Grace and Grind: Storm Track Team Delivers Standout Performances at Lewis & Clark
The Engine Room: Distance and Sprint Crews Charge Ahead with Gutsy Efforts
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Chemeketa Storm track and field program continues to leave its mark on history. This past weekend at the Lewis & Clark Invitational, the Storm distance and sprint squads showcased incredible grit and tactical development, resulting in three new entries on the program's prestigious All-Time Top 15 list and a collection of significant personal milestones.
As the championship season approaches, the Storm are clearly hitting their stride, with veteran leadership and rising talent pushing the boundaries of their previous bests.
Speed Crew: Lezama and Robles Ascend the Ranks
The long-sprint duo of Arianna Lezama and Fernanda Robles made a loud statement in Portland, both climbing into the Chemeketa record books with gutsy, high-intensity performances in the 400m.
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Arianna Lezama: Proving that she hasn't missed a beat after a year away from competition, Lezama clocked a blistering 1:09.33 in the 400m. The performance slots her at #12 on the Chemeketa All-Time list, as she aggressively chases her lifetime personal record of 1:07. She backed that effort up with a 30.23 in the 200m, signaling her readiness to dip into the sub-30-second range soon.
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Fernanda Robles: Robles continues to demonstrate massive growth, notching a new personal record in the 400m with a 1:10.99. The effort earns her the #13 spot on the all-time leaderboard. Her 32.18 finish in the 200m served as a perfect tactical primer, helping her sharpen the speed endurance needed to shave even more time off her 400m performance in the coming weeks.
Endurance: The "Engine Room" Charges Ahead
The Storm's distance runners continue to prove that consistency and training discipline pay off. This weekend was defined by significant time drops across the board:
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Alyssa Collins: Collins delivered the performance of the weekend in the 5K. By clocking a 24:38.54, she shaved a staggering 1 minute and 1 second off the personal record she set just two weeks ago. That leap in performance officially places her at #14 on the list of fastest 5K performers in Chemeketa history.
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Gisselle Andrade: Consistency is the hallmark of a championship athlete, and Andrade is finding hers. She clocked a new personal record in the 800m with a 3:08.75, dropping nearly three seconds off her previous best of 3:11.45.
Up Next: The Corban Invitational
The Storm return to action much closer to home this Friday, April 25th, at 11:00 AM. The team heads to the Corban Invitational at Corban University in Salem. With the squad regaining full strength and momentum building in every event group, the Storm are well-positioned for an impressive showing on home turf.
Come out to support your Storm athletes as they continue their focused march toward the NWAC Championships!