Northridge Women Have a Field Day

Jet-black braids flying as high as her Cal State Northridge team, LaTonya Collier talked herself into a decisive victory in the long jump.

Across the infield, a quintet of Matador pole vaulters doled out high fives as they ascended one height after another.

The Northridge women’s team racked up 45 points in those two events alone Friday to extend the lead it opened a day earlier in the Big Sky Conference track and field championships at Northridge.

With 68 points, Northridge holds a 25-point lead over second-place Northern Arizona heading into the final day of the four-day meet.

In the men’s meet, Northridge was fifth with 29 points, 32 behind first-place Weber State.

The animated Collier, a junior from Carson, won by leaps and bounds in a personal-record 19 feet 11 1/2 inches. Teammates LaShaunda Fowler, Brandi Prieto and Anicia Rimm were fourth, fifth and sixth, providing Northridge with 22 points in the event.

Before taking off down the ramp, Collier psyched herself up by screaming, “Time to fly, baby, C’mon!.” But she grimaced after missing the 20-foot mark by a half inch.

“I’m tired of jumping 19,” she said. “I stand on that ramp and think about what I haven’t done--hit 20 feet. I am coming so close.”

Northridge scored even better in the pole vault. Four of five Matadors equaled or set new personal records while compiling 23 points. Freshman Allyson Crosby, senior Monica Tobin and sophomore Jennifer Capeheart each vaulted 11-8 to finish behind only Suzanne Krings of Montana (12-6 3/4).

Freshman Lisa Rugenstein of Northridge was fifth at 11-1 1/2 and junior Lisa Clancy vaulted a personal record 10-7, although she didn’t score.

“It’s unusual for a team to have five vaulters and we feed off each other’s energy,” Tobin said. “We really care about how the team does and that takes pressure off each of us individually.”

Tobin was in her last college meet and her parents traveled from San Francisco to watch. She finished her career by vaulting eight inches higher than she ever had.

The Northridge women also got five points from Marisol Barajas, who was fourth in the 10,000 meters in 36:01.84.

Prieto and Fowler, who finished first and second in the heptathlon Thursday, remained busy in preliminaries. In addition to placing in the long jump, both qualified for today’s final in the 100 meter hurdles and Fowler qualified in the 100 meters along with teammates Krystal Harris, Micki Rogers and Anicia Rimm.

In men’s preliminary races, Tim Brown of Northridge won his heat in the 100 meters and teammates Jim Phillips and Jermaine Hunsaker each won heats in the 400 intermediate hurdles.

Although Northridge had a spotty showing in field-event finals, Shannon Garnett (188-2) and John Dagata (186-11) finished second and third in the hammer with personal records. Dagata was fifth in the discus.

Clinte Motley was fourth (24-2 1/4) and Tim Brown was seventh (22-10 3/4) in the long jump and Brian Abney was fifth in the javelin at 198 feet 10 inches.