Mt. San Antonio captures both men's and women's titles at CCCAA Track and Field Championships

Complete results l Awards Photos l Action Photos

 

WALNUT - Mt. San Antonio College made the most of its opportunity to compete at home this weekend, convincingly winning both the men's and women's team championships at the CCCAA Track and Field Championships at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. The Mounties' men scored 224.5 points to outdistance the competition which saw San Diego Mesa (95) and American River (61) grab podium finishes. On the women's side, Mt. San Antonio scored 115.5 points to best runner-up Riverside City and Saddleback, who engaged a close battle of their own for second place. The Tigers took that with 69 points while Saddleback was close behind with 67.

 

Friday and Saturday's competition featured outstanding performances throughout the events as the CCCAA saw its first state championship competition since 2019. The last two championships were canceled due to the pandemic. If there was pent-up anticipation for the opportunity to bring together the best in California's community colleges, this weekend's meet didn't disappoint.

 

State season leader Alejandra Rosales of Riverside City College threw the women’s discus 144 feet, five inches in the fourth round to win the initial Saturday event of the 2022 California Community College Athletic Association Track and Field Championships at Mt. San Antonio’s Hilmer Lodge Stadium. Alyssa Logan of College of the Sequoias, who had taken the early lead with a 140-5 toss in the second round, finished second. Rosales has a best of 146-8 this year. 

 

Charlotte Allison of Ventura College cleared 5-5 in the women’s high jump on her first attempt and was the only athlete to clear that height. Nicolette Gruber of Orange Coast placed second at 5-3, with no misses to that point, while Aaliyah Mendoza of Mt. SAC was third, also at 5-3.

 

Jolie Robinson of Saddleback extended her first-day lead in the women’s heptathlon to win going away with 4,651 points – ahead of Yukina Hamachi of El Camino (4,400) and Emily Johnson of Santa Rosa (4,355).

 

Robinson was the voted the meet’s outstanding women’s field performer, also winning the javelin throw on Friday and the long jump on Saturday. She had the latter two events on her heptathlon list on Saturday, jumping 18-1 1/2 and throwing 124-0 to have a commanding lead going into the concluding 800 meters.

 

Robinson’s winning mark in the state women’s long jump was 18-11 1/4, to beat Amanda Shaw of Southwestern (18-8), and Iris Johnson of Cerritos (18-7 1/4). 

 

Shaw won the triple jump at 38-6, with Chelsea Kerr of Saddleback second (37-4 1/2) and Rachel Whitten of Saddleback third (37-4). 

 

Casey Davis of Long Beach took the shot with a put of 41-10 1/2. The silver medal battle was close, with Amani Britton of Sacramento hitting 40-3 1/2 to edge Shona Christensen of Laney (40-2 1/4). Discus winner Rosales of Riverside was fourth (39-2 1/4) and Friday’s javelin champ Ivy Duong of Fresno placed sixth (38-0 1/4).

 

Madison Rauch of San Diego Mesa College and Kaitlyn Swenson of Mt. SAC shared the state season lead in the pole vault at 12-3 1/2 coming into the state finals. Rauch cleared that height on Saturday for the gold medal, while Swenson settled for silver at 11-3 3/4. Andie Aymond of Chabot also cleared 11-3 3/4 to take bronze.

 

Stina Johnansson of Ventura College put on a showcase in Saturday’s opening race, taking early control of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase to win going away in 10 minutes, 58.75 seconds -- improving upon her own national lead for 2022. She is the only community college athlete to better 11 minutes this season. Claudia Vera of Mt. SAC finished second in 11:42.20.   

 

Riverside’s 4 x 100-meter relay leadoff runner Zoe Ewell put the Tigers in control from the outset for a convincing win in 47.12. The quartet included Hailey Hunt, Kayla Johnson, and anchor Briana Olukoju. West Los Angeles anchor Hailey Adams brought her team from fourth to second in 47.65. That team included leadoff Olivia McIntosh-Adams, Kyndahl Carter, and Jada Turner. 

 

Grace Southern of Shasta College took the lead in the 1,500 meters on the penultimate lap and won handily in 4:33.55 over Hartnell’s Sofia Camacho (4:37.01). Early leader Hannah Hartwell of College of the Redwoods, the state season leader (4:30.50) held on for third. 

