The Ventura College Pirate track teams weathered cold and, at times, torrential rain, producing one school record and three changes to the all-time lists at the Occidental Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic on Friday in Eagle Rock. Valexsia Droughn set a new school record in the women's 100 meters while Jordan Gibson cracked VC's Top-10 list in the men's 100 meters. Marissa Gonzales also joined the top-10 party in the women's 5000 meters, as did Sandra Harness in the 100-meter hurdles.
Droughn, who already owns the second-fastest women's 100 meters in Southern California this season with her wind-aided 11.93, produced a wind-legal school record running 12.16 for second in the Invitational 100 meters. The rain stopped just long enough for her to eclipse the mark of 12.20 set two years ago by Alicia Greenlaw.
The weather also held off long enough for Gibson to win the Invitational men's 100 meters in a wind-legal 10.74, good enough for ninth-fastest all-time at Ventura. Gonzales also joined the top-10 party by winning her section of the women's 5000 meters running the ninth-fastest time ever in 18:56.97. Rounding out the day of Pirates changing the all-time list came in the 100-meter hurdles as Harness ran a seasonal best of 16.39 which places her ninth all-time.
"For the second week in a row, the weather didn't cooperate, but the young people gave a championship effort, which will pay off in April and May", commented head coach, Tony Veney. "We also had five distance runners produce lifetime bests not letting the rain and wind get in their heads."
The Pirates get a week off from competition to get ready for the Cal State Northridge Invitational on Saturday March March 24.