Mt. SAC Sweeps 2018 CCCAA State Track and Field Titles

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Mt. San Antonio College swept both the women's and men's team titles at the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association Track and Field Championships Saturday night at Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium. It is the first time one college took both championships in 16 years and it was Mt. SAC that performed that double a remarkable three consecutive times from 2000-2002. Another South Coast Conference college--Long Beach City--won two titles in 1995.

 

The Mounties scored 169 1/2 points to take the women's title, with defending champion Cerritos College second with 154 points. Riverside City College was third with 54, followed by West Los Angeles (47), and American River (41).

 

The Mt. SAC men tallied a record 160 points. Riverside stayed in contention until the final events, but finished second with 122 points. They were tied with 112 points with four events remaining before the Mounties pulled away in the 5,000 meters and 4 x 400 meter relay on the track and in the triple jump and pole vault in the field. Defending champion College of the Sequoias was third with 95 points, followed by American River (54) and El Camino (40). The Mt. SAC men won its fourth consecutive state team title, 13th in its history dating back to a victory in 1957.

 

Complete State Meet Results:

 

 

Quincy Hall of Sequoias was again the star on the track, however. The sophomore speedster figured in 38 Giants points, repeating as individual champion in the 400 meters, in 46.41 seconds, and the 400 meter hurdles, in 50.78 -- events in which he is the U.S. community college leader again this season. He anchored the silver medal Sequoias 4 x 100 meter relay (40.07) and ran the second leg on the winning 4 x 400 meter relay (3:08.43). During his two years at COS, Hall has won seven gold medals and one silver at the state meet.

 

He had to share the spotlight with teammate Isahia Hutchins, the champion in the 200 meters (20.80). Hutchins was also second in the 100 (10.66) and third in the long jump. He anchored the winning 4 x 4 relay and ran on the second place sprint relay, claiming five medals.

 

Salvador Capetillo of Mt. San Antonio was the distance star, adding the 5,000 meters title on Saturday in 15:32.12 to the 10K championship the freshman won on Friday. Other Mt. SAC men's winners were Anthony Alfaro in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:17.39) and Christian Mueller in the pole vault (16-6 3/4).

 

Antonio Mitchell of Riverside won the 100 meters in 10.47, running into a tough 2.0 meters per second wind. He took the bronze medal in the 200 (21.41). Tyler Gonzalez of Sequoias won a tight battle in the 800 meters in 1:52.12, nudging Alec Hall of Riverside (1:52.15). Carson Bix of El Camino College had a strong finish to win the 800 meters in 3:54.58.  

 

In the women's meet Mt. SAC's Rebecca Ruiz, the 10K winner on Friday night, came back on Saturday  to place second in the 5,000 meters (18:52.64), just ahead of a pair of teammates. The Mounties scored 24 points in the event to wrap up the title. Brenda Rosales-Coria of West Los Angeles was an impressive winner of the 12 1/2 lap race in 18:38.20.

 

Brittany Mitchell of Mt. SAC ran away with the 400 meter hurdles title in 60.01, winning by more than four seconds. She had earlier placed second in the 100 meter hurdles in 14.21 – just .02 behind winner Andrea Stark of American River. Lenaya Griffin won the 400 meters in 55.74 for Mt. SAC, ahead of teammate Chelsey Woodson (56.14). After being disqualified for a false start in the 100 meters, Tatyana Pooler bounced back to win the 200 meters in 23.99. That group of Mounties also keyed wins in both the 4 x 100 meter relay (46.46) and 4 x 400 meter relay (3:45.23).   

Amber Hart of Cerritos was the top field event performer, winning the shot put (44-4), the discus throw (157-8), and the hammer throw (166-8). Defending champion Cerritos won six field events, including Kierra King in the long jump (19-5 1/2), Imani Jones in the triple jump (38-9 3/4), and Mystasia Alexander in the javelin throw (143-2).  

 

Cerritos also had the heptathlon champion, Michaela Banyi, with a 4,589 point tally, well ahead of her silver medal teammate Kymberlynn Jackson (4,411). Jackson also placed second in the long (18-9 3/4).

 

Alex Robie of American River broke open a tight competition in the men's decathlon over the final events to win with 6,133 points over Joshua Godfrey of Southwestern (6,091) and Beavers teammate Brett Lombardi (6068). 

 

 

--Streamed coverage of the CCCAA state championships will be archived on baosn.tv.