Olympian Track and Field Athletes Take the Lead in PCAC

Track and field athletes at San Diego Mesa College have had a successful season thus far with the men’s team winning the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference with a high score of 341 points and the women’s team taking second place.

 

During the PCAC Championship match on Saturday, April 22, Tyler Arroyo set a new school record for the high jump of 7 feet one inch, earning him first place at the meet and putting him in first place for the state.

 

Other athletes who won in their events include Copper Bibbs (100 meter and 200 meter); Qwayjon Walker (men’s long jump and javelin); China Garcia (women’s shot put); Jordyn Fox (women’s pole vault); Juba McClay (men’s triple jump); Sarah Montion (women’s javelin); Bibbs, Giovanni Brooks, Christion Robinson, Fernando Harris and Artie Henry (400 relay); and Jerry Romero, Doug Strange, Nelson Cantrell, Bibbs and Ricardo Garcia (1600 relay).

 

A total of 34 students will now compete at the Southern California Regionals on Saturday, May 6 at Cerritos College.

 

“It’s unique to have so many athletes to make the state, automatic qualifying marks – that is something that is definitely not normal,” said Head Coach Renee Ross. “We always have a winning tradition – that is what we do and what we are – but to have athletes as of halfway through our season already making their mark in California is very impressive.”

 

Coach Ross said that she brings Mesa College track and field athletes to compete against four-year colleges each year to help motivate them to continue reaching their athletic and educational goals.

 

“I do it for two reasons – one, because it motivates these athletes to want to get up try at that higher level and competing at four year colleges, and I want them to look at other campuses,” Ross said. “Two, it allows these coaches at four-year colleges to be able to see the athletes.”

 

So far this season, Mesa’s track and field team has been qualifying for the CCCAA State Meet and leading the pack in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference and CCCAA standings.

 

Pole vaulter and Kinesiology major Jordyn Fox is competing in her first year at Mesa College, but previously competed at the high school level.

 

Despite battling injuries this season, she is currently in first place in the PCAC and in 10th place in Southern California for female pole vault. On working through her injuries, she said that she has been, “putting myself in the right mindset that I can still do things.”

 

With her eyes set on officially breaking the school record of 11 feet 1 inch for pole vault, Fox already has a personal record of 11 feet 3 inches

 

High jumper and Business Marketing major William Kenney is competing with Mesa as a first-year member of the team, but he has been competing in track and field since his freshman year of high school. As of late March, Kenney was the second place jumper in the PCAC and fourth place for Southern California.  

 

“The jump squad that we have is really stacked – we have a lot of kids that are good,” Kenney said. “Having teammates that are better than me or just as good as I am helps me to push myself harder.”

 

The following athletes will compete at the Southern California Regionals on May 6:

 

Men:

Arroyo, Tyler - High Jump ( HJ) 
Bibbs, Cooper - 100 and 200 meters 400 Relay 
Brooks, Giovanni - 100 meters ; 400 Relay
Burt, Marcus - High Jump 
Cantrell, Nelson - 800 meters ; 1600 relay 
Dean, Ryan - HJ 
Duran, Ivan - Shot Put ; Javelin
Garcia, Ricardo - 400 meters ; 1600 Relay 
Harris, Fernando - 100 meters ; 400 Relay
Hastings, Patrick - Discus ; Hammer 
Henry, Artie - 200 meters ; 400 relay 
Kenney, Will - Long Jump ; High Jump
McClay, Juba - Triple Jump ; Long Jump
McIntyre, Hayden- Discus
McNair, Louis - 400 meters ; Javelin ; 1600 Relay
Mickelsen, Aaron- 110 Hurdles ; Javelin 
Nash, Jordan - Hammer ; Shot Put 
Partlow, Robert - Shot Put
Payne, Matthew - Javelin 
Robinson, Christion - 100 and 200 meters; 400 Relay 
Romero, Gerardo(Jerry) - 400 Hurdles ; 1600 Relay 
Strange, Doug - 400 meters ; 1600 Relay 
Sun, Leroy - 110 Hurdles 
Walker, Qwayjon - Long Jump ; Javelin 

 

Women:

Bennett, Brittany - 110 Hurdles 
Edwards, Erica - 3000 meter Steeple Chase 
Ecija, Micaela - Javelin ; Discus 
Garcia, China - Shot Put; Discus 
Goss, Madison - Javelin ; Shot Put 
Montion, Sarah - Javelin ; Shot Put ; Discus 
Sierra, Hiwalani - Hammer ; Shot Put ; Discus
Fox, Jordyn - Pole Vault 

  

For more information about the Track and Field or Cross Country teams at San Diego Mesa College, contact Head Coach Renee Ross at (619)388-5806 or rross@sdccd.edu.

Tags: PCAC, Athletics, Track and Field