MT. SAC MEN & CERRITOS WOMEN REPEAT AS CHAMPIONS
[U.S. Community College Top 25 Performers List][CCCAA Top Performers List]
by John Van Gaston, CCCSIA
SAN DIEGO: It was sheer volume of entries for the Mt. San Antonio College men's track and field team that secured their second straight CCCAA State Championship, and 10th championship in school history. The Mounties had eight state champions - including both relay teams - to help them compile 148 team points, a convincing 49 points more than second place Riverside City College, who had 99 team points.
As for the Cerritos women, they were led by sophomore thrower Destiny Talalemotu, who won three state championships, which helped them hold off second place Riverside City College and third place College of the Sequoias. The Falcons finished with 92 team points, with the Tigers finishing with 80 and Sequoias compiling 75.33 points. The state title was the sixth in the last 11 years for Cerritos and seventh in school history.
For the Mountie men, they received a pair of championships from sprinter Cravon Gillespie, while high jumper Joseph Bryant turned in the best high jump in the state this season at 2.14 meters. Along with Talalemotu, the Cerritos women had seven state champions, including freshman heptathlete Juanita Webster, who has already signed with Arizona State University.
Here is a list of the top three finishers in each event:
MEN'S 100 METERS: Cravon Gillespie (Mt. SAC; 10.21); Donovan Wallace (Modesto; 10.34); Holland Cabara (Sequoias, 10.37)
MEN'S 200 METERS: Cravon Gillespie (Mt. SAC; 20.86); Donovan Wallace (Modesto; 21.14); Tubotien Taylor (Mt. SAC)
MEN'S 400 METERS: Tubotein Taylor (Mt. SAC; 46.64); Isaiah Johnson (Sequoias; 47.49); David Christensen (Mt. SAC; 47.67)
MEN'S 800 METERS: Gerardo Castro (San Francisco; 1:52,45); Juman Randall (West Los Angeles; 1:52.62); Connor McKinnon (Chabot; 1:53.32)
MEN'S 1500 METERS: Joshua Silva (Riverside; 3:55.65); Conor Wells (American River; 3:57.13); Cristian Malloy (Riverside; 3:57.50)
MEN'S 5000 METERS: Michael Tehran (San Bernardino Valley; 14:57.05); Vahagn Isayan (Glendale; 15:0164); Kevin Herrera (Mt. SAC; 15:02.89)
MEN'S 10,000 METERS: Vahagn Isayan (Glendale; 31:19.65); Ulysses Orozco (Saddleback; 31:20.45); Dennis Gonzalez (Riverside; 31:26.93)
MEN'S 3000 METER STEEPLECHASE: Jason Hillquist (Canyons; 9:16.04); Michael Simpson (Riverside; 9:19.83); Donald Plazola (American River; 9:20.79)
MEN'S 400-METER RELAY: *Mt. San Antonio (39.56); Sequoias (40.88), Modesto (41.03): *Mt. SAC was the defending state champion
MEN'S 1600-METER RELAY: Mt. San Antonio (3:09.80); Sequoias (3:09.92); Diablo Valley (3:15.58)
MEN'S 110-METER HH: Cameron Akins (Mt. SAC; 14.05); Ryan Muir (Riverside; 14.45); Leroy Elliott (Chabot; 14.55)
MEN'S 400-METER IH: Dylan Atencio (Mt. SAC; 51.50); Justin Alexander (El Camino, 52.64); Chris Green (Sequoias; 52.85)
MEN'S HIGH JUMP: *Joseph Bryant (Mt. SAC; 2.14m); Vincent Calhoun (Cerritos; 2.07m); Alex Templeton (Cuyamaca; 2.07m): *Best mark in the state this year
MEN'S POLE VAULT: Giovanni Hernandez (Mt. SAC; 5.04m); Joe Reeves (Cuesta; 4.89m); Joe Dreyer (Cuesta; 4.89m)
MEN'S LONG JUMP: Bryce Huggins (Sequoias; 7.56m); Austin Collier (American River; 7.35m), Stacy Chuckwumzie (Cerritos; 7.25m)
MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP: Zain Palacio (West Los Angeles; 15.03m); Jahvan McDermott (Riverside; 14.98m); Bryce Huggins (Sequoias; 14.72m)
MEN'S SHOT PUT: James Jones (Riverside; 16.96m); Ryan Donnahoe (Yuba; 16.69m); Josh McClure (Moorpark, 16.66m)
MEN'S DISCUS: *Daniel Roberts (Modesto; 54.55m); Colton Waggoner (Yuba; 54.06m); Zachary Fromm (Riverside; 52.29m): *Roberts is a two-time state champion