 

Hartnell’s Camacho closed fast in the 800 meters, catching national leader Michaela Andrews of San Jose CC just before the finish line to win in 2:17.32. Andrews, who ran 2:14.01 for the NorCal title last week, had led most of the race by a large margin, splitting 1:02.2 at 400 meters and 1:37.2 at 600. Jada Turner of West Los Angeles was third (2:18.76). 

 

Hartwell came back to lead throughout most of the 5,000 meters and take gold there in 17:29.27. She has the state best of 16:48.18 this season. SoCal champion Kimberly Pena of Mt. SAC took second (17:45.76). Mannat Gill of De Anza, the 10,000 winner on Friday, took bronze in 17:54.98.

 

In the 100-meter hurdles, Delayshia Allen of Mt. SAC came off the last hurdle well to win perhaps the day’s closest race in 14.55 over Kyndahl Carter of West Los Angeles, just .01 back in 14.56. SoCal champion Jazzmine Davis (Cerritos) finished fifth in 14.66. 

 

State 400-meter leader Maliyah Medley of Saddleback controlled that race early and ran home ahead of the field in 54.77 (just off her best of 54.35). Kayla Thompson of Antelope Valley was second (55.26) and NorCal champ Christina Trucks of Diablo Valley third (56.07), 

 

SoCal champion Zoe Ewell of Riverside got out of the blocks fast in the 100 meters to take an impressive victory in 11.79, with a legal 1.7 meters per second aiding wind. Riverside’s Hailey Hunt got second place over Zharia Dixon of Chabot, both clocking 11.93. Hunt came back in the 200 meters to win in 24.14, with Maliyah Medley of Saddleback second in 24.34. That race also had a legal wind (+1.2).  

 

NorCal 400 hurdles champion Isela Ochoa of Merritt sprinted over the final hurdle to win that race in a state season-best 1:02.65, catching event leader Tianna Lardstrom of Santa Rosa JC -- who stumbled slightly off the final barrier but still ran 1:03.34 for the silver medal.

 

Riverside took the concluding 4 x 400-meter relay in  3:58.81, with Mt. SAC second (4:00.99) and Long Beach CC third (4:01.12). 

 

Three women shared outstanding track athlete honors: 

--Saddleback’s Medley, winner of the 400 and second in the 200; 

--Hartnell’s Camacho, winner of the 800 and second in the 1,500; 

--Riverside’s Hunt, who won the 100, was second in the 200, and ran on both winning Tigers relays.   

 

Donal Aluesi of Riverside City College improved his state season lead in the men’s shot put to 52-4 on his third attempt and held on for the victory. Chance Hefter of College of the Redwoods challenged on his last throw, a NorCal season-best 51-7, to take second place – and push NorCal champion Liam Laughlin of College of San Mateo into third place (50-8 1/4).

 

Gabriel Katches of Cuesta College threw the discus 193-9, the longest JC/CC mark in the nation this year and the second-longest in state meet history. He won ahead of Chris Buck of American River (171-4) and Frank Pereira of Modesto (154-0). 

 

Buck was the voted the top male field athlete for his overall performance: hammer throw win (172-7) on Friday, second in the discus throw and fourth in the shot put (50-8 1/4),  

 

Myles Massie of Mt. SAC found his home pit friendly with an opening long jump of 23-10 1/4 that held up for the victory over Keyaun Sterling of Cerritos, who reached 23-4 1/2 in the second round for the silver medal. Josh Morrison of American River grabbed bronze with a last-round leap of 23-2 1/2.

 

Massie was a double winner, also taking the triple jump – this time on his last effort, 51-10 1/2. His silver medal Mountie teammate Namir Hemphil had been leading with a second-round mark of 51-7 3/4. LaSalle Jackson of Long Beach was third (49-1 1/2).  

 

The pole vault also featured a 1-2 Mt. SAC finish, with Calvin Oury clearing 15-9 and Ethan Arnata vaulting 15-3. 

