Freshman Leads 8 CLU Qualifiers Into NAIA Meet

Cal Lutheran has qualified eight athletes, including six school record holders, for the NAIA national track and field championships beginning today at Azusa Pacific.

Darren Bernard, a freshman from Thousand Oaks High, will compete in the 400 meters, an event in which he holds the school record of 47.05 seconds and is the NAIA District 3 champion.

“Darren is the best we’ve ever had in the 400,” Cal Lutheran Coach Don Green said. “A lack of experience could hold him up, but he didn’t show any signs of that in the district meet.”

Patrick Byrne, the district steeplechase champion, also will compete, along with Anthony Hardy in the 200 and Torii Lehr in the discus. Lehr set the CLU discus record of 162 feet, 3/4 inch last year.

All four of the Cal Lutheran women who qualified for the nationals set school records in their respective events this season. Vicki Gurney, the CLU record holder in the discus (124 feet), finished second in the district meet with a throw of 123-8.

Amy Rico holds the school record of 25.99 in the 200, and Susan Bluhm was fourth in the 400 at district in a school-record 58.42.

J’ne Furrow placed fourth in the high jump in the district meet to qualify and holds the school record of 5-5.

Qualifying heats will be run today and Friday with the finals scheduled for Saturday.