BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Despite being just a freshman in her first meet as a Roadrunner, freshman Katina Fruguglietti jumped into Cal State Bakersfield's all-time throwing lists in the hammer and weight throws on Saturday at the 2007 Lee Adams Invitational.
Saturday was the only chance for local track and field fans to see the Roadrunners in competition this season as the Lee Adams is the lone home meet of the year, but Fruguglietti made the most of it. She won the women's hammer throw in a personal-best 157-5 which moves her into the No. 8 spot on Bakersfield's impressive all-time top-10 list.
Fruguglietti followed with a third-place finish in the women's 20-pound weight throw at 47-9, but that mark moved her into the No. 9 spot onto that impressive list. Former Bakersfield standout Cecelia Barnes won the weight in 60-4.
The Bakersfield freshman's accomplishments only highlighted another successful Lee Adams Invitational for the Roadrunners. A total of 11 Bakersfield athletes of relay teams won events on Saturday, with former Roadrunners competing unattached three more events.
One of the top performances came from 2006 NCAA Division II hammer throw national champion Nick Umholtz, who won the hammer competition with a throw of 188-7 despite having just one practice in the event so far this year. Umholtz is concentrating on the 35-pound weight, and he placed second in that event at 62-10, only trailing former Roadrunner Arnaldo Cueto, who won the event at 70-0. Current Roadrunner Ryan Davis was third at 57-11.
Cueto is currently ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in the weight, while Umholtz is No. 21 in the U.S. Both will be competing at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships.
Sticking with the throwing events, former Roadrunner Chris Figures stepped out of taking a test first thing Saturday morning and into the ring to win the shot put in a pedestrian 58-8 ½, while current Bakersfield senior Ian Banez was second at 56-4.
But what might turn out to be the most impressive mark of the entire meet came in a second-place finish in the women's discus where Alex Collatz threw 123-11. While that mark is good enough for a collegiate competitor, this athlete is Bakersfield Head Coach Alan Collatz's 13-year-old daughter, who threw a personal best in the meet. That mark will undoubtedly be one of the best throws in the nation for 13-year-olds this season.
Bakersfield's women added eight more wins. Those wins came from Peace Nwosu in the high jump (5-2); Erica Silva in the 5,000 meters (19:38.0); Renee Rugnao in the 500 meters (1:33.9); Sheena Cooper in the 55 meters (7.2); Connie King in the 300 hurdles (48.3); the distance medley relay team (13:26.7); the 4x200 relay team (1:49.9); and the 4x400 relay team (4:11.3).
The Roadrunners' other win came from Alex Haver in the high jump at 6-2.
Bakersfield returns to indoor track and field next weekend at Northern Arizona University.