MEN'S HAMMER: *Daniel Roberts (Modesto; 62.87m); Erick Loomis (Modesto; 58.61m); Dustin Hamms (Hartnell; 54.34): *Roberts is a two-time state champion
MEN'S JAVELIN: Alvin Sung (San Mateo; 57.70m); Chris Ross (San Diego Mesa; 53.58); Tristian Escobar (Cerritos; 52.58m
MEN'S DECATHLON: *Kasey Mancini (Santa Rosa; 6572 points); Chad Ponciano (Riverside; 6360 points); Cole Hicks (Riverside; 6357 points): *Most points in the state this year
WOMEN'S 100 METERS: Strangenae Campbell (Diablo Valley; 11.44); ^Moesha Davidson (Fresno City; 11.60); Najia Hudspeth (Cerritos; 11.63): ^Davidson was the 2015 state champion
WOMEN'S 200 METERS: Najia Hudspeth (Cerritos; 23.69); Strangenae Campbell (Diablo Valley; 23.78); Meleni Rodney (Sequoias, 24.27)
WOMEN'S 400 METERS: Meleni Rodney (Sequoias; 54.16); Khadija Imara (Mt. SAC; 55.37); Nylia Hudspeth (Cerritos; 56.17)
WOMEN'S 800 METERS: *Crystal Tejada (Riverside; 2:10.59); Angela Wilson (Antelope Valley; 2:11.28); Cicelya Beard (San Joaquin Delta; 2:13.92): *Fastest time in the state this year
WOMEN'S 1500 METERS: Malena Grover (Hartnell; 4:37.49); Erica Ruiz (Santa Rosa; 4:41.58); Micayla Rennick (American River; 4:41.96)
WOMEN'S 5000 METERS: Jenica Dodge (American River; 17:23.57); Madeline Ogle (Cuesta; 17:30.68); Malena Grover (Hartnell; 17:38.51)
WOMEN'S 10,000 METERS: Jenica Dodge (American River; 36:33.44); Brianna Jacklin (Riverside; 36:45.19); Toni Lopez (Santa Ana; 37:45.44)
WOMEN'S 100-METER HH: Deshaunda Morrison (Sequoias; 13.76); Moesha Davidson (Fresno; 13.81); Taylor Sims (Orange Coast; 14.34)
WOMEN'S 400-METER IH: Brittany Mitchell (Mt. SAC; 1:02.59); Stephanie Fernandez (Santa Rosa; 1:03.12); Samantha Duong (Fullerton, 1:04.79)
3000 METER STEEPLECHASE: *Michelle Perez-Lopez (De Anza; 11:22.94); Nancy Rodriguez (Hartnell; 11:29.39); Jessica Ruiz (Canyons; 11:36.16): *Fastest time in the state this year
400-METER RELAY: Cerritos (46.00); Sequoias (46.13); Mt. San Antonio (46.98)
1600 METER RELAY: *Mt. SAC (3:46.27); West LA (3:49.25); Cerritos (3:54.64): *Mt. SAC was the defending state champions
WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP: Bria Palmer (Cerritos; 1.69m); Julia Grimm (Santa Rosa; 1.64m); Kaitlyn Matthews (Canyons; 1.64m); Ray'Ven Sanders (Merritt; 1.64m)
WOMEN'S POLE VAULT: *Augusta Thomason (Cuesta; 3.79m); Madison McPeak (Riverside; 3.47m); Marisa Tobin (Ventura; 3.32m): *Thomason is a two-time state champion
WOMEN'S LONG JUMP: *Moesha Davidson (Fresno City; 5.98m); Deshaunda Morrison (Sequoias; 5.63m); KiAnna Cunningham (Sequoias; 5.56m): *Davidson is a two-time state champion
WOMEN'S TRIPLE JUMP: Destinee Widgins (Riverside; 12.18m); Reagan Andrews (West Los Angeles; 11.64m); BreAnn Scally (Monterey; 11.59)
WOMEN'S SHOT PUT: Destiny Talalemotu (Cerritos; 14.72m); Brandy Williams (Diablo Valley; 14.07m); Imani Bierly (Yuba; 13.45m)
WOMEN'S DISCUS: Destiny Talalemotu (Cerritos; 47.45m); Adora Garrick (Chabot; 42.80,); Anya Tonga (De Anza; 41.82m)
WOMEN'S HAMMER: Destiny Talalemotu (Cerritos; 53.31m); De'ondra Young (Palomar; 51.66); Emma Seyer (De Anza; 50.25m)
WOMEN'S JAVELIN: *Melody Harris (Fresno City; 49.56m); Nicole Clark (El Camino; 41.44m); Daisy Newman (Siskiyous; 41.14): *Top distance in the state this year
WOMEN'S HEPTATHLON: Juanita Webster (Cerritos; 4846 points); Julia Grimm (Santa Rosa; 4683); BreAnn Scally (Monterey; 4149 points)
Field Event Athlete of the Year
Female - Destiny Talalemotu - Cerritos (Discus, Hammer & Shot put champion)
Co-Male - Daniel Roberts - Modesto (Shot put and discus champion) & Giovanni Hernandez of Mt. SAC (pole vault champion)
Track Athletes of the Year
Female - Jenica Dodge - American River (5000 & 10,000 meter champion)
Male - Cravon Gillespie - Mt. San Antonio (100 meters, 200 meter, 400-meter relay champion)