CLAREMONT, Calif.—The LMU Lions officially opened their 2025 outdoor track season with several standout performances at the 28th Rossi Relays hosted by Claremont Mudd-Scripps at Burns Stadium on February 22. Highlighted by a school-record-breaking performance in the 4x800 meter relay, the Lions delivered impressive results across multiple events, setting a promising tone for the spring.

The Lions started the day in memorable fashion with the 4x800 meter relay team of sophomore Rylee Guinn (Brentwood, Calif.), sophomore Ruby Tiburcio (New York, N.Y.), sophomore Tessa Kline (Springfield, Mass.), and junior Ayden Brown (Lafayette, La.) turning in a historic effort. Their collective time of 9:30.8 shattered the previous school record set in 2006 by nearly 20 seconds. Individually, Guinn (2:19.2), Tiburcio (2:23.2), and Kline (2:24.2) each recorded their fastest-ever splits, signaling significant growth and potential as the season progresses. The Lions' record-breaking performance earned them sixth place out of 23 teams.

"We knew this 4x800 squad had a chance to break the school record, but to beat it by 19 seconds was truly inspiring," said Head Coach Chloe Curtis. "Rylee, Ruby, Tessa and Ayden each ran aggressive, gutsy races and to have 3 out of the 4 run personal best times shows how deep they are each willing to dig for each other."

LMU continued to impress in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR). The team, composed of Kline, Tiburcio, junior Katie Power (Mystic, Conn.), and anchored by Guinn, raced to another solid sixth-place finish out of 22 teams with a final time of 12:50.36. Tiburcio notably stepped up for the Lions by running the 400m leg—a distance she was not initially scheduled to run—highlighting her versatility and commitment. Guinn's anchor leg of 5:16.25 was particularly noteworthy, as she overcame several competitors in the final laps to put the Lions closer to the leaderboard. 

In individual action, junior Hayden Washington (Valencia, Calif.) represented LMU in the 3000 meters, finishing seventh overall with a time of 10:21.36, just four seconds off her personal best. Washington's performance this early in the season bodes well for her in the months ahead as she chases new personal records.

Closing the evening out for the Lions, senior Trinity Tingey (Danville, Calif.) made her return to the track in the 3000 meters after missing last spring due to injury. Tingey took an aggressive approach from the start, quickly taking the lead in the first lap. After a fast opening lap, she settled into consistent splits, trading the lead multiple times throughout the race. With roughly 800 meters remaining, Tingey made a decisive move to reclaim the front position, pulling away confidently and securing the heat victory in a personal-best time of 11:16.64, a five-second improvement over her previous best set back in February of 2023. 

"Trinity gave us one of the most exciting races of the day - she dominated her heat and ran away with the win and a new personal best," added Curtis. "She has been so focused and consistent this year, so it was great to see her hard work pay off after battling injuries on and off since her sophomore year.. This win should be a confidence boost as she moves up to the 5,000m distance at our next meet."

The Lions' strong showing at the Rossi Relays sets the stage for an exciting outdoor campaign, with the team demonstrating depth and competitiveness across the distance events.

Next up for the Lions is the Ben Brown Invitational hosted by Cal State Fullerton on Friday, March 7. 

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