Collin Orlando of Riverside took third at 15-3. State season high jump leader Marcus Gelpi of Diablo Valley jumped just twice in Saturday’s competition to claim victory. Gelpi cleared his opening height of  6-8 ¾, then went over 6-10 3/4 for the win. Marcus Monroe of Mt. SAC was second at 6-8 3/4, while Anthony Pigoni-Covington of Shasta took third at 6-6 3/4.

 

Bryce Kucker of San Diego Mesa won Saturday’s opening men’s race, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, in 9:22.00. The state season leader (at 9:17.78) won by a comfortable ten seconds ahead of David Millan (9:32.90) of San Diego Mesa, with Evan Franco of De Anza a step behind (9:33.11). 

 

Mt. San Antonio opened a gap in the men’s 4 x 100-meter relay on the third leg by Robert Thompson and Asani Hampton extended it for a solid victory in 40.17. Merritt was second in 40.81, ahead of San Joaquin Delta (41.03). 

 

American River’s Cristian Martinez, the state season leader in the 1,500 meters, controlled much of that race and finished strong in 3:52.85, just off his best of 3:51.10. Isaac Gensel of Hartnell closed fast to take second in 3:54.25, ahead of Esteban Magana (3:54.65) of San Diego Mesa.  

 

Daniel Abdala of Mt. SAC completed an impressive distance double, adding the 5,000 meters in 14:38.34 to the 10K title he took on Friday evening. His Mt. SAC teammate Jesus Alvarado placed second in the 5K in 14:49.36, followed by Gensel (14:55.81). 

 

Joshua Hornsby of Riverside lowered his state-leading 110-meter hurdles time to 13.96, which was necessary to just edge NorCal champion Adrian Aguirre (14.00). Dominic Britton of El Camino was third (14.21) in the slightly wind-aided (2.7 meters per second) race.

 

Josh Marlin of Delta and Leon Jett of Fullerton both reached the finish of the 400 hurdles in 52.75. Marlin got the gold medal, as the photo read 52.747 -- compared to 52.749 for silver medalist Jett. DVC’s Aguirre was third (53.12).

 

Northern Calif. 400 champion Anthony Coleman of Merritt won the one-lap sprint in 47.46, edging Jesus Chavez of Mt. SAC (47.52).

 

They had to go to thousands of a second to separate the Mt. SAC duo of Asani Hampton and Joey Fox in the men’s 100 meters, both clocking 10.25. Hampton got the win in 10.241, ahead of Fox (10.245). Moray Steward of San Diego Mesa placed third in 10.39, with a legal (+1.4) wind.

 

Fox won the 200 meters in 21.04, over Hampton (21.13). Moray Steward of San Diego Mesa took bronze (21.21) in the slightly wind-aided race (+2.5). 

 

NorCal 800 champion Iyan Godwin of Diablo Vallely had the best finish in the two-lap race, emerging from a pack in the final straight to win in 1:52.46. Christian Martinez of American River took second (1:53.00) by just .05 ahead of  Jonathan Pfeiffer (1:53.05) of Mt. SAC.

 

Diablo Valley came from behind on the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay to win in 3:13.98, fastest time in the state this season. Merritt was second (3:15.28) and Mt. SAC third (3:15.61). 

 

DECATHLON: Max Daniels of Mt. SAC took a 249-point lead into the final event of the men’s decathlon and extended that margin slightly with his seventh-place time of 5:11.27 in the 1,500 meters. He scored 6,577 points to win the 10-event competition, ahead of Jeramiah Havens (6,303) of San Diego Mesa College. Jordan Ausbie of De Anza College finished a strong second in the 1,500 (4:48.28) to grab the bronze medal with 6,167 points.

 

TEAM SCORES: Host Mt. San Antonio College took both the women’s and men’s teams titles. 

WOMEN: The Mounties totaled 115 1/2 points, ahead of Riverside (69) and Saddleback (67). Others in top ten: Hartnell (36), De Anza (35), Cuesta (34), West Los Angeles (30), Long Beach (29), Redwoods and Ventura (27 each). 

 

MEN: Mt. SAC men had 224 1/2 points, followed by San Diego Mesa (95) and American River (61). Others: Diablo Valley (54), Riverside (46), Merritt (42), Delta (38), De Anza (21), Hartnell (20).