it was a pair of Newbury Park High distance runners who grabbed the spotlight with strong stretch runs at the 24th Rossi Relays at Fritz B. Burns Stadium at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Senior Jace Aschbrenner, a Nike Cross Nationals All-American and member of the Panthers’ national championship lineup after placing 18th at the Dec. 7 final, won the men’s 3,000 meters Saturday competing unattached in a personal-best 8 minutes, 24.23 seconds to hold off UC San Diego senior Samuel Blake in 8:25.26.

Sophomore Samantha McDonnell, a member of the California Division 2 state championship lineup who placed 85th at NXN, also ran unattached and prevailed in the women’s 3,000 in 9:53.89, edging NCAA Division 2 All-American and Dixie State junior Billie Hatch (9:53.98).

PHOTOS | RESULTS | JACE ASCHBRENNER INTERVIEW | SAMANTHA McDONNELL INTERVIEW

Aschbrenner, a Colorado signee, elevated to the No. 26 performer in California prep history. He improved from a 14th-place finish in 8:39.61 at last year’s event, won by teammate Nico Young in 8:13.31.

Daniel Rosen (8:29.80) and Ethan Widlansky (8:32.69), members of Pomona-Pitzer’s NCAA Division 3 national championship cross country lineup, placed third and fourth. Stephen Pacheco of The Master’s, an NAIA All-American in cross country and track, took fifth in 8:33.52.

Newbury Park sophomore Colin Sahlman finished seventh in 8:34.68 and junior teammate Nick Goldstein was eighth in 8:35.38. Sophomore Daniel Appleford took 29th in 8:51.95 and junior Tommy McDonnell finished 75th in 9:28.59 for the Panthers.

Sahlman ascended to the No. 4 sophomore in California history and 28th all-time among 10th-graders nationally. Samantha McDonnell improved to the No. 12 all-time sophomore in California.

Newbury Park also had senior Hailey Golmon place third in 10:07.25 and junior Fiona Hawkins finish fourth in 10:20.56.

UC San Diego sophomore Madalyne Coney, a former Monte Vista CA standout, took fifth in 10:23.49 and The Master’s sophomore Arianna Ghiorso – an NAIA track All-American – secured sixth in 10:23.85, followed by Newbury Park senior Archana Mohandas in seventh in 10:26.43. Panthers sophomore Morgan Nygren finished 18th in 10:48.73.

Several international athletes also secured victories, including Japan’s Daiki Oda with a meet-record leap of 25-2.75 (7.69m) in the long jump and Shu Mori with a meet-record toss of 228 feet (69.50m) in the javelin throw, along with fellow countrymen Ryota Kashimura in the hammer throw with a mark of 219-1 (66.79m) and Hiroki Fudaba in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.10 seconds.

Canada’s Devyani Biswal won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 14.54 and Australia’s Noah Rogers prevailed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 53.19.

Cal State L.A. senior Valexsia Droughn, an NCAA Division 2 All-American, repeated in the women’s 100-meter dash in 12.06 and junior teammate Shingirai Hlanguyo also secured back-to-back victories in the men’s 100 in 10.73.

Azusa Pacific junior Jaylah Walker edged UC San Diego senior Claudia Cox by a 1:00.71 to 1:00.94 margin in the women’s 400-meter hurdles in a showdown of NCAA Division 2 qualifiers.

UC San Diego senior Erikka Linn was the only double winner in the field events, sweeping the women’s long jump with a leap of 18-1 (5.51m) and 39-8.75 (12.11m).

Host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps repeated in the men’s distance medley relay in 10:08.48, with a late rally by Ghiorso in the women’s race by The Master’s coming up short, as Concordia held on for victory in 12:23.06.

Concordia also triumphed in the women’s 4x100 relay in 47.43.

UC San Diego swept the men’s and women’s 4x800 relays in 7:51.0 and 9:51.62, respectively, in addition to prevailing in the women’s 4x400 in 3:54.32.

Whittier won the men’s 4x400 in 3:13.53, with Cal Poly Pomona capturing the men’s 4x100 in 41.75.