MT. SAN ANTONIO HOSTS 2014 CCCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAY 16-17
WALNUT – Mt. San Antonio College plays host to the 64th California Community College Athletic Association Track and Field State Championships on Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut (Los Angeles County). Many nationally ranked athletes will compete in the CCCAA's largest championship event. Past meets have produced numerous Olympians and world stars.
Decathlon and heptathlon competitions run Friday and Saturday. Individual finals on Friday include the men's and women's 10,000 meters and two field events each for men and women.
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CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE AT MT. SAC, MAY 16-16:
Friday's state championship competition begins at 12 noon with the men's decathlon 100 meters, followed by the women's heptathlon 100 meter hurdles at 12:50 p.m. The only first day track finals are the 10,000 meter races for women (7 p.m.) and men (7:45 p.m.). There will be four field event finals on Friday, starting at 3 p.m..: the hammer and javelin throws -- for women and men.
On Saturday, competition continues in the decathlon (high hurdles) at 10:30 a.m. and the heptathlon (discus throw) at 12 noon. Field event finals begin at 1 p.m. with the women's discus throw.
Track finals begin at 3:30 p.m. with the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase and conclude at 7:55 p.m. with the men's 4 x 400 meter relay.
SPOTLIGHT ON SPEED: Defending state men's 100 meter champion Kemarly Brown will be returning to the friendly Mt. San Antonio track where he had a wind-legal 10.13 seconds clocking last month at the Mt. SAC Relays. Brown, a national junior team member from Jamaica, leads all "foreign" collegians at all levels this season with his legal 10.13. He won the NorCal title in a wind-aided 10.10 and took the 200 meters in a wind-legal 20.70. Brown will match-up with Just'n Thymes of Riverside, the defending 200 meter champ. Thymes won both sprints in the Southern Cal meet in 10.19 (wind legal) and 20.55 (wind-aided). His 10.18 best time ranks No. 8 among all American collegians this season.
MORE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Alexus Dalton of Cerritos will defend her state titles in both the grueling heptathlon and the women's high jump
Additional defending men's state champion include:
Akeem Alexander of Sequoias in the 400 meters, Khalifah Rosser of Chaffey in the 400 meter hurdles, Branden Green of Southwestern in the high jump, and Austin Decker of Hartnell in the pole vault
STATE QUALIFIERS: Regional championship meets at Riverside City College and at De Anza College in Cupertino last Saturday determined the fields for this weekend's all finals competition.
Two-time defending state men's champion Riverside City College won the Southern California title with 170 points, ahead of Mt. San Antonio (137) and Cerritos (94). American River repeated as Northern California champion with 163 points, followed by College of the Sequoias (101) and Hartnell (65). American River won the state title in 2011. Otherwise Riverside has triumphed five of the last six years.
Mt. SAC won this year's SoCal women's crown with 122 points, just ahead of defending state champion Cerritos (112). Riverside was third (102 1/2). American River also won the NorCal women's championship, with 105 points – followed by San Joaquin Delta (90) and Hartnell (73).
Several California CC athletes lead all JC/community college athletes in the country in their events this season.
Women U.S. leaders include: 1,500 meters, Yesenia Silva, Sequoias, 4:32.08; Hammer throw, Jacklyn Chasteler, Saddleback, 188-1; Javelin throw, Taylor Coffelt, Riverside, 145-4; Heptathlon, Jasmine Hall, Canyons, 5,243;
Men's U.S. leaders include: 5,000 meters, Will Reyes, American River, 14:27.00; 10,000 meters, Reyes, 29:52.50;
400 meter hurdles, Khallifah Rossler, Chaffey, 50.71; Pole vault, Austin Decker, Hartnell, and Shane Hoagland, Cuyamaca, 16-6 1/2; Shot put, Connor Einck, Riverside, 57-10 1/4; Hammer throw, Patrick Geers, Saddleback, 202-0.
NOTEBOOK:
RECENT STATE CHAMPIONS NOW ON U.S. & WORLD STAGE:
At the 2012 state meet, Laney's Ashton Purvis set American JC and state meet records in the 200 meters, running a wind-legal 22.86 seconds – the first time an American citizen CC student had run under 23 seconds. Purvis was the 2010 Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year. Purvis is in her second season at Texas A&M, which has the nation's top women's 4 x 100 relay. She also ranks among the collegiate sprint leaders.
Diondre Batson of American River was the men's star in 2012, capturing both the 100 and 200 meters. Both athletes achieved Olympic "A" standards as community college sprinters in 2012.
PREVIOUS STATE SPRINT CHAMPIONS LED ALL WORLD SPRINTERS LAST YEAR
Batson, now at Alabama, led the world for a while last spring when he ran the 100 in a wind-legal 10.06 seconds. He took the world lead away from 2011 double state champion Ameer Webb (Cerritos). Both athletes were NCAA 100 meter placers. Webb, as a senior at Texas A&M in 2013, won the NCAA 200 meter title (in 20.10). This year, as a pro, he ranks No. 5 among all Americans in the 200 meters with an early 20.38 clocking. Batson is the third fastest American in the 100 this season (10.04). He has a wind-aided 10.01 – fourth fastest in the world this year under all circumstances).
FOR COMPLETE PERFORMANCE LISTS (conference, region, state, nation), see:
State lists (California Community College) are listed as CCC;
National lists are called "NJCCC" but actually include leaders from all 3 JC/CC associations.
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Further information, contact:
Fred Baer 5CTCA media relations frdbaer@aol.com