The VC men's and women's track and field teams split their squads over the weekend, competing at the Viking Invitational at Long Beach City College on Friday before throwing at the Ben Brown Invite at Cal State Fullerton and running at the Occidental Distance Carnival Saturday. Isaiah Marecheau won the 100m in Long Beach and anchored the gold medal 4x100m relay with William Boyd, AJ Monarres and Thomas Dore, among other strong performances from the Pirates.
In Long Beach on Friday, Marecheau (Oxnard) ran an 11/04 in the 100 to bring home the gold while Monarres (Ventura) was third, Boyd (Buena) was fourth and Dore (Oxnard) came in seventh. The quartet then ran a 41.77 in the 4x100m relay to break the tape first. The time is the No. 1-ranked mark in the Western State Conference this season, No. 4 in Southern California and No. 5 all-time in VC history. Ethan Figlio (Rio Mesa) and Andrew Stuart (Buena) came in 12th and 14th in the 100m, respectively.
In the field events, Dante Mata-Burney (Santa Paula) placed seventh in the long jump in the pouring rain while You Vasquez (Pacifica) placed 10th in the shot put. Ethan Sanchez (Rio Mesa) was 11th in both the shot put and javelin.
For the VC women Friday, Samantha McKenzie (Oxnard) claimed bronze in the 100m hurdles and placed fifth in the 100m. Saj Nelson (Pacifica) won bronze in the shot put and discus and Stephanie Garcia (Rio Mesa) was third in the long jump.
A contingent of Pirate throwers traveled Saturday to compete in the Ben Brown Invitational at Cal State Fullerton. Adam Alfred (Oxnard) was the top community college finisher in the shot put with a throw of 14.52m. He finished 13th overall and his throw is ranked No. 1 in the WSC this year, No. 8 in California and is the 12th-ranked mark in VC history. Alfred also was fifth among CC athletes in the discus, 23rd overall.
Payton Hoff (Bena) was 29th in the hammer throw, sixth among CC competitors while TJ Donovan Guererro (Buena) was 33rd in the hammer, ninth among CC athletes.
For the VC women, Saj Nelson placed 29th in the shot put, fifth among community college athletes while Jamie Lozano (Oxnard) placed 31st in the shot put, 6th among CC competitors, and 30th in the hammer, fourth among CC athletes.
Meanwhile, another small contingent of Pirates went to the Occidental Distance Carnival in Eagle Rock Saturday evening. Erick Tienda (Rio Mesa) was 37th in the 1500m, sixth among CC athletes, and Ramiro Mateos (Oxnard) came in 14th in the 3000m steeplechase, sixth among CC runners.
Sophia Godina (Rio Mesa) came in 30th overall in the 5000m and was fourth among CC athletes. She is currently ranked No. 3 in the WSC, No. 6 in California and holds the sixth-best time in VC history in the event.
Ventura next travels with distance runners to the Redlands Invitational on Friday March 17 before the whole team heads to the WSC Coastal meet in San Luis Obispo on Friday March 24 at Cuesta College.