Chapman’s Wlodarczyk Still Seeking a Home on Campus

Anna Wlodarczyk knew she was in for a tough job when she agreed to restart the women’s track and field program at Chapman in 1992.

After all, the summer before she got to Chapman, the school ripped out its track to renovate the football and soccer field.

But Wlodarczyk, a former world-class long jumper for Poland, has persevered despite the program’s deficiencies.

“I’m in a difficult situation because almost all schools have a track facility except us,” she said. “It’s difficult to recruit people if you don’t have facilities.”

The Panthers practice at Orange High, which is several blocks from the Chapman campus. Wlodarczyk has a great advantage in arranging practice time for her college team because for the past two years she has been the head coach at the high school.

Still, Wlodarczyk longs for an on-campus facility and a full team at Chapman. “It’s getting easier but I’m missing men’s track,” she said. “I have a lot of guys from the football team who are coming to workouts and asking why there’s no men’s team.”

Wlodarczyk says when she asks Chapman Athletic Director Dave Currey about adding men’s track, he tells her that the university would have to add an equivalent women’s team, and it doesn’t have the resources.

Wlodarczyk’s women’s team finishes its season Saturday and Sunday at the California-Nevada Championships at Cal State Northridge.

Chapman has four entrants in the regional competition, which includes the best athletes from NCAA division I, II and III teams. Tara McGranahan, a sophomore from Garden Grove, will run the 3,000 meters and senior Pilar Gordillo will run the 5,000.

Junior Cortney Postlethwait and sophomore Yasmin Giaimo will compete in the triple jump.

Postlethwait broke the school record in the event, going 35 feet 2 inches in the second meet of the season; however, she has been hampered by a groin injury.